ISC CISSP Practice Test 42
Question 410
A campus network has a loop prevention misconfiguration causing broadcast storms across critical switches. The organization has now implemented this response: Implement resilient topology controls and validate spanning-tree or loop-free design under failure. Which observation would MOST directly demonstrate that the security objective was met?
- Packet capture shows encrypted management sessions and rejected unauthorized source segments.
- A controlled path test reaches only intended services without leaking unrelated subnets.
- An approved change ticket for Implement resilient topology controls and validate spanning-tree or loop-free design under failure. without a completed verification result.
- A failover and mispatch exercise shows controlled convergence without flooding.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:A failover and mispatch exercise shows controlled convergence without flooding. This validates that layer 2 loop protection preserves network availability during cabling mistakes or device changes.
Incorrect Answers
A:This demonstrates controls in another circumstance: A company uses unencrypted administrative Telnet across a shared campus network to operate core routers.
B:This other observation is relevant to: A cloud virtual private network has several workloads using overlapping CIDR blocks after a merger.
C:An approved change without an executed test cannot prove operating effectiveness. The needed evidence is A failover and mispatch exercise shows controlled convergence without flooding.
Question 411
A previous security situation was: A campus network has a loop prevention misconfiguration causing broadcast storms across critical switches. Now the requirement changes: The organization migrates inter-building transport to an IP routed fabric. Which NEW action BEST answers the changed need?
- Implement resilient topology controls and validate spanning-tree or loop-free design under failure.
- Disable loop prevention globally to maximize forwarding speed.
- A failover and mispatch exercise shows controlled convergence without flooding.
- Design dynamic routing and convergence controls appropriate to the new Layer 3 architecture.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Routed fabrics change the fault and topology control problem relative to bridging loops. The revised action is Design dynamic routing and convergence controls appropriate to the new Layer 3 architecture.
Incorrect Answers
A:This is the appropriate response to the original situation: Layer 2 loop protection preserves network availability during cabling mistakes or device changes. It does not directly meet the new condition.
B:This remains inappropriate: Layer 2 loops can amplify traffic until applications fail.
C:This is a record of how the initial safeguard would be checked, not an action implementing the newly requested condition: A failover and mispatch exercise shows controlled convergence without flooding.
Question 412
A secure branch passes traffic through an IDS but does not prevent active lateral exploitation on a trusted subnet. What should the security manager recommend as the MOST appropriate response to the current requirement?
- Combine metadata-based network detection and endpoint signals while respecting privacy.
- Create explicit IPv6 filtering and routing policy with equivalent least-privilege verification.
- Use inline prevention or segmentation enforcement where blocking is required and monitor false positives.
- Treat a monitor-only IDS alert as automatic packet denial.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Passive detection alerts without necessarily stopping an attack path. This directly addresses the stated situation.
Incorrect Answers
A:This is appropriate for a later condition (Security operations wants retrospective detection for encrypted flows that cannot be decrypted.), but it does not directly resolve the initial need. Visibility under encryption differs from inline blocking and may require complementary telemetry.
B:This response addresses a different condition: A public IPv6 application is reachable over unintended paths because firewall rules were copied only from IPv4 addresses. The present case requires the measure described by Use inline prevention or segmentation enforcement where blocking is required and monitor false positives.
D:An IDS in detection mode does not enforce a drop decision. The proposal would not be defensible for this case.
Question 413
A secure branch passes traffic through an IDS but does not prevent active lateral exploitation on a trusted subnet. A designer proposes: Treat a monitor-only IDS alert as automatic packet denial. What is the MOST significant security deficiency in this proposal?
- Visibility under encryption differs from inline blocking and may require complementary telemetry.
- Cleartext login exchanges expose administrative credentials and commands.
- An IDS in detection mode does not enforce a drop decision.
- Periodic rotation cannot protect credentials in transit during an active session.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:An IDS in detection mode does not enforce a drop decision. This is the direct weakness in the proposed action.
Incorrect Answers
A:This explains a later shift in requirements (Security operations wants retrospective detection for encrypted flows that cannot be decrypted.), not the failure of the current proposal.
B:This is an advantage of another design (Replace Telnet with authenticated SSH and isolated management-plane access.), not the particular flaw of Treat a monitor-only IDS alert as automatic packet denial.
D:This is a limitation elsewhere: A company uses unencrypted administrative Telnet across a shared campus network to operate core routers. It does not explain the deficiency of the specified proposed approach.
Question 414
A secure branch passes traffic through an IDS but does not prevent active lateral exploitation on a trusted subnet. The organization has now implemented this response: Use inline prevention or segmentation enforcement where blocking is required and monitor false positives. Which observation would MOST directly demonstrate that the security objective was met?
- Negative tests with unauthorized users on allowed source IPs return denials.
- An approved change ticket for Use inline prevention or segmentation enforcement where blocking is required and monitor false positives. without a completed verification result.
- A controlled prohibited connection is rejected, logged and does not disrupt allowed services.
- A load test shows transaction response and packet-loss targets met under realistic demand.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:A controlled prohibited connection is rejected, logged and does not disrupt allowed services. This validates that passive detection alerts without necessarily stopping an attack path.
Incorrect Answers
A:This other observation is relevant to: A SaaS provider uses public IP filters for partner authentication even though thousands of users share NAT egress.
B:An approved change without an executed test cannot prove operating effectiveness. The needed evidence is A controlled prohibited connection is rejected, logged and does not disrupt allowed services.
D:This demonstrates controls in another circumstance: A payment API suffers packet reordering and high loss during peak use across a congested carrier link.
Question 415
A previous security situation was: A secure branch passes traffic through an IDS but does not prevent active lateral exploitation on a trusted subnet. Now the requirement changes: Security operations wants retrospective detection for encrypted flows that cannot be decrypted. Which NEW action BEST answers the changed need?
- Treat a monitor-only IDS alert as automatic packet denial.
- A controlled prohibited connection is rejected, logged and does not disrupt allowed services.
- Combine metadata-based network detection and endpoint signals while respecting privacy.
- Use inline prevention or segmentation enforcement where blocking is required and monitor false positives.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Visibility under encryption differs from inline blocking and may require complementary telemetry. The revised action is Combine metadata-based network detection and endpoint signals while respecting privacy.
Incorrect Answers
A:This remains inappropriate: An IDS in detection mode does not enforce a drop decision.
B:This is a record of how the initial safeguard would be checked, not an action implementing the newly requested condition: A controlled prohibited connection is rejected, logged and does not disrupt allowed services.
D:This is the appropriate response to the original situation: Passive detection alerts without necessarily stopping an attack path. It does not directly meet the new condition.
Question 416
An industrial wireless gateway forwards Modbus control traffic across a generic IP network without validating permitted command sources. What should the security manager recommend as the MOST appropriate response to the current requirement?
- Replace Telnet with authenticated SSH and isolated management-plane access.
- Restrict gateway reachability to authorized controllers and monitor protocol-specific commands.
- Trust every command arriving over a private WAN address.
- Implement authenticated supervised remote access with narrowly scheduled privilege.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:OT protocols may lack built-in authentication, making network conduits critical. This directly addresses the stated situation.
Incorrect Answers
A:This response addresses a different condition: A company uses unencrypted administrative Telnet across a shared campus network to operate core routers. The present case requires the measure described by Restrict gateway reachability to authorized controllers and monitor protocol-specific commands.
C:Private network address ownership does not prove controller authorization. The proposal would not be defensible for this case.
D:This is appropriate for a later condition (The plant introduces remotely operated mobile maintenance terminals.), but it does not directly resolve the initial need. Mobile maintenance adds dynamic identity and safety review beyond static fixed-controller conduits.
Question 417
An industrial wireless gateway forwards Modbus control traffic across a generic IP network without validating permitted command sources. A designer proposes: Trust every command arriving over a private WAN address. What is the MOST significant security deficiency in this proposal?
- Capacity and queue design must reflect actual traffic characteristics and business service levels.
- Private network address ownership does not prove controller authorization.
- If all traffic is highest priority, QoS cannot preserve differentiated service.
- Mobile maintenance adds dynamic identity and safety review beyond static fixed-controller conduits.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Private network address ownership does not prove controller authorization. This is the direct weakness in the proposed action.
Incorrect Answers
A:This is an advantage of another design (Measure latency, loss, jitter and application service objectives before QoS or capacity changes.), not the particular flaw of Trust every command arriving over a private WAN address.
C:This is a limitation elsewhere: A payment API suffers packet reordering and high loss during peak use across a congested carrier link. It does not explain the deficiency of the specified proposed approach.
D:This explains a later shift in requirements (The plant introduces remotely operated mobile maintenance terminals.), not the failure of the current proposal.
Question 418
An industrial wireless gateway forwards Modbus control traffic across a generic IP network without validating permitted command sources. The organization has now implemented this response: Restrict gateway reachability to authorized controllers and monitor protocol-specific commands. Which observation would MOST directly demonstrate that the security objective was met?
- An approved change ticket for Restrict gateway reachability to authorized controllers and monitor protocol-specific commands. without a completed verification result.
- Negative command tests from nonapproved hosts fail without affecting legitimate control traffic.
- A peer revocation test removes one branch without affecting healthy sites.
- A network rule review and active tests prove only approved application operations cross the boundary.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Negative command tests from nonapproved hosts fail without affecting legitimate control traffic. This validates that oT protocols may lack built-in authentication, making network conduits critical.
Incorrect Answers
A:An approved change without an executed test cannot prove operating effectiveness. The needed evidence is Negative command tests from nonapproved hosts fail without affecting legitimate control traffic.
C:This demonstrates controls in another circumstance: A branch VPN is configured with a pre-shared key reused across hundreds of sites and no rotation records.
D:This other observation is relevant to: A corporation's DMZ web server has direct unrestricted access to the internal payroll database.
Question 419
A campus wants to keep unknown personal devices off sensitive wired switch ports before granting production network access. Which recommendation should the security leader make FIRST to address the stated objective?
- Rely on the physical wall jack being inside the office as the only access check.
- An unregistered test laptop is denied or isolated while a compliant managed endpoint is admitted.
- Re-evaluate posture and dynamically quarantine or restrict the now-noncompliant endpoint.
- Use IEEE 802.1X with appropriate identity and endpoint posture policy at network admission.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Port-level authentication and admission controls prevent unknown devices from automatically joining trusted access segments. The scenario is: A campus wants to keep unknown personal devices off sensitive wired switch ports before granting production network access.
Incorrect Answers
A:Physical location does not prove endpoint identity or compliance. The rejected action is: Rely on the physical wall jack being inside the office as the only access check.
B:This is useful evidence after implementation, rather than the FIRST recommended decision for this objective. An unregistered test laptop is denied or isolated while a compliant managed endpoint is admitted.
C:This addresses a distinct subsequent requirement: An already admitted endpoint later fails its security posture baseline. Post-admission change of authorization is needed when device trust deteriorates after initial admission.
Question 420
A campus wants to keep unknown personal devices off sensitive wired switch ports before granting production network access. A colleague instead proposes: "Rely on the physical wall jack being inside the office as the only access check." Which finding BEST explains why the proposal should be rejected?
- Its only deficiency is a missing executive signature, even if the design still fails the stated requirement.
- It is inadequate only because of a different later condition: An already admitted endpoint later fails its security posture baseline.
- No evidence or governance records should be retained when evaluating this 4.2 decision.
- Physical location does not prove endpoint identity or compliance.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Physical location does not prove endpoint identity or compliance. This directly invalidates the proposed action: Rely on the physical wall jack being inside the office as the only access check.
Incorrect Answers
A:Approval alone cannot fix the specific weakness: Physical location does not prove endpoint identity or compliance.
B:The subsequent circumstance is separate and does not explain why this proposed action fails the initial case. Post-admission change of authorization is needed when device trust deteriorates after initial admission.
C:Destroying records would weaken oversight and cannot remedy the immediate technical or governance flaw: Physical location does not prove endpoint identity or compliance.