CS0-003 Practice Exam Questions with Answers CompTIA CyberSecurity Analyst CySA+ Certification Exam Certification

The MITRE ATT&CK framework is a knowledge base of cybercriminals’ adversarial behaviors based on cybercriminals’ known tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs). It helps security teams model, detect, prevent and fight cybersecurity threats by simulating cyberattacks, creating security policies, controls and incident response plans, and sharing information with other security professionals. It is an open-source project that evolves with input from a global community of cybersecurity professionals1. References: What is the MITRE ATT&CK Framework? | IBM

Deploying EDR on the web server and the database server to reduce the adversaries capabilities and using micro segmentation to restrict connectivity to/from the web and database servers are two compensating controls that will help contain the adversary while meeting the other requirements. A compensating control is a security measure that is implemented to mitigate the risk of a vulnerability or an attack when the primary control is not feasible or effective. EDR stands for Endpoint Detection and Response, which is a tool that monitors endpoints for malicious activity and provides automated or manual response capabilities. EDR can help contain the adversary by detecting and blocking their actions, such as data exfiltration, lateral movement, privilege escalation, or command execution. Micro segmentation is a technique that divides a network into smaller segments based on policies and rules, and applies granular access controls to each segment. Micro segmentation can help contain the adversary by isolating the web and database servers from other parts of the network, and limiting the traffic that can flow between them. Official References:

https://partners.comptia.org/docs/default-source/resources/comptia-cysa-cs0-002-exam-objectives

https://www.comptia.org/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst

https://www.comptia.org/blog/the-new-comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-your-questions-answered

A discovery scan is a type of web application scanning that involves identifying active, internet-facing web applications and their URIs, without performing any intrusive or in-depth tests. This type of scan can help to understand the scope and structure of a web application before conducting more comprehensive vulnerability scans12. References: 1: OWASP Vulnerability Scanning Tools 2: CISA Web Application Scanning

Dictionary attacks involve an attacker attempting to guess passwords by using a list of common passwords. Implementing a lockout policy is effective because it limits the number of login attempts, thereby hindering the attacker's ability to repeatedly attempt different passwords. Lockout policies are standard in cybersecurity practices to prevent brute-force and dictionary attacks by temporarilydisabling an account after a certain number of failed login attempts. According to CompTIA Security+ standards, password complexity (option B) and multifactor authentication (option A) are helpful but are not as immediately effective in directly preventing repeated attempts as a lockout policy.

To identify existing vulnerabilities in the web application, the best options are to contract a penetration test and create a bug bounty program. A penetration test simulates attacks against the application to uncover security flaws proactively. A bug bounty program incentivizes external security researchers to find and report vulnerabilities, expanding the testing scope without overburdening internal resources. According to CompTIA CySA+, both methods are highly effective in identifying vulnerabilities from an external perspective, particularly when internal resources are limited. Options like a WAF (A) focus more on prevention than detection, while threat modeling (F) and tabletop exercises (D) are generally proactive measures not focused on active flaw identification.

The activities taken by the process with PID 1024 will provide the best insight into this potentially malicious process, based on the anomalous behavior. BGInfo.exe is a legitimate tool that displays system information on the desktop background, but it can also be used by attackers to gather information about the compromised host or to disguise malicious processes12. By monitoring the activities of PID 1024, such as the files it accesses, the network connections it makes, or the commands it executes, the analyst can determine if the process is benign or malicious.

A well-defined timeline of the events is the most important factor to ensure accurate incident response reporting, as it provides a clear and chronological account of what happened, when it happened, who was involved, and what actions were taken. A timeline helps to identify the root cause of the incident, the impact and scope of the damage, the effectiveness of the response, and the lessons learned for future improvement. A timeline also helps to communicate the incident to relevant stakeholders, such as management, legal, regulatory, or media entities. The other factors are also important for incident response reporting, but they are not as essential as a well-defined timeline. Official References:

https://www.ibm.com/topics/incident-response

https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/incident-response/incident-response-steps/

An incident manager should work with the legal and public relations entities to ensure correct processes are adhered to when communicating incident reporting to the general public, as a best practice. The legal entity can provide guidance on the legal implications and obligations of disclosing the incident, such as compliance with data protection laws, contractual obligations, and liability issues. The public relations entity can help craft the appropriate message and tone for the public communication, as well as manage the reputation and image of the organization in the aftermath of the incident. These two entities can help the incident manager balance the need for transparency and accountability with the need for confidentiality and security12. References: Incident Communication Templates, Incident Management: Processes, Best Practices & Tools - Atlassian

Conducting regular code reviews using OWASP best practices is the most effective action to reduce risks associated with the application development. Code reviews are a systematic examination of the source code of an application to detect and fix errors, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses that may compromise the security, functionality, or performance of the application. Code reviews can help to improve the quality and security of the code, as well as to identify and remediate common security risks, such as insufficient logging capabilities. OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) is a global nonprofit organization that provides free and open resources, tools, standards, and best practices for web application security. OWASP best practices for logging include following a common loggingformat and approach, logging relevant security events and data, protecting log data from unauthorized access or modification, and using log analysis and monitoring tools to detect and respond to security incidents. By following OWASP best practices for logging, developers can ensure that their web applications have sufficient and effective logging capabilities that can help to prevent, detect, and mitigate security threats.

Registry key values would be missing from a scan performed with this configuration, as the scanner appliance would not have access to the Windows Registry of the scanned systems. The WindowsRegistry is a database that stores configuration settings and options for the operating system and installed applications. To scan the Registry, the scanner would need to have credentials to log in to the systems and run a local agent or script. The other items would not be missing from the scan, as they can be detected by the scanner appliance without credentials. Operating system version can be identified by analyzing service banners or fingerprinting techniques. Open ports can be discovered by performing a port scan or sending probes to common ports. IP address can be obtained by resolving the hostname or using network discovery tools. https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1112/

A mean time to remediate (MTTR) is a metric that measures how long it takes to fix a vulnerability after it is discovered. A MTTR of 30 days would best protect the organization from the new attacks that are exploited 45 days after a patch is released, as it would ensure that the vulnerabilities are fixed before they are exploited

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in incident response exercises help organizationsprioritize improvements by measuring response effectiveness, containment success, and recovery speed. This ensures that resources are focused on the most critical areas for enhancement?.

Option A (Personal performance tracking)is more relevant to HR evaluations rather than cybersecurity operations.

Option B (Describing incident resolution)is important but does notdefine future priorities.

Option D (Identifying tools to use)is useful but not the primary function of KPIs.

Thus,C is the correct answer, asKPIs help teams identify the most urgent areas for improvement?.

The output shows that port 80 is open and running an HTTP service, indicating that the host could potentially be vulnerable to web-based attacks. The other options are not relevant for this purpose: the host is responsive to the ICMP request, as shown by the “Host is up” message; the host is not running a mail server, as there is no SMTP or POP3 service detected; the host is not allowing unsecured FTP connections, as there is no FTP service detected.References: According to the CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition123, one of the objectives for the exam is to “use appropriate tools and methods to manage, prioritize and respond to attacks and vulnerabilities”. The book also covers the usage and syntax of nmap, a popular network scanning tool, in chapter 5. Specifically, it explains the meaning and function of each option in nmap, such as “-sV” for version detection2, page 195. Therefore, this is a reliable source to verify the answer to the question.

SQL injection should be remediated first, as it is a high-severity vulnerability that can allow an attacker to execute arbitrary SQL commands on the database server and access, modify, or delete sensitive data, including PII. According to the Arachni scan results, there are two instances of SQL injection and three instances of blind SQL injection (two timing attacks and one differential analysis) in the web application. These vulnerabilities indicate that the web application does not properly validate or sanitize the user input before passing it to the database server, and thus exposes the database to malicious queries12. SQL injection can have serious consequences for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data and the system, and can also lead to further attacks, such as privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or remote code execution34. Therefore, SQL injection should be the highest priority for remediation, and the web application should implement input validation, parameterized queries, and least privilege principle to prevent SQL injection attacks5. References: Web application testing with Arachni | Infosec, How do I create a generated scan report for PDF in Arachni Web …, Command line user interface · Arachni/arachni Wiki · GitHub, SQL Injection - OWASP, Blind SQL Injection - OWASP, SQL Injection Attack: What is it, and how to prevent it., SQL Injection Cheat Sheet & Tutorial | Veracode

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation:The best approach to address the risk of a zero-day attack is mitigation. Here’s an explanation of each option:

A. Avoid

Explanation: Avoiding risk would mean discontinuing the use of the asset, which is not feasible for high-value assets that are essential to operations.

B. Transfer

Explanation: Transferring risk would involve outsourcing or obtaining insurance, but this does not directly reduce the threat of a zero-day exploit.

C. Accept

Explanation: Accepting the risk means acknowledging it without implementing countermeasures, which is not advisable for high-value assets at risk from sophisticated attacks.

D. Mitigate

Explanation: Mitigation involves implementing technical or administrative controls to reduce the impact of an attack. For zero-day exploits, this could include installing network-based protections, enhancing monitoring, or applying threat intelligence to detect or contain potential exploit attempts.

The given firewall logs indicatehigh outbound traffic with low IP reputation, sustained over time, which is a strongindicator of cryptomining activity?.

Option A (Anomalous activity)is a general term but does not specifywhythe activity is suspicious.

Option B (Bandwidth saturation)occurs when network traffic is overwhelming, but cryptomining typicallyuses CPU/GPU powerrather than overwhelming bandwidth.

Option D (Denial of service - DoS)would result incontinuous large requests, but cryptomining generatesconsistent, high-bandwidth outbound trafficrather than bursts of large requests.

Thus,C is the correct answer, as cryptomininggenerates unusual outbound network activity from internal hosts to mining pools?.

The NTP configuration on each system should be checked first, as it is essential for ensuring accurate and consistent time stamps across different systems. NTP is the Network Time Protocol, which is used to synchronize the clocks of computers over a network. NTP uses a hierarchical system of time sources, where each level is assigned a stratum number. The most accurate time sources, such as atomic clocks or GPS receivers, are at stratum 0, and the devices that synchronize with them are at stratum 1, and so on. NTP clients can query multiple NTP servers and use algorithms to select the best time source and adjust their clocks accordingly1. If the NTP configuration is not consistent or correct on each system, the time stamps of the logs and events may differ, making it difficult to correlate incidents across different systems. This can affect the security analysis and correlation of events, as well as the compliance and auditing of the network23. References: How the Windows Time Service Works, Time Synchronization - All You Need To Know, What is SIEM? | Microsoft Security

The output shows that the web application is vulnerable to clickjacking attacks, which allow an attacker to overlay a hidden frame on top of a legitimate page and trick users into clicking on malicious links. Blocking requests without an X-Frame-Options header can prevent this attack by instructing the browser to not display the page within a frame.

XSS is a type of web application attack that exploits the vulnerability of a web server or browser to execute malicious scripts or commands on the client-side. XSS attackers inject malicious code, such as JavaScript, VBScript, HTML, or CSS, into a web page or application that is viewed by other users. The malicious code can then access or manipulate the user’s session, cookies, browser history, or personal information, or perform actions on behalf of the user, such as stealing credentials, redirecting to phishing sites, or installing malware12

The line in the web server log shows an example of an XSS attack using VBScript. The attacker tried to insert an tag with a malicious SRC attribute that contains a VBScript code. The VBScript code is intended to display a message box with the text “test” when the user views the web page or application. This is a simple and harmless example of XSS, but it could be used to test the vulnerability of the web server or browser, or to launch more sophisticated and harmful attacks3

OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) is a tool recommended for quickly testing web applications for vulnerabilities, including SQL injection, path traversal, and cross-site scripting. It is an open-source web application security scanner that helps identify security issues in web applications during the development and testing phases.

USB ports are a common attack vector that can be used to deliver malware, steal data, or compromise systems. The first step to mitigate this vulnerability is to check the configurations of the company assets and disable or restrict the USB ports if possible. This will prevent unauthorized devices from being connected and reduce the attack surface. The other options are also important, but they are not the first priority in this scenario.

Deduplication is a process that involves removing any duplicate or redundant data or information from a data set or source. Deduplication can help consolidate several threat intelligence feeds by eliminating any overlapping or repeated indicators of compromise (IoCs), alerts, reports, or recommendations. Deduplication can also help reduce the volume and complexity of threat intelligence data, as well as improve its quality, accuracy, or relevance.

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation:A Service Level Agreement (SLA) defines the expectations, requirements, and metrics for third-party services, including response times and responsibilities during an event. Here’s an overview of each option:

A. BIA (Business Impact Analysis)

Explanation: BIA is used to assess potential impacts of disruptions to business operations, but it does not specify third-party response requirements.

B. DRP (Disaster Recovery Plan)

Explanation: DRP provides recovery procedures for internal systems and services but does not directly establish third-party obligations.

C. SLA (Service Level Agreement)

Explanation: SLAs set clear expectations for third-party services, including response times, performance metrics, and specific requirements during incidents. SLAs ensure accountability for external providers during critical events.

D. MOU (Memorandum of Understanding)

Explanation: An MOU defines general terms and intentions between parties but lacks the specific performance metrics required in an SLA.

The snippet shows an attempt to access the boot.ini file, which is a configuration file for Windows operating systems. The “… \ … /” pattern is used to navigate up the directory structure and reach the root directory, where the boot.ini file is located. This is a common technique for exploiting directory traversal vulnerabilities, which allow an attacker to access files and directories outside the intended web server path. The other options are not relevant for this purpose: remote file inclusion involves injecting a malicious file into a web application; cross-site scripting involves injecting malicious scripts into a web page; remote code execution involves executing arbitrary commands on a remote system; enumeration of /etc/passwd involves accessing the file that stores user information on Linux systems.

Server 1is runningWindows Server 2008 R2, anend-of-life operating system, which no longer receives security patches from Microsoft, making it highly vulnerable. Additionally, runningMicrosoft IISon this outdated OS exacerbates the risk. Even though it has antivirus software, the outdated OS presents a much more critical threat vector compared to other systems listed, all of which are on supported operating systems.

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) technology aggregates and analyzes activity from many different resources across your IT infrastructure. The description of correlating information from various sources and triggering notifications aligns with the capabilities of a SIEM system.

Command and control (C2) is a phase of the Cyber Kill Chain that involves the adversary attempting to establish communication with a successfully exploited target. C2 enables the adversary to remotely control or manipulate the target system or network using various methods, such as malware callbacks, backdoors, botnets, or covert channels. C2 allows the adversary to maintain persistence, exfiltrate data, execute commands, deliver payloads, or spread to other systems or networks.

The best implementation to give the best central visibility into the events occurring throughout the corporate environment without logging in to the servers individually is B. Configure the servers to forward logs to a SIEM.

A SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a security solution that helps organizations detect, analyze, and respond to security threats before they disrupt business1. SIEM tools collect, aggregate, and correlate log data from various sources across an organization’s network, such as applications, devices, servers, and users. SIEM tools also provide real-time alerts, dashboards, reports, and incident response capabilities to help security teams identify and mitigate cyberattacks2345.

By configuring the servers to forward logs to a SIEM, the security analysts can have a central view of potential threats and monitor security incidents across the corporate environment without logging in to the servers individually. This can save time, improve efficiency, and enhance security posture2345.

Deploying a database to aggregate the logging (A) may not provide the same level of analysis, correlation, and alerting as a SIEM tool. Sharing the log directory on each server to allow local access © may not be scalable or secure for a large number of servers. Automating the emailing of logs to the analysts (D) may not be timely or effective for real-time threat detection and response. Therefore, B is the best option among the choices given.

The log entry "......\boot.ini" is indicative of a directory traversal attack, where an attacker attempts to access files and directories that are stored outside the web root folder.

The log snippet "......\boot.ini" is indicative of a directory traversal attack. This type of attack aims to access files and directories that are stored outside the web root folder. By manipulating variables that reference files with “../” (dot-dot-slash), the attacker may be able to access arbitrary files and directories stored on the file system.

Under the terms of PCI DSS, an organization that has experienced a breach of customer transactions should report the breach to the card issuer. The card issuer is the financial institution that issues the payment cards to the customers and that is responsible for authorizing and processing the transactions. The card issuer may have specific reporting requirements and procedures for the organization to follow in the event of a breach. The organization should also notify other parties that may be affected by the breach, such as customers, law enforcement, or regulators, depending on the nature and scope of the breach. Official References: https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/

The first and most urgent step to mitigate the impact of compromised credentials on the dark web is to perform a forced password reset for the affected user. This will prevent the cybercriminals from using the stolen credentials to access the company’s network and systems. Multifactor authentication is a good security measure, but it is not foolproof and can be bypassed by sophisticated attackers. Therefore, changing the password as soon as possible is the best practice to reduce the risk of a data breach or other cyber attack123 References: 1: How to monitor the dark web for compromised employee credentials 2: How to prevent corporate credentials ending up on the dark web 3: Data Breach Prevention: Identifying Leaked Credentials on the Dark Web

The function that would help the analyst identify IP addresses from the same country is:

function x() { info=$(geoiplookup $1) && echo “$1 | $info” }

This function takes an IP address as an argument and uses the geoiplookup command to get the geographic location information associated with the IP address, such as the country name, country code, region, city, or latitude and longitude. The function then prints the IP address and the geographic location information, which can help identify any IP addresses that belong to the same country. 

Microsegmentation involves dividing a network into smaller, isolated segments to restrict lateral movement within the network. This is crucial within a Zero Trust architecture, which assumes that no entity (internal or external) is inherently trustworthy. By limiting access to only necessary network segments, microsegmentation reduces the impact of a potential breach by containing it within a limited area. CompTIA emphasizes microsegmentation as an effective strategy to minimize risk and improve security posture by isolating resources based on the principle of least privilege.

Weaponization is the stage of the Cyber Kill Chain where the attacker creates or modifies a malicious payload to use against a target. In this case, the disgruntled open-source developer has created a logic bomb that will act as a wiper, which is a type of malware that destroys data on a system. This is an example of weaponization, as the developer has prepared a cyberweapon to sabotage the code repository.

Vulnerability B is the vulnerability that the analyst should be most concerned about, knowing that end users frequently click on malicious links sent via email. Vulnerability B is a remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook that allows an attacker to run arbitrary code on the target system by sending a specially crafted email message. This vulnerability is very dangerous, as it does not require any user interaction or attachment opening to trigger the exploit. The attacker only needs to send an email to the victim’s Outlook account, and the code will execute automatically when Outlook connectsto the Exchange server. This vulnerability has a high severity rating of 9.8 out of 10, and it affects all supported versions of Outlook. Therefore, the analyst should prioritize patching this vulnerability as soon as possible to prevent potential compromise of the workstations.

An information sharing organization is a group or network of organizations that share threat intelligence, best practices, or lessons learned related to cybersecurity issues or incidents. An information sharing organization can help security analysts learn about new ransomware campaigns or other emerging threats, as well as get recommendations or guidance on how to prevent, detect, or respond to them. An information sharing organization can also help security analysts collaborate orcoordinate with other organizations in the same industry or region that may face similar threats or challenges.

After recovering a compromised server to its previous state, the analyst should perform forensic analysis to determine the root cause, impact, and scope of the incident, as well as to identify any indicators of compromise, evidence, or artifacts that can be used for further investigation or prosecution. References: CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 6, page 244; CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 6, page 253.

The best way to begin preparation for a report titled “What We Learned” regarding a recent incident involving a cybersecurity breach is to determine the sophistication of the audience that the report is meant for. The sophistication of the audience refers to their level of technical knowledge, understanding, or interest in cybersecurity topics. Determining the sophistication of the audience can help tailor the report content, language, tone, and format to suit their needs and expectations. Forexample, a report for executive management may be more concise, high-level, and business-oriented than a report for technical staff or peers.

Fuzzing is a process used to test applications by inputting unexpected or random data to see how the application behaves. This method is particularly effective in identifying vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows, input validation errors, and other anomalies that could cause the application to crash or behave unexpectedly. By using fuzzing, the security team can ensure the new application is robust and capable of handling unexpected strings with anomalous formats without crashing.

The function that can be used on a shell script to identify anomalies on the network routing most accurately is:

function x() { info=(dig(dig -x $1 | grep PTR | tail -n 1 | awk -F “.in-addr” ’{print $1} ').origin.asn.cymru.com TXT +short) && echo “$1 | $info” }

This function takes an IP address as an argument and performs two DNS lookups using the dig command. The first lookup uses the -x option to perform a reverse DNS lookup and get the hostname associated with the IP address. The second lookup uses the origin.asn.cymru.com domain to get the autonomous system number (ASN) and other information related to the IP address. The function then prints the IP address and the ASN information, which can help identify any routing anomalies or inconsistencies

Performing a tabletop drill based on previously identified incident scenarios is the best way to test the changes to the BC and DR plans without any impact to the business, as it is a low-cost and low-risk method of exercising the plans and identifying any gaps or issues. A tabletop drill is a type of BC/DR exercise that involves gathering key personnel from different departments and roles and discussing how they would respond to a hypothetical incident scenario. A tabletop drill does not involve any actual simulation or disruption of the systems or processes, but rather relies on verbal communication and documentation review. A tabletop drill can help to ensure that everyone is familiar with the BC/DR plans, that the plans reflect the current state of the organization, and that the plans are consistent and coordinated across different functions. The other options are not as suitable as performing a tabletop drill, as they involve more cost, risk, or impact to the business. Simulating an incident by shutting down power to the primary data center is a type of BC/DR exercise that involves creating an actual disruption or outage of a critical system or process, and observing how the organization responds and recovers. This type of exercise can provide a realistic assessment of the BC/DR capabilities, but it can also cause significant impact to the business operations, customers, and reputation. Migrating active workloads from the primary data center to the secondary location is a type of BC/DR exercise that involves switching over from one system or site to another, and verifying that the backup system or site can support the normal operations. This type of exercise can help to validate the functionality and performance of the backup system or site, but it can also incur high costs, complexity, and potential errors or failures. Comparing the current plan to lessons learned from previous incidents is a type of BC/DR activity that involves reviewing past experiences and outcomes, and identifying best practices or improvement opportunities. This activity can help to update and refine the BC/DR plans, but it does not test or validate them in a simulated or actual scenario

A signal-shielded bag and a tamper-evident seal are tools that can be used to maintain the integrity of the mobile phone while it is transported. A signal-shielded bag prevents the phone from receiving orsending any signals that could compromise the data or evidence on the device. A tamper-evident seal ensures that the phone has not been opened or altered during the transportation. References: Mobile device forensics, Section: Acquisition

The lessons-learned register is an essential document that captures insights and feedback from past exercises or incidents, highlighting what went well and what did not. By utilizing this register, the SOC manager can identify specific areas for improvement and develop actionable steps to enhance future response efforts. According to CompTIA’s CySA+ and Security+ guidance, lessons learned fromtabletop exercises are crucial for iterative improvements in an incident response plan. Options A, B, and C are useful resources, but the lessons-learned register specifically focuses on reflection and improvement, which is the primary objective in this context.

An unintentional insider threat is a type of network security threat that occurs when a legitimate user of the network unknowingly exposes the network to malicious activity, such as opening a phishing email or a malware-infected attachment from an unknown source. This can compromise the network security and allow attackers to access sensitive data or systems. The other options are not related to the threat concept of ensuring that all network users only open attachments from known sources.

ReferencesCompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 1: Threat and Vulnerability Management, page 13.What is Network Security | Threats, Best Practices | Imperva, Network Security Threats and Attacks, Phishing section.Five Ways to Defend Against Network Security Threats, 2. Use Firewalls section.

Determining what attack the odd characters are indicative of is the next step that should be taken after reviewing web server logs and noticing several entries with the same time stamps, but all contain odd characters in the request line. This step can help the analyst identify the type and severity of the attack, as well as the possible source and motive of the attacker. The odd characters in the request line may indicate that the attacker is trying to exploit a vulnerability or inject malicious code into the web server or application, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, buffer overflow, or command injection. The analyst can use tools and techniques such as log analysis, pattern matching, signature detection, or threat intelligence to determine what attack the odd characters are indicative of, and then proceed to the next steps of incident response, such as containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned. Official References:

https://partners.comptia.org/docs/default-source/resources/comptia-cysa-cs0-002-exam-objectives

https://www.comptia.org/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst

https://www.comptia.org/blog/the-new-comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-your-questions-answered

Defense evasion is the technique of avoiding detection or prevention by security tools or mechanisms. In this case, the freeware program is likely a malware that generates random DNS queries to communicate with a command and control server or exfiltrate data. The command Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath '%Program Filest\ksysconfig' is used to add an exclusion path to Windows Defender, which is a built-in antivirus software, to prevent it from scanning the malware folder. References: CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 5, page 204; CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 5, page 212. pr

Attack simulationsproviderealistic, hands-on scenariosthat mirror true incidents, allowing SOC analysts topractice detection, analysis, and response skillsunder real-world pressure. These simulations are crucial for developing and reinforcing SOC procedures and incident workflows.

Phishing assessments (A)are targeted, limited training.

OpenVAS (B)is a vulnerability scanner, not a training tool.

SOAR (D)is a response automation tool.

Honeypots (E)help observe attacker behavior, but aren't training-focused.

????Reference:

CS0-003 Objectives 3.3 – Incident Response Training

Mya Heath All-in-One – Chapter 14: Post-Incident Activities and Training

Compensating controls are alternative controls that provide a similar level of protection as the original controls, but are used when the original controls are not feasible or cost-effective. In this case, the CISO implemented compensating controls by reviewing logs and audit trails to mitigate the risk of error and fraud in payroll management, since segregating duties was not possible due to the small staff size

The correct answer is A. To provide metrics and test continuity controls.

A disaster recovery exercise is a simulation or a test of the disaster recovery plan, which is a set of procedures and resources that are used to restore the normal operations of an organization after a disaster or a major incident. The goal of a disaster recovery exercise is to provide metrics and test continuity controls, which are the measures that ensure the availability and resilience of the critical systems and processes of an organization. A disaster recovery exercise can help evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and readiness of the disaster recovery plan, as well as identify and address any gaps or issues .

The other options are not the best descriptions of the goal of a disaster recovery exercise. Verifying the roles of the incident response team (B) is a goal of an incident response exercise, which is a simulation or a test of the incident response plan, which is a set of procedures and roles that are used to detect, contain, analyze, and remediate an incident. Providing recommendations for handling vulnerabilities © is a goal of a vulnerability assessment, which is a process of identifying and prioritizing the weaknesses and risks in an organization’s systems or network. Performing tests against implemented security controls (D) is a goal of a penetration test, which is an authorized and simulated attack on an organization’s systems or network to evaluate their security posture and identify any vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.

A lessons-learned review is a process of evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of the incident response plan after an incident or an exercise. The purpose of the review is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the incident response plan, and to update it accordingly to improve the future performance and resilience of the organization. Therefore, the incident response plan should be updated after a lessons-learned review.

Key pair authentication is a method of using a public and private key to securely access cloud resources, such as downloading the configuration of assets from a cloud tenancy. Key pair authentication is more secure than user and password or PAM, and does not require an additional factor like MFA.

USB ports are a common attack vector that can be used to deliver malware, steal data, or compromise systems. The first step to mitigate this vulnerability is to check the configurations of the company assets and disable or restrict the USB ports if possible. This will prevent unauthorized devices from being connected and reduce the attack surface. The other options are also important, but they are not the first priority in this scenario.

The most volatile type of evidence that must be collected first in a computer system is running processes. Running processes are programs or applications that are currently executing on a computer system and using its resources, such as memory, CPU, disk space, or network bandwidth. Running processes are very volatile because they can change rapidly or disappear completely when the system is shut down, rebooted, logged off, or crashed. Running processes can also be affected by other processes or users that may modify or terminate them. Therefore, running processes must be collected first before any other type of evidence in a computer system

The most likely reason for this vulnerability is B. The developer did not set proper cross-site scripting protections in the header. Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of web application vulnerability that allows an attacker to inject malicious code into a web page that is viewed by other users. XSS can be used to steal cookies, session tokens, credentials, or other sensitive information, or to perform actions on behalf of the victim1.

One of the common ways to prevent XSS attacks is to set proper HTTP response headers that instruct the browser how to handle the content of the web page. For example, the Content-Type header can specify the MIME type and character encoding of the web page, which can help the browser avoid interpreting data as code. The X-XSS-Protection header can enable or disable the browser’s built-in XSS filter, which can block or sanitize suspicious scripts. The Content-Security-Policy header can define a whitelist of sources and directives that control what resources and scripts can be loaded or executed on the web page2.

According to the output of Arachni, a web application security scanner framework3, it detected an XSS vulnerability in the form input ‘txtSearch’ with action https://localhost/search.aspx. This means that Arachni was able to inject a malicious script into the input field and observe its execution in the response. This indicates that the developer did not set proper cross-site scripting protections in the header of search.aspx, which allowed Arachni to bypass the browser’s default security mechanisms and execute arbitrary code on the web page.

An SLA, or Service Level Agreement, is a contract between a service provider and its customers that documents what services the provider will furnish and defines the service standards the provider is obligated to meet. In the scenario described, the missed incident response deadline is a clear indicator of an SLA violation. An SLA usually outlines the metrics by which service is measured as well as remedies or penalties should agreed-upon service levels not be achieved. Unlike a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) which is a quantifiable measure used to evaluate the success of an organization, employee, etc., in meeting objectives for performance, or an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) which is a formal agreement between two or more parties, an SLA is focused on the performance and quality metrics applicable to the service provided. SLO (Service Level Objective) is related and often part of an SLA, representing the specific measurable characteristics of the SLA such as availability, throughput, frequency, response time, or quality.

This is because scanning without admin privileges can limit the scope and accuracy of the vulnerability scan, and potentially miss some critical vulnerabilities that require higher privileges to detect. According to the OWASP Vulnerability Management Guide1, “scanning without administrative privileges will result in a large number of false negatives and an incomplete scan”. Therefore, the analyst should recommend addressing this issue to ensure potential vulnerabilities are identified.

Increasing training and awareness for all staff is the best way to address the issue of employees being enticed to assist attackers by visiting specific websites and running downloaded files when prompted by phone calls. This issue is an example of social engineering, which is a technique that exploits human psychology and behavior to manipulate people into performing actions or divulging information that benefit the attackers. Social engineering can take many forms, such as phishing, vishing, baiting, quid pro quo, or impersonation. The best defense against social engineering is to educate and train the staff on how to recognize and avoid common social engineering tactics, such as:

Verifying the identity and legitimacy of the caller or sender before following their instructions or clicking on any links or attachments

Being wary of unsolicited or unexpected requests for information or action, especially if they involve urgency, pressure, or threats

Reporting any suspicious or anomalous activity to the security team or the appropriate authority

Following the organization’s policies and procedures on security awareness and best practices

Official References:

https://partners.comptia.org/docs/default-source/resources/comptia-cysa-cs0-002-exam-objectives

https://www.comptia.org/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst

https://www.comptia.org/blog/the-new-comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-your-questions-answered

When documenting a physical incident in a network data closet, taking photos provides a clear and immediate record of the situation, which is essential for thorough incident documentation and subsequent investigation.

Proper documentation of an incident in a data closet should include taking photos of the impacted items. This provides visual evidence and helps in understanding the physical context of the incident, which is crucial for a thorough investigation. Backing up configuration files, recording connections, and creating network diagrams, while important, are not the primary means of documenting the physical aspects of an incident.

Using aregular expression (regex)to search email logs is the most efficient and scalable way to identify patterns in phishing URLs. Phishing campaigns often use consistent URL formats across different domains. Regex allows administrators to define flexible patterns to match these URLs even when the domains vary. This is significantly more effective than relying on user reports or less granular tools like firewall logs for such cases.

Thelessons learnedphase is a formal step in the incident response process where teamsreview what went wrong, what worked, and how to improvefuture responses. Management uses this toadjust policies, procedures, and controlsbased on real incident experiences.

Tabletop (A)is a simulated discussion, not post-incident.

Root cause analysis (C)finds technical origins but doesn’t focus on process improvement.

Forensics (D)supports investigation but not process revision.

????Reference:

CS0-003 Domain 3.0 – Post-Incident Activities

Chapple & Seidl – Study Guide, Chapter 11: Containment and Recovery

Business process interruption is the inhibitor to remediation that this scenario illustrates. Business process interruption is when the remediation of a vulnerability or an incident requires the disruption or suspension of a critical or essential business process, such as the point-of-sale application. This can cause operational, financial, or reputational losses for the organization, and may outweigh the benefits of the remediation. Therefore, the organization may decide to postpone or avoid the remediation until a more convenient time, such as a change freeze window, which is a period of time when no changes are allowed to the IT environment12. Service-level agreement, degrading functionality, and proprietary system are other possible inhibitors to remediation, but they are not relevant to this scenario. Service-level agreement is when the remediation of a vulnerability or an incident violates or affects the contractual obligations or expectations of the service provider or the customer. Degrading functionality is when the remediation of a vulnerability or an incident reduces or impairs the performance or usability of a system or an application. Proprietary system is when the remediation of a vulnerability or an incident involves a system or an application that is owned or controlled by a third party, and the organization has limited or no access or authority to modify it3. References: Inhibitors to Remediation — SOC Ops Simplified, Remediation Inhibitors - CompTIA CySA+, Information security Vulnerability Management Report (Remediation…

In case of a phishing attack, it’s crucial to review what actions were taken by the employee and analyze the phishing email to understand its nature and impact.References: CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 6, page 246; CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 6, page 255.

This answer matches the description of the zero-day threat. The attack vector is network (AV:N), the attack complexity is low (AC:L), no privileges are required (PR:N), no user interaction is required (UI:N), the scope is unchanged (S:U), the confidentiality and integrity impacts are high (C:H/I:H), and the availability impact is low (A:L). Official References: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln-metrics/cvss

A web application firewall (WAF) is a tool that can protect web servers from attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other web-based threats. A WAF can filter, monitor, and block malicious HTTP traffic before it reaches the web server. A WAF can also be configured with rules and policies to detect and prevent specific types of attacks.

A sandbox environment is a safe and isolated way to analyze malware without affecting the organization’s network. An online service can provide a sandbox environment without requiring the security analyst to set up a virtual host or use an RDP session. Disconnecting and using an existing infected asset is risky and may not provide accurate results. References: Malware Analysis: Steps & Examples, Dynamic Analysis

The best priority based on common attack frameworks for a new program to reduce attack surface risks and threats as part of a zero trust approach is to reduce the administrator and privileged access accounts. Administrator and privileged access accounts are accounts that have elevated permissions or capabilities to perform sensitive or critical tasks on systems or networks, such as installing software, changing configurations, accessing data, or granting access. Reducing the administrator and privileged access accounts can help minimize the attack surface, as it can limit the number of potential targets orentry points for attackers, as well as reduce the impact or damage of an attack if an account is compromised.

C. Impossible geo-velocity: This is an event where a single user's account is accessed from different geographical locations within a timeframe that is impossible for normal human travel. In the log, we can see that the user "jdoe" is accessing from the United States and then within a few minutes from Russia, which is practically impossible to achieve without the use of some form of automated system or if the account credentials are being used by different individuals in different locations.

B. Push phishing: This could also be an indication of push phishing, where the user is tricked into approving a multi-factor authentication request that they did not initiate. This is less clear from the logs directly, but it could be inferred if the user is receiving MFA requests that they are not initiating and are being approved without their genuine desire to access the resources.

The first step that should be performed when establishing a disaster recovery plan is to agree on the goals and objectives of the plan. The goals and objectives of the plan should define what the plan aims to achieve, such as minimizing downtime, restoring critical functions, ensuring data integrity, or meeting compliance requirements. The goals and objectives of the plan should also be aligned with the business needs and priorities of the organization and be measurable and achievable.

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:Performing a vulnerability scan during the recovery phase ensures that corrective actions, such as patches or configuration changes, have effectively addressed the vulnerabilities exploited during the incident. This step validates the system’s security before fully restoring operations.

The vulnerability that should be patched first, given the above third-party scoring system, is:

TSpirit: Cobain: Yes Grohl: Yes Novo: Yes Smear: No Channing: No

This vulnerability has three out of five metrics marked as Yes, which indicates a high severity level. The metrics Cobain, Grohl, and Novo are more important than Smear and Channing, according to the vulnerability management team. Therefore, this vulnerability poses a greater risk than the other vulnerabilities and should be patched first.

An important aspect that should be included in the lessons-learned step after an incident is to identify any improvements or changes in the incident response plan or procedures. The lessons-learned step is a process that involves reviewing and evaluating the incident response activities and outcomes, as well as identifying and documenting any strengths, weaknesses, gaps, or best practices. Identifying any improvements or changes in the incident response plan or procedures can help enhance the security posture, readiness, or capability of the organization for future incidents

The correct answer is B. Replace the current MD5 with SHA-256.

The vulnerability that the security analyst is able to exploit is a hash collision, which is a situation where two different files produce the same hash value. Hash collisions can allow an attacker to bypass the integrity or authentication checks that rely on hash values, and submit malicious files to the system. The web application uses MD5, which is a hashing algorithm that is known to be vulnerable to hash collisions. Therefore, the analyst should suggest replacing the current MD5 with SHA-256, which is a more secure and collision-resistant hashing algorithm.

The other options are not the best suggestions to mitigate the vulnerability with the fewest changes to the current script and infrastructure. Deploying a WAF (web application firewall) to the front of the application (A) may help protect the web application from some common attacks, but it may not prevent hash collisions or detect malicious files. Deploying an antivirus application on the hosting system © may help scan and remove malicious files from the system, but it may not prevent hash collisions or block malicious files from being submitted. Replacing the MD5 with digital signatures (D)may help verify the authenticity and integrity of the files, but it may require significant changes to the current script and infrastructure, as digital signatures involve public-key cryptography and certificate authorities.

A tabletop exercise is the most likely action that an analyst would perform after an incident has been investigated. A tabletop exercise is a simulation of a potential incident scenario that involves the key stakeholders and decision-makers of the organization. The purpose of a tabletop exercise is to evaluate the effectiveness of the incident response plan, identify the gaps and weaknesses in the plan, and improve the communication and coordination among the incident response team and other parties. A tabletop exercise can help the analyst to learn from the incident investigation, test the assumptions and recommendations made during the investigation, and enhance the preparedness and resilience of the organization for future incidents12. Risk assessment, root cause analysis, and incident response plan are all actions that an analyst would perform before or during an incident investigation, not after. Risk assessment is the process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating the risks that may affect the organization. Root cause analysis is the method of finding the underlying or fundamental causes of an incident. Incident response plan is the document that defines the roles, responsibilities, procedures, and resources for responding to an incident345. References: Tabletop Exercises: Six Scenarios to Help Prepare Your Cybersecurity Team, Tabletop Exercises for Incident Response - SANS Institute, Risk Assessment - NIST, Root Cause Analysis - OWASP, Incident Response Plan | Ready.gov

The Cyber Kill Chain is a framework that describes the stages of a cyberattack from reconnaissance to actions on objectives. The exploitation stage is where attackers take advantage of the vulnerabilities they have discovered in previous stages to further infiltrate a target’s network and achieve their objectives. In this case, the malicious actor has gained access to an internal network by means of social engineering and does not want to lose access in order to continue the attack. This indicates that the actor is in the exploitation stage of the Cyber Kill Chain. Official References: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/cyber/cyber-kill-chain.html

A risk register typically contains details like ID, name, description, classification of information, and responsible party. It’s used for tracking identified risks and managing them.Recording details like ID, Name, Description, Classification of information, and Responsible party is typically done in a Risk Register. This document is used to identify, assess, manage, and monitor risks within an organization. It's not directly related to incident response or change control documentation.

EDR stands for Endpoint Detection and Response, which is a tool that collects and aggregates data from various endpoints, such as laptops, servers, or mobile devices. EDR helps analysts monitor, detect, and respond to threats and incidents on the endpoints. EDR is more suitable than DLP (Data Loss Prevention), NAC (Network Access Control), or NIDS (Network Intrusion Detection System) for data collection and aggregation from endpoints.

Header analysis is the technique of examining the metadata of an email, such as the sender, recipient, date, subject, and routing information. It can help to identify the source of a malicious email by revealing the IP address and domain name of the originator, as well as any spoofing or redirection attempts. References: CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 6, page 240; CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 6, page 249.

The XML file containsJavaScript embedded within a <description> tagthat executes an alert message, which is a commonCross-Site Scripting (XSS)attack vector. The issue occurs becausethe XML schema does not restrict the input to safe characters, allowingarbitrary script executionwhen the XML file is processed by a vulnerable application.

Solution: Implement Input Validation Using an XML Schema Constraint

Option Benforces awhitelist approachby allowingonly alphanumeric characters and spaces([a-zA-Z 0-9]*).

This prevents the inclusion ofmalicious JavaScript or special characterssuch as <, >, or &, which are required for XSS injection?.

Why are the other options incorrect?

Option A: Restricts input to aSocial Security Number (SSN) format ([0-9]{3}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{4}). While it prevents JavaScript injection, it is too restrictive and would break legitimate text-based content in the XML.

Option C: Restricts input toonly numeric values ([0-9]*), preventing JavaScript injection but also breaking legitimate non-numeric content in the field.

Option D: Restricts input to asingle positive integer, which does not align with the expected text-based content.

Thus,Option Bis the correct answer, as it enforces proper input validation while still allowing expected text input?.

One of the best actions to take after the conclusion of a security incident to improve incident response in the future is to schedule a review with all teams to discuss what occurred, what went well, what went wrong, and what can be improved. This review is also known as a lessons learned session or an after-action report. The purpose of this review is to identify the root causes of the incident, evaluate the effectiveness of the incident response process, document any gaps or weaknesses in the security controls, and recommend corrective actions or preventive measures for future incidents. Official References: https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/threat-intelligence/cyber-kill-chain-seven-steps-cyberattack/

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation:The nmap scan results show that Telnet (port 23) is open. Telnet transmits data, including credentials, in plaintext, which is insecure and should be disabled to enhance security. Here’s an explanation of each option:

A. Disable all protocols that do not use encryption

Explanation: Disabling unencrypted protocols (such as Telnet) reduces exposure to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks and credential sniffing. Telnet should be replaced with a secure protocol like SSH, which provides encryption for transmitted data.

B. Configure client certificates for domain services

Explanation: While client certificates enhance authentication security, they are more relevant to services like LDAP over SSL (port 636), which is already secure. This would not address the Telnet vulnerability.

C. Ensure that this system is behind a NGFW

Explanation: A Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) provides enhanced network security, but it may not mitigate the risks of unencrypted protocols if they are allowed internally.

D. Deploy a publicly trusted root CA for secure websites

Explanation: Public root CAs are used for website authentication and encryption, relevant only if this system is hosting a publicly accessible HTTPS service. It would not impact Telnet security.

Weaponization is a factor that describes how an adversary develops or acquires an exploit or payload that can take advantage of a vulnerability and deliver a malicious effect. Weaponization can increase the severity or impact of a vulnerability, as it makes it easier or more likely for an attacker to exploit it successfully and cause damage or harm. Weaponization can also indicate the level of sophistication or motivation of an attacker, as well as the availability or popularity of an exploit or payload in the cyber threat landscape. In this case, an older CVE with a vulnerability score of 7.1 was elevated to a score of 9.8 due to a widely available exploit being used to deliver ransomware. This indicates that weaponization was the reason for this escalation. 

The analyst should look at p4wnp1_aloa.lan (192.168.86.56) first, as this is the most suspicious device on the network. P4wnP1 ALOA is a tool that can be used to create a malicious USB device that can perform various attacks, such as keystroke injection, network sniffing, man-in-the-middle, or backdoor creation. The presence of a device with this name on the network could indicate that an attacker has plugged in a malicious USB device to a system and gained access to the network. Official References: https://github.com/mame82/P4wnP1_aloa

Threat modelingis aproactiveapproach used toidentify, analyze, and mitigate potential threatsbefore they impact production systems. It is especially useful in early development stages to anticipate vulnerabilities and attack paths?.

Option B (Penetration testing)is areactive measureperformed on deployed systems, rather than prior to production.

Option C (Bug bounty)programs incentivize external researchers but do not proactively model risksbefore deployment.

Option D (SDLC training)improves security awareness but does notactively assess risks.

Thus,A (Threat modeling) is the best choice, as it enablesearly identification and mitigation of security risks?.

Awareness training and education are essential to help staff recognize phishing emails and understand safe email practices, particularly when using legacy applications that might not have the latest securityfeatures. Training helps build a culture of security mindfulness, which is critical for preventing social engineering attacks. According to CompTIA Security+ and CySA+ frameworks, user education is a fundamental aspect of organizational defense against phishing. Options like replacing applications or implementing MFA (while helpful) do not directly address the need for user awareness in this scenario.

Mean time to detect (MTTD) is the best metric for an organization to focus on given recent investments in SIEM, SOAR, and a ticketing system. MTTD is a metric that measures how long it takes to detect a security incident or threat from the time it occurs. MTTD can be improved by using tools and processes that can collect, correlate, analyze, and alert on security data from various sources. SIEM, SOAR, and ticketing systems are examples of such tools and processes that can help reduce MTTD and enhance security operations. Official References: https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/threat-intelligence/cyber-kill-chain-seven-steps-cyberattack

Reverse engineering is the process of analyzing a binary file to understand its structure, functionality, and behavior. It can help to identify the purpose of the binary file, such as whether it is a malicious program, a legitimate application, or a library. Reverse engineering can involve various techniques, such as disassembling, decompiling, debugging, or extracting strings or resources from the binary file123. Reverse engineering can also help to find vulnerabilities, backdoors, or hidden features in the binary file

The correct answer is C. Impact.

The impact metric is the best way to measure the degree to which a system, application, or user base is affected by an uptime availability outage. The impact metric quantifies the consequences of the outage in terms of lost revenue, productivity, reputation, customer satisfaction, or other relevant factors. The impact metric can help prioritize the recovery efforts and justify the resources needed to restore the service1.

The other options are not the best ways to measure the degree to which a system, application, or user base is affected by an uptime availability outage. The timeline metric (A) measures the duration and frequency of the outage, but not its effects. The evidence metric (B) measures the sources and types of data that can be used to investigate and analyze the outage, but not its effects. The scope metric (D) measures the extent and severity of the outage, but not its effects.

Agent-based scansare runlocally on hostsvia installed agents, whichsignificantly reduces network trafficwhile allowing in-depth visibility and accurate scanning. They’re ideal for bandwidth-limited or sensitive networks.

Credentialed scans (A)still transmit data over the network.

Individual scans (B)is ambiguous and not a standard term.

Baseline scans (C)focus on policy compliance, not reducing traffic.

?Reference:

Chapple & Seidl – Vulnerability Management, Chapter 6: Scanning Techniques

CS0-003 Domain 2.1 – Vulnerability Scanning Methods

Automatingthe generation of NIDS (Network Intrusion Detection System) rulesbased onStructured Threat Information eXpression (STIX) messagesis apractical use of automationin security operations?.

Option B (Privileged access requests)should involve human oversight due to thehigh risk of unauthorized access.

Option C (PKI identity verification)requires manualdocument verificationandhuman approval.

Option D (Malware analysis)often requiressandboxing and behavioral analysis, which benefit from human expertise.

Thus,A is the correct answer, asautomating threat intelligence ingestion and rule creation enhances efficiency in intrusion detection?.

Generating a hash value and making a backup image is the best method to ensure the data on the device is not modified, as it creates a verifiable copy of the original data that can be used for forensic analysis. Encrypting the device, protecting it with a password, or performing a memory scan dump do not prevent the data from being altered or deleted. Verified References: CompTIA CySA+ CS0-002 Certification Study Guide, page 3291

The best action that would allow the analyst to gather intelligence without disclosing information to the attackers is to upload the binary to an air gapped sandbox for analysis. An air gapped sandbox is an isolated environment that has no connection to any external network or system. Uploading the binary to an air gapped sandbox can prevent any communication or interaction between the binary and the attackers, as well as any potential harm or infection to other systems or networks. An air gapped sandbox can also allow the analyst to safely analyze and observe the behavior, functionality, or characteristics of the binary. 

In this scenario, the security analyst is presented with multiple vulnerabilities, including a critical zero-day vulnerability affecting the web server with a CVSS score of 10. The CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) provides a standardized method for rating IT vulnerabilities, with a score of 10 indicating the highest severity.

Option A:Contact the web systems administrator and request that they shut down the asset.

Correct Choice:Given the critical nature of a zero-day vulnerability with a CVSS score of 10, immediate action is warranted to prevent potential exploitation. Shutting down the affected web server reduces the attack surface and mitigates the risk until a patch or workaround is available. This aligns with incident response best practices, where containment is a priority to prevent further damage.

Option B:Monitor the patch releases for all items and escalate patching to the appropriate team.

Incorrect Choice:While monitoring for patches is essential, it is a reactive approach. In the case of a zero-day vulnerability with active exploitation potential, waiting for a patch without implementing immediate protective measures exposes the organization to significant risk.

Option C:Run the vulnerability scan again to verify the presence of the critical finding and the zero-day vulnerability in the environment.

Incorrect Choice:Re-scanning may confirm the vulnerability's presence but does not address the immediate threat. Action to mitigate the risk should take precedence over verification, especially when the vulnerability is known and critical.

Option D:Forward the advisory to the web security team and initiate the prioritization strategy for the other vulnerabilities.

Incorrect Choice:Communicating with the web security team is important; however, in the face of a critical zero-day vulnerability, immediate action (such as shutting down the affected asset) is necessary before addressing other vulnerabilities.

The output shows that the web application has a cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) header that allows any origin to access its resources. This is a security misconfiguration that could allow malicious websites to make requests to the web application on behalf of the user and access sensitive data or perform unauthorized actions. The tuning recommendation is to configure the Access-Control-Allow-Origin header to only allow authorized domains that need to access the web application’s resources. This would prevent unauthorized cross-origin requests and reduce the risk of cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.

The correct answer is D. MITRE ATT&CK.

MITRE ATT&CK is a framework that maps the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of various threat actors and groups, based on real-world observations and data. MITRE ATT&CK can help a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) to map all the attack vectors that the company faces each day, as well as to align their security controls around the most relevant and prevalent threats. MITRE ATT&CK can also help the CISO to assess the effectiveness and maturity of their security posture, as well as to identify and prioritize the gaps and improvements .

The other options are not the best recommendations for mapping all the attack vectors that the company faces each day. OSSTMM (Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual) (A) is a methodology that provides guidelines and best practices for conducting security testing and auditing, but it does not map the TTPs of threat actors or groups. Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis (B) is a model that analyzes the relationships and interactions between four elements of an intrusion: adversary, capability, infrastructure, and victim. The Diamond Model can help understand the characteristics and context of an intrusion, but it does not map the TTPs of threat actors or groups. OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) © is a project that provides resources and tools for improving the security of web applications, but it does not map the TTPs of threat actors or groups.

SQL injection is a type of attack that injects malicious SQL statements into a web application’s input fields or parameters, in order to manipulate or access the underlying database. The request shown in the image contains an SQL injection attempt, as indicated by the “UNION SELECT” statement, which is used to combine the results of two or more queries. The attacker is trying to extract information from the database by appending the malicious query to the original one

Thepost-incident review processhelps an organization identify gaps in its response and security posture. Assigning different departmental groups ensures that flaws inspecific work areas (such as IT, HR, or legal teams)are identified and addressed?.

Option Bis incorrect because not all staff need exposure; the review focuses on relevant stakeholders.

Option Cis a part of the process, but the main goal is improvement, not just playbook verification.

Option D(cross-training) is a benefit but not the main objective.

Thus,A is the best answerbecause it focuses on identifyingflaws in specific areas of incident management.

This option represents the least impactful risk because it has the lowest base score among the four options, and it also requires high privileges, user interaction, and high attack complexity to exploit, which reduces the likelihood of a successful attack.

The best way to see the entire contents of the downloaded files in Wireshark is to change the display filter to ftp-data and follow the TCP streams. FTP-data is a protocol that is used to transfer files between an FTP client and server using TCP port 20. By filtering for ftp-data packets and following the TCP streams, the analyst can see the actual file data that was transferred during the FTP session

The system that should be prioritized for patching first is 54.74.110.228, as it has the highest number and severity of vulnerabilities among the four systems listed in the vulnerability report. According to the report, this system has 12 vulnerabilities, with 8 critical, 3 high, and 1 medium severity ratings. Thecritical vulnerabilities include CVE-2019-0708 (BlueKeep), CVE-2019-1182 (DejaBlue), CVE-2017-0144 (EternalBlue), and CVE-2017-0145 (EternalRomance), which are all remote code execution vulnerabilities that can allow an attacker to compromise the system without any user interaction or authentication. These vulnerabilities pose a high risk to the system and should be patched as soon as possible.

Based on the events in the log, the most likely occurrence is that an adversary is performing a vulnerability scan. The log shows LDAP read operations and EDR enumerating local groups, which are indicative of an adversary scanning the system to find vulnerabilities or sensitive information. The final entry shows SMB connection attempts to multiple hosts from a single host, which could be a sign of network discovery or lateral movement. References: CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 4: Security Operations and Monitoring, page 161; Monitor logs from vulnerability scanners, Section: Reports on Nessus vulnerability data.

The best practice that the company should follow with this proxy is to decommission the proxy. Decommissioning the proxy involves removing or disposing of the proxy from the rack and the network, as well as deleting or wiping any data or configuration on the proxy. Decommissioning the proxy can help eliminate the vulnerability on the proxy, as well as reduce the attack surface, complexity, or cost of maintaining the network. Decommissioning the proxy can also free up space or resources for other devices or systems that are in use or needed by the company.

Hacktivists are threat actors who use cyberattacks to promote a social or political cause, such as environmentalism, human rights, or democracy. They may target companies that they perceive as violating their values or harming the public interest. Hacktivists often use techniques such as defacing websites, launching denial-of-service attacks, or leaking sensitive data to expose or embarrass their targets12. References: An introduction to the cyber threat environment, page 3; What is a Threat Actor? Types & Examples of Cyber Threat Actors, section 2.

A Service-Level Agreement (SLA) is a document that establishes customer expectations regarding the performance and quality of services provided by the SOC (Security Operations Center). It defines thelevel of service expected, including aspects like response times, availability, and support after regular work hours. An SLA helps in setting clear expectations and improving customer satisfaction by outlining the standards and commitments of the service provider.

The OWASP Web Security Testing Guide (WSTG) includes a section on threat modeling, which is a structured approach to identify, quantify, and address the security risks associated with an application. The first step in the threat modeling process is decomposing the application, which involves creating use cases, identifying entry points, assets, trust levels, and data flow diagrams for the application. This helps to understand the application and how it interacts with external entities, as well as to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities1. The other options are not part of the OWASP WSTG threat modeling process.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Based on the compliance report, I recommend the following changes for each server:

AppServ1: No changes are needed for this server.

AppServ2: Disable or upgrade TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 to TLS 1.2 on this server to ensure secure encryption and communication between clients and the server. Update Apache from version 2.4.17 to version 2.4.18 or greater on this server to fix any potential vulnerabilities or bugs.

AppServ3: Downgrade Apache from version 2.4.19 to version 2.4.18 or lower on this server to ensure compatibility and stability with the company’s applications and policies. Change the port number from 8080 to either port 80 (for HTTP) or port 443 (for HTTPS) on this server to follow the default port convention and avoid any confusion or conflicts with other services.

AppServ4: Update Apache from version 2.4.16 to version 2.4.18 or greater on this server to fix any potential vulnerabilities or bugs. Change the port number from 8443 to either port 80 (for HTTP) or port 443 (for HTTPS) on this server to follow the default port convention and avoid any confusion or conflicts with other services.

SLA (Service Level Agreement) is the best term to describe the document that defines the expectation to network customers that patching will only occur between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., as it reflects the agreement between a service provider and a customer that specifies the services, quality, availability, and responsibilities that are agreed upon. An SLA is a common type of document that is used in various industries and contexts, such as IT, telecom, cloud computing, or outsourcing. An SLA typically includes metrics and indicators to measure the performance and quality of the service, such as uptime, response time, or resolution time. An SLA also defines the consequences or remedies for any breaches or failures of the service, such as penalties, refunds, or credits. An SLA can help to manage customer expectations, formalize communication, improve productivity, and strengthen relationships. The other terms are not as accurate as SLA, as they describe different types of documents or concepts. LOI (Letter of Intent) is a document that outlines the main terms and conditions of a proposed agreement between two or more parties, before a formal contract is signed. An LOI is usually non-binding and expresses the intention or interest of the parties to enter into a future agreement. An LOI can help to clarify the key points of a deal, facilitate negotiations, or demonstrate commitment. MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is a document that describes a mutual agreement or cooperation between two or more parties, without creating any legal obligations or commitments. An MOU is usually more formal than an LOI, but less formal than a contract. An MOU can help to establish a common ground, define roles and responsibilities, or outline expectations and goals. KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is a concept that refers to a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively an organization or individual is achieving its key objectives or goals. A KPI is usually quantifiable andspecific, such as revenue growth, customer satisfaction, or employee retention. A KPI can help to track progress, evaluate performance, or identify areas for improvement.

Timeline analysis in digital forensics involves creating a chronological sequence of events based on system logs, file changes, and other forensic data. This process often uses graphical representations to illustrate and analyze how an incident unfolded over time, making it easier to identify key events and potential indicators of compromise. This approach is highlighted in CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) practices as crucial for understanding the scope and sequence of a security incident. The other options do not involve chronological or graphical analysis to the extent that timeline analysis does.

Fuzzing is a testing technique where invalid or random data is inputted into a system to find vulnerabilities, crashes, or unexpected behaviors. It’s commonly used in software security to identify flaws that could lead to security breaches. According to CompTIA’s CySA+ curriculum, fuzzing is a dynamic testing method for exposing application weaknesses. Options like static testing (B) involve analyzing code without execution, while reverse engineering (A) and debugging (D) involve different methodologies for understanding or fixing code, not intentionally stressing it.

The correct answer is B. Metrics.

The Metrics section of the vulnerability report provides information about the level of impact on data confidentiality if a successful exploitation occurs. The Metrics section contains the CVE dictionary entry and the CVSS base score of the vulnerability. CVE stands for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures and it is a standardized system for identifying and naming vulnerabilities. CVSS stands for Common Vulnerability Scoring System and it is a standardized system for measuring and rating the severity of vulnerabilities.

The CVSS base score is a numerical value between 0 and 10 that reflects the intrinsic characteristics of a vulnerability, such as its exploitability, impact, and scope. The CVSS base score is composed of three metric groups: Base, Temporal, and Environmental. The Base metric group captures the characteristics of a vulnerability that are constant over time and across user environments. The Base metric group consists of six metrics: Attack Vector, Attack Complexity, Privileges Required, User Interaction, Scope, and Impact. The Impact metric measures the effect of a vulnerability on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected resources.

In this case, the CVSS base score of the vulnerability is 9.8, which indicates a critical severity level. The Impact metric of the CVSS base score is 6.0, which indicates a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Therefore, the Metrics section provides information about the level of impact on data confidentiality if a successful exploitation occurs.

The other sections of the vulnerability report do not provide information about the level of impact on data confidentiality if a successful exploitation occurs. The Payloads section contains links to request and response payloads that demonstrate how the vulnerability can be exploited. The Payloads section can help an analyst to understand how the attack works, but it does not provide a quantitative measure of the impact. The Vulnerability section contains information about the type, group, and description of the vulnerability. The Vulnerability section can help an analyst to identify and classify the vulnerability, but it does not provide a numerical value of the impact. The Profile section contains information about the authentication, times viewed, and aggressiveness of the vulnerability. The Profile section can help an analyst to assess the risk and priority of the vulnerability, but it does not provide a specific measure of the impact on data confidentiality.

A rollback had been executed on the instance. If a database server is restored to a previous state, it may reintroduce a vulnerability that was previously fixed. This can happen due to backup and recovery operations, configuration changes, or software updates. A rollback can undo the patching or mitigation actions that were applied to remediate the vulnerability. References: Vulnerability Remediation: It’s Not Just Patching, Section: The Remediation Process; Vulnerability assessment for SQL Server, Section: Remediation

Vulnerability 2 should be prioritized as it is exploitable, has high exploit activity, and is exposed externally according to the SMITTEN metric. References: Vulnerability Management Metrics: 5 Metrics to Start Measuring in Your Program, Section: Vulnerability Severity.

CVE details and IoCs are information that would most likely be required by the infrastructure team so that vulnerabilities can be remediated quickly. CVE details provide the description, severity, impact, and solution of the vulnerabilities that affect the servers. IoCs are indicators of compromise that help identify and respond to potential threats or attacks on the servers. References: Server and Workstation Patch Management Policy, Section: Policy; Patch Management Policy: Why You Need One in 2024, Section: What is a patch management policy?

The code snippet provided suggests an SQL injection vulnerability, indicated by the use of "1=1," which is a common SQL injection technique to bypass authentication. To mitigate this risk, validating user input is the most effective control, as it ensures that any input is properly sanitized and escapes potentially malicious characters before interacting with the database. This is a key principle from CompTIA Security+ guidelines on secure coding practices. Options A and B are unrelated to the vulnerability type here, and while access control (Option C) is generally good practice, it does not specifically prevent SQL injection.

A threshold value is a parameter that defines the minimum or maximum level of a metric or event that triggers an alert. For example, a threshold value can be set to alert when the number of failed login attempts exceeds 10 in an hour, or when the CPU usage drops below 20% for more than 15 minutes. By setting a threshold value, the process can filter out irrelevant or insignificant alerts and focus on the ones that indicate a potential problem or anomaly. A threshold value can help to reduce the noise and false positives in the alert system, and improve the efficiency and accuracy of the analysis12

In environments with fragile and legacy equipment, passive scanning is preferred to prevent any potential disruptions that active scanning might cause.

When assessing the security of an Operational Technology (OT) network, especially one with fragile and legacy equipment, it's crucial to use passive instead of active vulnerability scans. Active scanning can sometimes disrupt the operation of sensitive or older equipment. Passive scanning listens to network traffic without sending probing requests, thus minimizing the risk of disruption.

SLA stands for service level agreement, which is a contract or document that defines the expectations and obligations between a service provider and a customer regarding the quality, availability, performance, or scope of a service. An SLA may also specify the metrics, penalties, or remedies for measuring or ensuring compliance with the agreed service levels. An SLA can help the SOC manager review if the team is meeting the appropriate contractual obligations for the customer, such as response time, resolution time, reporting frequency, or communication channels.

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:Remediated incidents is a key performance indicator (KPI) that measures how effectively incidents are resolved and communicated during the incident response lifecycle. It reflects the program's success in mitigating risks and restoring normal operations. Other options (e.g., mean time to detect) are important metrics but do not directly measure reporting or communication effectiveness.

The best practice for securing access to sensitive data is to implement multifactor authentication (MFA), which combines multiple factors of authentication to enhance security.

Option B (Biometrics + Device with a Personalized Code) uses two strong factors:

Biometrics (something you are)

A device with a personalized code (something you have)This combination significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access?.

Option A (Randomized Code) is good but weaker than biometrics because it relies only on something you have.

Option C (Passphrase) is single-factor authentication, which is susceptible to brute-force attacks?.

Option D (One-time Code + Push Notification) is useful, but email-based authentication can be vulnerable to phishing and MITM attacks.

Incident response playbooksprovide a structuredstep-by-step guidefor handling security incidents. Theydefine actions to takewhen specificthreat indicators or eventsoccur, ensuring acoordinated and consistent response?.

Option A (Prioritizing business-critical assets)relates more todisaster recovery (DR)than incident response.

Option C (Documenting asset management)is part ofIT governance, not incident response.

Option D (Defining DR sites)falls underbusiness continuity planning, not real-time incident handling.

Thus,B is the best answer, asplaybooks are designed to trigger appropriate responses to incidents?.

A CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) is a security solution that acts as an intermediary between cloud users and cloud providers, and monitors and enforces security policies for cloud access and usage. A CASB can help organizations protect their data and applications in the cloud from unauthorized or malicious access, as well as comply with regulatory standards and best practices. A CASB can also provide visibility, control, and analytics for cloud activity, and identify and mitigate potential threats12

The other options are not correct. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol that helps email domain owners prevent spoofing and phishing attacks by verifying the sender’s identity and instructing the receiver how to handle unauthenticated messages34 SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a security solution that collects, aggregates, and analyzes log data from various sources across an organization’s network, such as applications, devices, servers, and users, and provides real-time alerts, dashboards, reports, and incident response capabilities to help security teams identify and mitigate cyberattacks56 PAM (Privileged Access Management) is a security solution that helps organizations manage and protect the access and permissions of users, accounts, processes, and systems that have elevated or administrative privileges. PAM can help prevent credential theft, data breaches, insider threats, and compliance violations by monitoring, detecting, and preventing unauthorized privileged access to critical resources78