Windows XP Pro Risk Assessment & Management 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A risk assessment identifies that Windows XP Pro machines do not apply patches regularly. Which built-in feature best mitigates this risk?
- Windows Defender
- Automatic Updates (Correct answer)
- Internet Connection Firewall
- Remote Assistance
Correct answer: Automatic Updates
Automatic Updates ensures that security patches are downloaded and applied on a schedule, reducing the window of exposure to known vulnerabilities.
Question 2: When quantifying risk, the formula Asset Value × Threat Likelihood × Vulnerability Level is used to calculate which value?
- Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
- Annual Loss Expectancy (ALE)
- Risk Score (Correct answer)
- Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
Correct answer: Risk Score
A risk score is calculated by combining the asset value, the likelihood of a threat occurring, and the degree of vulnerability, giving a prioritization metric.
Question 3: On a Windows XP Pro system, which action MOST reduces the risk associated with default administrative shares (e.g., C$, ADMIN$)?
- Enable the Guest account
- Disable the Server service or restrict access via firewall rules (Correct answer)
- Convert the drive to FAT32
- Enable Remote Desktop on all machines
Correct answer: Disable the Server service or restrict access via firewall rules
Disabling the Server service or blocking SMB ports via the firewall prevents remote access to hidden administrative shares, eliminating this attack vector.
Question 4: A Windows XP Pro risk assessment recommends implementing a 'clean desk' policy. Which type of threat does this PRIMARILY address?
- Malware infection
- Social engineering and physical information theft (Correct answer)
- Network intrusion
- Denial of service
Correct answer: Social engineering and physical information theft
A clean desk policy reduces the risk of sensitive information being read or stolen by unauthorized individuals who have physical access to the workspace.
Question 5: Which Windows XP Pro security feature encrypts the credentials stored in the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database?
- EFS
- Syskey (Correct answer)
- IPSec
- Kerberos
Correct answer: Syskey
Syskey (System Key) applies an additional layer of encryption to the SAM database, protecting password hashes from offline extraction attacks.
Question 6: A risk assessment reveals a Windows XP Pro machine is running IIS with default settings. What is the MOST immediate risk reduction step?
- Upgrade to a newer OS
- Uninstall or disable IIS if web hosting is not required (Correct answer)
- Change the desktop wallpaper
- Defragment the hard drive
Correct answer: Uninstall or disable IIS if web hosting is not required
If IIS is not needed, removing or disabling it eliminates an entire category of web-server vulnerabilities from the machine's risk profile.
Question 7: Which element of a formal risk management process involves determining which risks are acceptable and which require mitigation?
- Risk identification
- Risk analysis
- Risk evaluation (Correct answer)
- Risk monitoring
Correct answer: Risk evaluation
Risk evaluation compares analyzed risks against defined criteria to decide whether each risk is acceptable, transferable, or requires active mitigation.
Windows XP Pro Risk Assessment & Management 4
A risk assessment identifies that Windows XP Pro machines do not apply patches regularly.
Which built-in feature best mitigates this risk?