SSCP : System Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) : Part 19

  1. Java is not:

    • Object-oriented.
    • Distributed.
    • Architecture Specific.
    • Multithreaded.

    Explanation:

    JAVA was developed so that the same program could be executed on multiple hardware and operating system platforms, it is not Architecture Specific.

    The following answers are incorrect:

    Object-oriented. Is not correct because JAVA is object-oriented. It should use the object-oriented programming methodology.

    Distributed. Is incorrect because JAVA was developed to be able to be distrubuted, run on multiple computer systems over a network.

    Multithreaded. Is incorrect because JAVA is multi-threaded that is calls to subroutines as is the case with object-oriented programming.

    A virus is a program that can replicate itself on a system but not necessarily spread itself by network connections.

  2. While using IPsec, the ESP and AH protocols both provides integrity services. However when using AH, some special attention needs to be paid if one of the peers uses NAT for address translation service. Which of the items below would affects the use of AH and it´s Integrity Check Value (ICV) the most?

    • Key session exchange
    • Packet Header Source or Destination address
    • VPN cryptographic key size
    • Crypotographic algorithm used
    Explanation:

    It may seem odd to have two different protocols that provide overlapping functionality.

    AH provides authentication and integrity, and ESP can provide those two functions and confidentiality.

    Why even bother with AH then?
    In most cases, the reason has to do with whether the environment is using network address translation (NAT). IPSec will generate an integrity check value (ICV), which is really the same thing as a MAC value, over a portion of the packet. Remember that the sender and receiver generate their own values. In IPSec, it is called an ICV value. The receiver compares her ICV value with the one sent by the sender. If the values match, the receiver can be assured the packet has not been modified during transmission. If the values are different, the packet has been altered and the receiver discards the packet.

    The AH protocol calculates this ICV over the data payload, transport, and network headers. If the packet then goes through a NAT device, the NAT device changes the IP address of the packet. That is its job. This means a portion of the data (network header) that was included to calculate the ICV value has now changed, and the receiver will generate an ICV value that is different from the one sent with the packet, which means the packet will be discarded automatically.

    The ESP protocol follows similar steps, except it does not include the network header portion when calculating its ICV value. When the NAT device changes the IP address, it will not affect the receiver’s ICV value because it does not include the network header when calculating the ICV.

    Here is a tutorial on IPSEC from the Shon Harris Blog:
    The Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) protocol suite provides a method of setting up a secure channel for protected data exchange between two devices. The devices that share this secure channel can be two servers, two routers, a workstation and a server, or two gateways between different networks. IPSec is a widely accepted standard for providing network layer protection. It can be more flexible and less expensive than end-to end and link encryption methods.

    IPSec has strong encryption and authentication methods, and although it can be used to enable tunneled communication between two computers, it is usually employed to establish virtual private networks (VPNs) among networks across the Internet.

    IPSec is not a strict protocol that dictates the type of algorithm, keys, and authentication method to use. Rather, it is an open, modular framework that provides a lot of flexibility for companies when they choose to use this type of technology. IPSec uses two basic security protocols: Authentication Header (AH) and Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP). AH is the authenticating protocol, and ESP is an authenticating and encrypting protocol that uses cryptographic mechanisms to provide source authentication, confidentiality, and message integrity.

    IPSec can work in one of two modes: transport mode, in which the payload of the message is protected, and tunnel mode, in which the payload and the routing and header information are protected. ESP in transport mode encrypts the actual message information so it cannot be sniffed and uncovered by an unauthorized entity. Tunnel mode provides a higher level of protection by also protecting the header and trailer data an attacker may find useful. Figure 8-26 shows the high-level view of the steps of setting up an IPSec connection.

    Each device will have at least one security association (SA) for each VPN it uses. The SA, which is critical to the IPSec architecture, is a record of the configurations the device needs to support an IPSec connection. When two devices complete their handshaking process, which means they have agreed upon a long list of parameters they will use to communicate, these data must be recorded and stored somewhere, which is in the SA.

    The SA can contain the authentication and encryption keys, the agreed-upon algorithms, the key lifetime, and the source IP address. When a device receives a packet via the IPSec protocol, it is the SA that tells the device what to do with the packet. So if device B receives a packet from device C via IPSec, device B will look to the corresponding SA to tell it how to decrypt the packet, how to properly authenticate the source of the packet, which key to use, and how to reply to the message if necessary.

    SAs are directional, so a device will have one SA for outbound traffic and a different SA for inbound traffic for each individual communication channel. If a device is connecting to three devices, it will have at least six SAs, one for each inbound and outbound connection per remote device. So how can a device keep all of these SAs organized and ensure that the right SA is invoked for the right connection? With the mighty secu rity parameter index (SPI), that’s how. Each device has an SPI that keeps track of the different SAs and tells the device which one is appropriate to invoke for the different packets it receives. The SPI value is in the header of an IPSec packet, and the device reads this value to tell it which SA to consult.

    IPSec can authenticate the sending devices of the packet by using MAC (covered in the earlier section, “The One-Way Hash”). The ESP protocol can provide authentication, integrity, and confidentiality if the devices are configured for this type of functionality.

    So if a company just needs to make sure it knows the source of the sender and must be assured of the integrity of the packets, it would choose to use AH. If the company would like to use these services and also have confidentiality, it would use the ESP protocol because it provides encryption functionality. In most cases, the reason ESP is employed is because the company must set up a secure VPN connection.

    It may seem odd to have two different protocols that provide overlapping functionality. AH provides authentication and integrity, and ESP can provide those two functions and confidentiality. Why even bother with AH then? In most cases, the reason has to do with whether the environment is using network address translation (NAT). IPSec will generate an integrity check value (ICV), which is really the same thing as a MAC value, over a portion of the packet. Remember that the sender and receiver generate their own values. In IPSec, it is called an ICV value. The receiver compares her ICV value with the one sent by the sender. If the values match, the receiver can be assured the packet has not been modified during transmission. If the values are different, the packet has been altered and the receiver discards the packet.

    The AH protocol calculates this ICV over the data payload, transport, and network headers. If the packet then goes through a NAT device, the NAT device changes the IP address of the packet. That is its job. This means a portion of the data (network header) that was included to calculate the ICV value has now changed, and the receiver will generate an ICV value that is different from the one sent with the packet, which means the packet will be discarded automatically.

    The ESP protocol follows similar steps, except it does not include the network header portion when calculating its ICV value. When the NAT device changes the IP address, it will not affect the receiver’s ICV value because it does not include the network header when calculating the ICV.

    Because IPSec is a framework, it does not dictate which hashing and encryption algorithms are to be used or how keys are to be exchanged between devices. Key management can be handled manually or automated by a key management protocol. The de facto standard for IPSec is to use Internet Key Exchange (IKE), which is a combination of the ISAKMP and OAKLEY protocols. The Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) is a key exchange architecture that is independent of the type of keying mechanisms used. Basically, ISAKMP provides the framework of what can be negotiated to set up an IPSec connection (algorithms, protocols, modes, keys). The OAKLEY protocol is the one that carries out the negotiation process. You can think of ISAKMP as providing the playing field (the infrastructure) and OAKLEY as the guy running up and down the playing field (carrying out the steps of the negotiation).

    IPSec is very complex with all of its components and possible configurations. This complexity is what provides for a great degree of flexibility, because a company has many different configuration choices to achieve just the right level of protection. If this is all new to you and still confusing, please review one or more of the following references to help fill in the gray areas.

    The following answers are incorrect:

    The other options are distractors.

    The following reference(s) were/was used to create this question:

    Shon Harris, CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide- fiveth edition, page 759
    and
    https://neodean.wordpress.com/tag/security-protocol/

  3. Which of the following service is a distributed database that translate host name to IP address to IP address to host name?

    • DNS
    • FTP
    • SSH
    • SMTP
    Explanation:

    The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates information from domain names with each of the assigned entities. Most prominently, it translates easily memorized domain names to the numerical IP addresses needed for locating computer services and devices worldwide. The Domain Name System is an essential component of the functionality of the Internet. This article presents a functional description of the Domain Name System.

    For your exam you should know below information general Internet terminology:

    Network access point – Internet service providers access internet using net access point.A Network Access Point (NAP) was a public network exchange facility where Internet service providers (ISPs) connected with one another in peering arrangements. The NAPs were a key component in the transition from the 1990s NSFNET era (when many networks were government sponsored and commercial traffic was prohibited) to the commercial Internet providers of today. They were often points of considerable Internet congestion.

    Internet Service Provider (ISP) – An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides services for accessing, using, or participating in the Internet. Internet service providers may be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, non-profit, or otherwise privately owned. Internet services typically provided by ISPs include Internet access, Internet transit, domain name registration, web hosting, co-location.

    Telnet or Remote Terminal Control Protocol -A terminal emulation program for TCP/IP networks such as the Internet. The Telnet program runs on your computer and connects your PC to a server on the network. You can then enter commands through the Telnet program and they will be executed as if you were entering them directly on the server console. This enables you to control the server and communicate with other servers on the network. To start a Telnet session, you must log in to a server by entering a valid username and password. Telnet is a common way to remotely control Web servers.

    Internet Link- Internet link is a connection between Internet users and the Internet service provider.

    Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell (SSH) – Secure Shell (SSH), sometimes known as Secure Socket Shell, is a UNIX-based command interface and protocol for securely getting access to a remote computer. It is widely used by network administrators to control Web and other kinds of servers remotely. SSH is actually a suite of three utilities – slogin, ssh, and scp – that are secure versions of the earlier UNIX utilities, rlogin, rsh, and rcp. SSH commands are encrypted and secure in several ways. Both ends of the client/server connection are authenticated using a digital certificate, and passwords are protected by being encrypted.

    Domain Name System (DNS) – The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates information from domain names with each of the assigned entities. Most prominently, it translates easily memorized domain names to the numerical IP addresses needed for locating computer services and devices worldwide. The Domain Name System is an essential component of the functionality of the Internet. This article presents a functional description of the Domain Name System.

    File Transfer Protocol (FTP) – The File Transfer Protocol or FTP is a client/server application that is used to move files from one system to another. The client connects to the FTP server, authenticates and is given access that the server is configured to permit. FTP servers can also be configured to allow anonymous access by logging in with an email address but no password. Once connected, the client may move around between directories with commands available

    Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) – SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving e-mail. However, since it is limited in its ability to queue messages at the receiving end, it is usually used with one of two other protocols, POP3 or IMAP, that let the user save messages in a server mailbox and download them periodically from the server. In other words, users typically use a program that uses SMTP for sending e-mail and either POP3 or IMAP for receiving e-mail. On Unix-based systems, send mail is the most widely-used SMTP server for e-mail. A commercial package, Send mail, includes a POP3 server. Microsoft Exchange includes an SMTP server and can also be set up to include POP3 support.

    The following answers are incorrect:

    SMTP – Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) – SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used in sending and receiving e-mail. However, since it is limited in its ability to queue messages at the receiving end, it is usually used with one of two other protocols, POP3 or IMAP, that let the user save messages in a server mailbox and download them periodically from the server. In other words, users typically use a program that uses SMTP for sending e-mail and either POP3 or IMAP for receiving e-mail. On Unix-based systems, send mail is the most widely-used SMTP server for e-mail. A commercial package, Send mail, includes a POP3 server. Microsoft Exchange includes an SMTP server and can also be set up to include POP3 support.

    FTP – The File Transfer Protocol or FTP is a client/server application that is used to move files from one system to another. The client connects to the FTP server, authenticates and is given access that the server is configured to permit. FTP servers can also be configured to allow anonymous access by logging in with an email address but no password. Once connected, the client may move around between directories with commands available

    SSH – Secure Shell (SSH), sometimes known as Secure Socket Shell, is a UNIX-based command interface and protocol for securely getting access to a remote computer. It is widely used by network administrators to control Web and other kinds of servers remotely. SSH is actually a suite of three utilities – slogin, ssh, and scp – that are secure versions of the earlier UNIX utilities, rlogin, rsh, and rcp. SSH commands are encrypted and secure in several ways. Both ends of the client/server connection are authenticated using a digital certificate, and passwords are protected by being encrypted.

    The following reference(s) were/was used to create this question:
    CISA review manual 2014 page number 273 and 274

  4. Which of the following media is MOST resistant to EMI interference?

    • microwave
    • fiber optic
    • twisted pair
    • coaxial cable
    Explanation:
    A fiber optic cable is a physical medium that is capable of conducting modulated light trasmission. Fiber optic cable carries signals as light waves, thus creating higher trasmission speeds and greater distances due to less attenuation. This type of cabling is more difficult to tap than other cabling and is most resistant to interference, especially EMI.
    Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, John Wiley & Sons, 2001, Chapter 3: Telecommunications and Network Security (page 103).
  5. At which layer of ISO/OSI does the fiber optics work?

    • Network layer
    • Transport layer
    • Data link layer
    • Physical layer
    Explanation:

    The Answer: Physical layer The Physical layer is responsible for the transmission of the data through the physical medium. This includes such things as cables. Fiber optics is a cabling mechanism which works at Physical layer of OSI model

    All of the other answers are incorrect.

    The following reference(s) were/was used to create this question:
    Shon Harris all in one – Chapter 7 (Cabling)

  6. Virus scanning and content inspection of SMIME encrypted e-mail without doing any further processing is:

    • Not possible
    • Only possible with key recovery scheme of all user keys
    • It is possible only if X509 Version 3 certificates are used
    • It is possible only by “brute force” decryption
    Explanation:

    Content security measures presumes that the content is available in cleartext on the central mail server.

    Encrypted emails have to be decrypted before it can be filtered (e.g. to detect viruses), so you need the decryption key on the central “crypto mail server”.

    There are several ways for such key management, e.g. by message or key recovery methods. However, that would certainly require further processing in order to achieve such goal.

  7. Which virus category has the capability of changing its own code, making it harder to detect by anti-virus software?

    • Stealth viruses
    • Polymorphic viruses
    • Trojan horses
    • Logic bombs
    Explanation:
    A polymorphic virus has the capability of changing its own code, enabling it to have many different variants, making it harder to detect by anti-virus software. The particularity of a stealth virus is that it tries to hide its presence after infecting a system. A Trojan horse is a set of unauthorized instructions that are added to or replacing a legitimate program. A logic bomb is a set of instructions that is initiated when a specific event occurs.
    Source: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002, chapter 11: Application and System Development (page 786).
  8. In computing what is the name of a non-self-replicating type of malware program containing malicious code that appears to have some useful purpose but also contains code that has a malicious or harmful purpose imbedded in it, when executed, carries out actions that are unknown to the person installing it, typically causing loss or theft of data, and possible system harm.

    • virus
    • worm
    • Trojan horse.
    • trapdoor
    Explanation:

    A trojan horse is any code that appears to have some useful purpose but also contains code that has a malicious or harmful purpose imbedded in it. A Trojan often also includes a trapdoor as a means to gain access to a computer system bypassing security controls.

    Wikipedia defines it as:
    A Trojan horse, or Trojan, in computing is a non-self-replicating type of malware program containing malicious code that, when executed, carries out actions determined by the nature of the Trojan, typically causing loss or theft of data, and possible system harm. The term is derived from the story of the wooden horse used to trick defenders of Troy into taking concealed warriors into their city in ancient Greece, because computer Trojans often employ a form of social engineering, presenting themselves as routine, useful, or interesting in order to persuade victims to install them on their computers.

    The following answers are incorrect:
    virus. Is incorrect because a Virus is a malicious program and is does not appear to be harmless, it’s sole purpose is malicious intent often doing damage to a system. A computer virus is a type of malware that, when executed, replicates by inserting copies of itself (possibly modified) into other computer programs, data files, or the boot sector of the hard drive; when this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be “infected”.

    worm. Is incorrect because a Worm is similiar to a Virus but does not require user intervention to execute. Rather than doing damage to the system, worms tend to self-propagate and devour the resources of a system. A computer worm is a standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers. Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it. Unlike a computer virus, it does not need to attach itself to an existing program. Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer.

    trapdoor. Is incorrect because a trapdoor is a means to bypass security by hiding an entry point into a system. Trojan Horses often have a trapdoor imbedded in them.

    References:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_horse_%28computing%29
    and
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_virus
    and
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_worm
    and
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backdoor_%28computing%29

  9. Which of the following virus types changes some of its characteristics as it spreads?

    • Boot Sector
    • Parasitic
    • Stealth
    • Polymorphic
    Explanation:

    A Polymorphic virus produces varied but operational copies of itself in hopes of evading anti-virus software.

    The following answers are incorrect:

    boot sector. Is incorrect because it is not the best answer. A boot sector virus attacks the boot sector of a drive. It describes the type of attack of the virus and not the characteristics of its composition.

    parasitic. Is incorrect because it is not the best answer. A parasitic virus attaches itself to other files but does not change its characteristics.

    stealth. Is incorrect because it is not the best answer. A stealth virus attempts to hide changes of the affected files but not itself.

  10. Which of the following was designed to support multiple network types over the same serial link?

    • Ethernet
    • SLIP
    • PPP
    • PPTP
    Explanation:
    The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) was designed to support multiple network types over the same serial link, just as Ethernet supports multiple network types over the same LAN. PPP replaces the earlier Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) that only supports IP over a serial link. PPTP is a tunneling protocol.
    Source: STREBE, Matthew and PERKINS, Charles, Firewalls 24seven, Sybex 2000, Chapter 3: TCP/IP from a Security Viewpoint.
  11. Which of the following statements pertaining to PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) is incorrect?

    • PPTP allow the tunnelling of any protocols that can be carried within PPP.
    • PPTP does not provide strong encryption.
    • PPTP does not support any token-based authentication method for users.
    • PPTP is derived from L2TP.
    Explanation:

    PPTP is an encapsulation protocol based on PPP that works at OSI layer 2 (Data Link) and that enables a single point-to-point connection, usually between a client and a server.

    While PPTP depends on IP to establish its connection.

    As currently implemented, PPTP encapsulates PPP packets using a modified version of the generic routing encapsulation (GRE) protocol, which gives PPTP to the flexibility of handling protocols other than IP, such as IPX and NETBEUI over IP networks.

    PPTP does have some limitations:

    It does not provide strong encryption for protecting data, nor does it support any token-based methods for authenticating users.

    L2TP is derived from L2F and PPTP, not the opposite.

  12. Which of the following is less likely to be used today in creating a Virtual Private Network?

    • L2TP
    • PPTP
    • IPSec
    • L2F
    Explanation:

    L2F (Layer 2 Forwarding) provides no authentication or encryption. It is a Protocol that supports the creation of secure virtual private dial-up networks over the Internet.

    At one point L2F was merged with PPTP to produce L2TP to be used on networks and not only on dial up links.
    IPSec is now considered the best VPN solution for IP environments.

    Source: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002, Chapter 8: Cryptography (page 507).

  13. What is the primary difference between FTP and TFTP?

    • Speed of negotiation
    • Authentication
    • Ability to automate
    • TFTP is used to transfer configuration files to and from network equipment.
    Explanation:

    TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is sometimes used to transfer configuration files from equipments such as routers but the primary difference between FTP and TFTP is that TFTP does not require authentication. Speed and ability to automate are not important.

    Both of these protocols (FTP and TFTP) can be used for transferring files across the Internet. The differences between the two protocols are explained below:

    FTP is a complete, session-oriented, general purpose file transfer protocol. TFTP is used as a bare-bones special purpose file transfer protocol.
    FTP can be used interactively. TFTP allows only unidirectional transfer of files.
    FTP depends on TCP, is connection oriented, and provides reliable control. TFTP depends on UDP, requires less overhead, and provides virtually no control.
    FTP provides user authentication. TFTP does not.
    FTP uses well-known TCP port numbers: 20 for data and 21 for connection dialog. TFTP uses UDP port number 69 for its file transfer activity.
    The Windows NT FTP server service does not support TFTP because TFTP does not support authentication.
    Windows 95 and TCP/IP-32 for Windows for Workgroups do not include a TFTP client program.

    Ref: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/102737

  14. In a SSL session between a client and a server, who is responsible for generating the master secret that will be used as a seed to generate the symmetric keys that will be used during the session?

    • Both client and server
    • The client’s browser
    • The web server
    • The merchant’s Certificate Server
    Explanation:

    Once the merchant server has been authenticated by the browser client, the browser generates a master secret that is to be shared only between the server and client. This secret serves as a seed to generate the session (private) keys. The master secret is then encrypted with the merchant’s public key and sent to the server. The fact that the master secret is generated by the client’s browser provides the client assurance that the server is not reusing keys that would have been used in a previous session with another client.

    Source: ANDRESS, Mandy, Exam Cram CISSP, Coriolis, 2001, Chapter 6: Cryptography (page 112).
    Also: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2001, page 569.

  15. What attack involves the perpetrator sending spoofed packet(s) wich contains the same destination and source IP address as the remote host, the same port for the source and destination, having the SYN flag, and targeting any open ports that are open on the remote host?

    • Boink attack
    • Land attack
    • Teardrop attack
    • Smurf attack
    Explanation:

    The Land attack involves the perpetrator sending spoofed packet(s) with the SYN flag set to the victim’s machine on any open port that is listening. The packet(s) contain the same destination and source IP address as the host, causing the victim’s machine to reply to itself repeatedly. In addition, most systems experience a total freeze up, where as CTRL-ALT-DELETE fails to work, the mouse and keyboard become non operational and the only method of correction is to reboot via a reset button on the system or by turning the machine off.

    The Boink attack, a modified version of the original Teardrop and Bonk exploit programs, is very similar to the Bonk attack, in that it involves the perpetrator sending corrupt UDP packets to the host. It however allows the attacker to attack multiple ports where Bonk was mainly directed to port 53 (DNS).

    The Teardrop attack involves the perpetrator sending overlapping packets to the victim, when their machine attempts to re-construct the packets the victim’s machine hangs.

    A Smurf attack is a network-level attack against hosts where a perpetrator sends a large amount of ICMP echo (ping) traffic at broadcast addresses, all of it having a spoofed source address of a victim. If the routing device delivering traffic to those broadcast addresses performs the IP broadcast to layer 2 broadcast function, most hosts on that IP network will take the ICMP echo request and reply to it with an echo reply each, multiplying the traffic by the number of hosts responding. On a multi-access broadcast network, there could potentially be hundreds of machines to reply to each packet.

    Resources:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAND

  16. Which of the following firewall rules found on a firewall installed between an organization’s internal network and the Internet would present the greatest danger to the internal network?

    • Permit all traffic between local hosts.
    • Permit all inbound ssh traffic.
    • Permit all inbound tcp connections.
    • Permit all syslog traffic to log-server.abc.org.
    Explanation:

    Any opening of an internal network to the Internet is susceptible of creating a new vulnerability.

    Of the given rules, the one that permits all inbound tcp connections is the less likely to be used since it amounts to almost having no firewall at all, tcp being widely used on the Internet.

    Reference(s) used for this question:
    ALLEN, Julia H., The CERT Guide to System and Network Security Practices, Addison-Wesley, 2001, Appendix B, Practice-Level Policy Considerations (page 409).

  17. Which of the following rules appearing in an Internet firewall policy is inappropriate?

    • Source routing shall be disabled on all firewalls and external routers.
    • Firewalls shall be configured to transparently allow all outbound and inbound services.
    • Firewalls should fail to a configuration that denies all services, and require a firewall administrator to re-enable services after a firewall has failed.
    • Firewalls shall not accept traffic on its external interfaces that appear to be coming from internal network addresses.
    Explanation:

    Unless approved by the Network Services manager, all in-bound services shall be intercepted and processed by the firewall. Allowing unrestricted services inbound and outbound is certainly NOT recommended and very dangerous.

    Pay close attention to the keyword: all

    All of the other choices presented are recommended practices for a firewall policy.

    Reference(s) used for this question:
    GUTTMAN, Barbara & BAGWILL, Robert, NIST Special Publication 800-xx, Internet Security Policy: A Technical Guide, Draft Version, May 25, 2000 (page 78).

  18. SMTP can best be described as:

    • a host-to-host email protocol.
    • an email retrieval protocol.
    • a web-based e-mail reading protocol.
    • a standard defining the format of e-mail messages.
    Explanation:

    Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is a host-to-host email protocol. An SMTP server accepts email messages from other systems and stores them for the addressees. Stored email can be read in various ways. Users with interactive accounts on the email server machine can read the email using local email applications. Users on other systems can download their email via email clients using POP or IMAP email retrieval protocols. Sometimes mail can also be read through a web-based interface (using HTTP or HTTPS). MIME is a standard defining the format of e-mail messages, as stated in RFC2045.

    Source: GUTTMAN, Barbara & BAGWILL, Robert, NIST Special Publication 800-xx, Internet Security Policy: A Technical Guide, Draft Version, May 25, 2000 (pages 91-92).

  19. The concept of best effort delivery is best associated with?

    • TCP
    • HTTP
    • RSVP
    • IP
    Explanation:

    The Internet Protocol (IP) is a data-oriented protocol used for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork. IP provides an unreliable service (i.e., best effort delivery). This means that the network makes no guarantees about the packet.

    Low-level connectionless protocols such as DDP (under Appletalk) and IP usually provide best-effort delivery of data.

    Best-effort delivery means that the protocol attempts to deliver any packets that meet certain requirements, such as containing a valid destination address, but the protocol does not inform the sender when it is unable to deliver the data, nor does it attempt to recover from error conditions and data loss.

    Higher-level protocols such as TCP on the other hand, can provide reliable delivery of data. Reliable delivery includes error checking and recovery from error or loss of data.

    HTTP is the HyperText Transport Protocol used to establish connections to a web server and thus one of the higher level protocol using TCP to ensure delivery of all bytes between the client and the server. It was not a good choice according to the question presented.

    Here is another definition from the TCP/IP guide at: http://www.tcpipguide.com/free/t_IPOverviewandKeyOperationalCharacteristics.htm

    Delivered Unreliably: IP is said to be an “unreliable protocol”. That doesn’t mean that one day your IP software will decide to go fishing rather than run your network. J It does mean that when datagrams are sent from device A to device B, device A just sends each one and then moves on to the next. IP doesn’t keep track of the ones it sent. It does not provide reliability or service quality capabilities such as error protection for the data it sends (though it does on the IP header), flow control or retransmission of lost datagrams.

    For this reason, IP is sometimes called a best-effort protocol. It does what it can to get data to where it needs to go, but “makes no guarantees” that the data will actually get there.

  20. Which layer of the OSI/ISO model handles physical addressing, network topology, line discipline, error notification, orderly delivery of frames, and optional flow control?

    • Physical
    • Data link
    • Network
    • Session
    Explanation:

    The Data Link layer provides data transport across a physical link. It handles physical addressing, network topology, line discipline, error notification, orderly delivery of frames, and optional flow control.

    Source: ROTHKE, Ben, CISSP CBK Review presentation on domain 2, August 1999.

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