Practice Free 100-160 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity Exam Questions Answers With Explanation

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guideexplains thatSOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response)platforms integrate data from multiple tools and sources, support case management, and automate security workflows for faster incident response.

"SOAR solutions provide orchestration, automation, and response capabilities. They collect security data from multiple systems, enable analysts to manage incidents, and automate repetitive tasks in the response process."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Incident Handling, Security Automation Tools section, Cisco Networking Academy)

A(SIEM) collects and correlates security logs but lacks full orchestration and automated response capabilities.

Bis correct: SOAR adds orchestration, case management, and automated incident response.

C(NextGen IPS) focuses on intrusion prevention, not orchestration.

D(Snort) is an open-source intrusion detection/prevention tool, not an orchestration platform.

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guidecovers major privacy and security frameworks:

GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)–

"EU regulation that protects personal data and privacy for individuals within the European Union."

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)–

"US law that protects sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge."

PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)–

"Security standard to protect credit card data and reduce fraud."

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)–

"US law that protects the privacy of student education records."

FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act)–

"US law that requires federal agencies to protect information and information systems."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Essential Security Principles, Regulatory Compliance section, Cisco Networking Academy)

TheCCST Cybersecuritycourse highlights that signs of brute-force attacks followed by successful access requireimmediate account security actionsand an investigation to determine if other systems were accessed.

"When suspicious login activity is detected, immediate containment steps such as password resets and log analysis are necessary to limit damage and identify the extent of the compromise."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Incident Handling, Account Compromise Response section, Cisco Networking Academy)

In theCCST Cybersecuritycourse, Windows Event ViewerErrorevents in the Application log indicate a severe problem that caused an application or component to fail. This usually requires investigation or repair.

"Error events indicate a significant problem such as a loss of functionality in an application or system component. Errors are often critical and need immediate attention."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Incident Handling, Event Logging and Analysis section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Ais incorrect: Performance slowness would usually generate warnings, not errors.

Bis correct: An "Error" level in Event Viewer means the application failed in some way.

Cis incorrect: That describes an "Information" event, not an error.

Dis incorrect: That also corresponds to an "Information" event.

According to theCCST Cybersecuritycourse, Windows Event Viewer’sSecurity logsrecord authentication-related events that can help identify password-guessing attempts (also known as brute force attacks).

"The Account logon failure event indicates that an authentication attempt has failed, which may suggest incorrect credentials were used. Multiple such events in a short time frame can indicate a brute-force attack. The Account lockout success event confirms that an account has been locked due to repeated failed logon attempts, which further supports the suspicion of password-guessing attacks."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Incident Handling, Monitoring and Analyzing Security Events section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Object access failurerelates to unauthorized attempts to open or modify files, not login attempts.

Account logon failure (B)shows failed login attempts due to invalid credentials.

Account lockout success (C)confirms that repeated login failures have triggered a lockout.

Account logoff successis a normal event and does not indicate malicious activity.

TheCCST Cybersecuritycourse defines a strong password as one that:

Is at least 8–12 characters long

Uses a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols

Avoids dictionary words, personal information, and predictable patterns

"Strong passwords combine length, complexity, and unpredictability, making them resistant to brute force and dictionary attacks."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Essential Security Principles, Authentication and Access Control section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Ais correct: It’s long, mixed case, includes numbers and symbols, and is not easily guessable.

Bis incorrect: It’s based on a date, which is predictable.

Cis incorrect: Short and based on a dictionary word.

Dis correct: Uses complexity and length with leetspeak for added unpredictability.

According to theCCST Cybersecuritycourse, NIST guidelines (SP 800-63B) recommend aminimum password length of 8 charactersfor user-generated passwords, without requiring overly complex composition rules, but encouraging longer passphrases for increased security.

"NIST guidelines specify that user-generated passwords must be at least 8 characters in length, and systems should allow passwords up to at least 64 characters."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Essential Security Principles, Authentication Best Practices section, Cisco Networking Academy)

According to theCCST Cybersecurity Study Guide, firmware updates are a critical security maintenance task because vulnerabilities in firmware can be exploited by attackers to gain persistent control over hardware.

"Keeping firmware up to date is necessary to patch security vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by threat actors. Vendors release firmware updates to correct security flaws, enhance stability, and ensure compatibility with updated security protocols."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Endpoint Security Concepts, System and Firmware Maintenance section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Ais partially true but not the primary security reason for updates.

Bis incorrect because firmware is not part of the OS kernel; it’s embedded in the hardware.

Cis correct: patching vulnerabilities in firmware is essential for endpoint protection.

Dmay occur as a side benefit, but it’s not the main reason from a cybersecurity perspective.

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guideexplains that aBYOD policy(Bring Your Own Device) should outline security requirements for personally owned devices connecting to the corporate network. Common requirements include:

Device encryptionfor stored sensitive corporate data.

Strong password or PINconfiguration for device access.

Restriction to secure and approved applicationsto reduce malware risk.

"BYOD policies typically mandate strong authentication, encryption of sensitive corporate data on personal devices, and installation of secure or approved applications. The goal is to protect corporate information while respecting personal ownership of the device."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Endpoint Security Concepts, BYOD Security section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Ais incorrect: BYOD policies do not require deletion of personal data unless wiping after separation.

Bis not a common requirement due to privacy and technical limitations.

E(upgrading data plans) is unrelated to security.

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guideexplains thatWPA3is the most current and secure Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol, offering stronger encryption and better protection against brute-force attacks compared to earlier versions.

"WPA3 improves wireless security by using more robust encryption methods and protections against offline password guessing, making it the recommended protocol for securing modern Wi-Fi networks."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Basic Network Security Concepts, Wireless Security Protocols section, Cisco Networking Academy)