Chapter 1

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Questions and Answers

Which type of attack targets systems to disrupt their availability by overwhelming them with traffic?

Phishing attack

Ransomware attack

Man-in-the-middle attack

Denial of Service (DoS) attack (correct)

What is defined as the probability or likelihood of the occurrence of a threat?

Threat

Risk (correct)

Asset

Vulnerability

What is one potential consequence of the disclosure of confidential information?

Increased market share

Improved public relations

Enhanced customer loyalty

Loss of revenue (correct)

Which of the following best describes assets in the context of security?

Items of economic value owned by an individual or organization. Signup and view all the answers

Who are considered 'script kiddies' in the context of cybersecurity?

People using pre-existing tools to hack without expertise Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe the risk that remains after implementing safeguards?

Residual risk Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes organized crime groups among threat actors?

Their primary goal is to financially benefit from illegal activities. Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a specific tool designed to target critical infrastructure?

Stuxnet Signup and view all the answers

Which category do hurricanes and flooding fall under in the context of security threats?

Natural threats Signup and view all the answers

In risk management, what does an increased vulnerability indicate?

A higher chance of successful attacks Signup and view all the answers

In terms of risk management, what essential framework has been adopted by the U.S. federal government?

Risk Management Framework (RMF) Signup and view all the answers

What type of malware is designed to damage or destroy a system or data?

Virus Signup and view all the answers

What kind of risk is associated with unauthorized attacks by an insider or outsider on an organization’s infrastructure?

Threat actor risk Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary method used by attackers in today's DoS attacks?

Using botnets Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following options best summarizes the components of risk?

Assets, threats, and vulnerabilities Signup and view all the answers

What describes threats in an organizational context?

Events that impact confidentiality, integrity, or availability of assets. Signup and view all the answers

What does ISO 27001 specify?

Requirements for an Information Security Management System (ISMS). Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a threat?

Any potential danger to an asset. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of ISO 27005?

Defining a risk management approach. Signup and view all the answers

Which document outlines how organizations can monitor and measure security?

ISO 27004 Signup and view all the answers

In the context of security, what is a vulnerability?

A weakness in a system that can be exploited. Signup and view all the answers

What role does a threat actor have in an attack?

To exploit vulnerabilities. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the ISO/IEC 27000 series?

To establish recommendations for information security management. Signup and view all the answers

What method is primarily used to perform attacks through vulnerabilities?

Threat vectors. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Cybersecurity programs aim to protect all connections and organizational data, regardless of storage or transmission.
Cybersecurity concepts include the difference between threats, vulnerabilities, and exploits.
Common threats include viruses, Trojans, DoS/DDoS attacks, phishing, rootkits, man-in-the-middle attacks, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting.
Common software and hardware vulnerabilities include weak or hardcoded passwords, software bugs, missing encryption, buffer overflows, and path traversal.
The CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) defines security policies to protect assets.
Cloud security threats include data breaches, insecure APIs, DoS attacks, and compromised credentials.
IoT (Internet of Things) security threats include device vulnerabilities, lack of security features, and physical access issues.
Digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) involves understanding digital evidence and responding to security incidents.

"Do I Know This Already?" Quiz

The quiz assesses prior knowledge of the chapter's topics, helping determine if the entire chapter or relevant sections should be read.
Questions cover introduction to cybersecurity, definitions, common threats, vulnerabilities, CIA triad, cloud security, and IoT security.

Technical Questions

A threat is any potential danger to an asset.
A vulnerability is a weakness in system design, implementation, software, code, or a missing mechanism
An exploit is a piece of software, tool, or process that takes advantage of a vulnerability.
Malware attack mechanisms include Master Boot Record, File Infector, Macro Infector, etc.
Vulnerability is identified by a CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) identifier.
SQL injection attacks can be blind, out-of-band, or in-band.
A web application vulnerability occurs when a flaw is in a web application targeting an end user.
A denial-of-service attack impacts availability.
Security mechanisms like encryption, controlled traffic routing, and access controls preserve confidentiality.
Cloud deployment models include public, private, community, and hybrid.

Risk, Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities

Risk is the probability a threat will manifest.
An asset has economic value to an individual or organization.
A threat actor is an individual or group responsible for security incidents.
Natural disasters, user attacks, and disclosure of confidential information threaten systems.

Defining Threat Actors

Script kiddies use existing tools to attack systems.
Organized crime groups aim to steal information and make money.
State-sponsored actors steal data or conduct political attacks.
Hacktivists perform attacks to promote a cause.
Terrorist groups perform attacks based on political or religious beliefs.

Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Exploits

A security threat is any potential danger to an asset.
Security vulnerabilities include flaws in systems, software, or code.
An exploit takes advantage of a vulnerability during a security breach.

Viruses and Worms

Viruses need an existing program to infect; Worms can spread independently.
Spyware, a type of malware, steals information without user acknowledgement.
Malware uses several propagation methods including master boot record infection, BIOS infection, file infection, and macro infection.

Malware Payloads

Malware may overwrite parts of an infected file, put the code at the beginning or end, or prepender or appender.
Malware detection is increasingly challenging due to the variety of techniques used to obfuscate code, encrypt, and make malicious code undetectable by antivirus software.

Trojan Types

Remote Access Trojans (RATs) give attackers complete control over the system.
Data hiding Trojans hide the data, usually involving ransom payments for release.
Banking Trojans steal banking information.
Denial-of-Service (DoS) Trojans disrupt services by overwhelming them.
Proxy Trojans mask attackers' identity.
FTP Trojans allow malicious file transfer.

Cloud Security Threats

Cloud security threats include data breaches, insecure APIs, DoS attacks, and privilege escalation.

IoT Security Threats

IoT device vulnerabilities, lack of security features, compromised credentials, and physical access.

Incident Response

Incident response addresses security incidents, providing a predictable and managed response.
Incident response plans (IRPs), policies, procedures, and personnel are components of a response program.
Incident classification and handling, information classification and protection, record retention and destruction, and acceptable usage of encryption are all important considerations during incident response.

Incident Response Teams

CSIRT (Computer Security Incident Response Team) is responsible for investigating and resolving computer security incidents.
PSIRT (Product Security Incident Response Team) handles security vulnerabilities in products or services.

Common Vulnerability Scoring Systems (CVSS)

CVSS provides a standardized method for scoring vulnerabilities based on the severity, such as base, temporal, and environmental aspects for analysis.

Security Vulnerabilities in Open-Source Software

Open-source software vulnerabilities frequently require urgent attention, so organizations and individuals routinely update software and tools.

Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR)

Digital evidence preservation ensures evidence integrity from collection through presentation in a court of law.
Digital forensics and incident response methodologies involve policies, plans, procedures, and personnel.

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