SSCP Network & Communications Security 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which protocol operates on UDP port 161 and is used to monitor and manage network devices, but has known security weaknesses in version 1 and 2c?
- SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) (Correct answer)
- SMTP
- SFTP
- SIP
Correct answer: SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
SNMPv1/v2c uses community strings transmitted in cleartext, making them susceptible to sniffing; SNMPv3 adds authentication and encryption.
Question 2: What is the key difference between IDS (Intrusion Detection System) and IPS (Intrusion Prevention System)?
- IPS can block traffic inline; IDS only monitors and alerts (Correct answer)
- IDS blocks traffic; IPS only logs
- IPS cannot detect zero-day attacks
- IDS requires inline deployment
Correct answer: IPS can block traffic inline; IDS only monitors and alerts
An IPS sits inline in the traffic path and can actively drop malicious packets, while an IDS operates out-of-band and only generates alerts.
Question 3: A company uses MPLS for its WAN. Which security concern is MOST relevant to MPLS environments?
- Label spoofing enabling traffic misdirection between VPNs (Correct answer)
- Lack of any routing capability
- Incompatibility with IPv4
- Default encryption of all payloads
Correct answer: Label spoofing enabling traffic misdirection between VPNs
MPLS uses label-switched paths; if label tables are manipulated or spoofed, traffic can be misdirected between supposedly isolated VPNs.
Question 4: Which protocol is used to securely transfer files and is a subsystem of SSH running over port 22?
- SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) (Correct answer)
- FTP over SSL (FTPS)
- TFTP
- SCP only
Correct answer: SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol)
SFTP is a separate protocol that runs as a subsystem over an SSH connection, providing encrypted file transfer on port 22.
Question 5: What does the term 'split tunneling' mean in the context of VPNs?
- Only traffic destined for corporate resources goes through the VPN tunnel; other traffic uses the local gateway (Correct answer)
- All traffic is forced through the VPN regardless of destination
- The VPN splits into two parallel encrypted channels
- Traffic is tunneled using two different encryption algorithms simultaneously
Correct answer: Only traffic destined for corporate resources goes through the VPN tunnel; other traffic uses the local gateway
Split tunneling allows VPN clients to route corporate-bound traffic through the secure tunnel while sending internet traffic directly through their local ISP.
Question 6: Which network hardening practice involves disabling unused switch ports and assigning them to an unused VLAN?
- Port isolation / VLAN parking (Correct answer)
- Trunk pruning
- STP root guard
- DHCP snooping
Correct answer: Port isolation / VLAN parking
Disabling unused ports and assigning them to a parking VLAN prevents unauthorized devices from connecting and gaining network access through those ports.
Question 7: An organization wants to prevent rogue DHCP servers from assigning IP addresses to clients. Which switch feature provides this protection?
- DHCP snooping (Correct answer)
- ARP inspection
- Port mirroring
- BPDU guard
Correct answer: DHCP snooping
DHCP snooping designates trusted ports (connected to legitimate DHCP servers) and drops DHCP offer/ack messages arriving on untrusted ports.
SSCP Network & Communications Security 5
Which protocol operates on UDP port 161 and is used to monitor and manage network devices, but has known security weaknesses in version 1 and 2c?