Week 3: What is the main weakness of the RSA encryption algorithm?

B) It requires large key sizes for strong security

Week 8: How can users protect themselves from DNS spoofing?

B) Using a trusted DNS provider with DNS-SEC

Week 4: What is stack smashing?

B) A type of attack that overwrites the return address on the stack

Week 2: What is a hash function used for in cryptography?

B) To generate a unique fixed-length output from input data for checking

Week 3: What is the primary purpose of salting passwords before hashing?

B) To make hash values unique even for identical passwords

Week 8: What is the main purpose of the DNS?

B) To translate domain names into IP addresses

What is the primary goal of adware?

A) To display unwanted advertisements

Week 4: What type of programming languages are most vulnerable to buffer overflow attacks?

B) Languages with manual memory management like C and C++

Week 4: What does ASLR do to help prevent buffer overflow exploits?

B) Randomises the memory addresses of system components

Week 9: How does a Content Security Policy (CSP) help prevent XSS attacks?

B) It defines which sources are allowed to execute scripts on a website

Week 3: What is a man-in-the-middle attack?

B) An attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two parties

Week 4: Why is disabling executable stack regions an effective buffer overflow defence?

A) It prevents an attacker from executing injected malicious code

Week 9: What is a "cache poisoning" attack in DNS?

A) Modifying cached DNS records to redirect users to malicious sites

Week 9: What is the primary risk of XSS vulnerabilities?

B) Unauthorized execution of scripts in a user’s browser

Week 2: What is the primary advantage of asymmetric encryption?

B) No need to share a secret key

Week 4: What is a canary value in buffer overflow protection?

A) A value placed before the return address to detect memory corruption

Week 3: What is the main purpose of a digital certificate?

B) To verify the authenticity of a public key

Week 6: What is a keylogger?

B) A type of malware that records keystrokes

Week 6: How does a computer virus typically spread?

A) By attaching itself to legitimate programs or files

Week 6: What is malware?

B) Any software designed to harm or exploit systems

Week 10: Which of the following statements about risk management is FALSE?

b) It is only relevant for enterprise-level organizations

Week 10: What is the definition of "risk"?

b) The possibility of suffering harm or loss

Week 11: What is the primary advantage of S/MIME in email communication?

It ensures emails remain confidential and authentic

Week 9: What role does input validation play in preventing XSS?

B) It ensures user input does not contain harmful scripts

Week 10: What is the primary purpose of risk management?

b) To identify, assess and mitigate risks to protect assets.

Week 7: What is the best defence against DDoS attacks?

B) Traffic filtering and rate limiting

Week 11: What is a key risk associated with Instant Messaging (IM) systems in corporate environments?

Lack of encryption for transmitted messages

Week 1: What is multi-factor authentication?

B) A security approach that requires multiple forms of verification

Week 10: What does "risk analysis" involve?

a) Identifying risks and determining their impact on projects or businesses

Week 3: What is perfect forward secrecy (PFS) in cryptography?

A) A feature that ensures past encrypted sessions remain secure

Week 9: What is the main goal of an XSS attack?

B) To inject malicious scripts into a trusted website

Week 10: What is meant by "vulnerability"?

b) A flaw or weakness in an asset that can be exploited by threats

Week 6: What is the main difference between a worm and a virus?

C) Worms replicate without user intervention, while viruses require a host

Week 1: What is a vulnerability?

A) A weak point in a system that can be exploited

Week 4: What is a buffer overflow?

B) When data exceeds allocated memory space and overwrites adjacent memory

Week 1: Which of the following is an example of social engineering?

B) A hacker tricking someone into giving their password

studbud

Computer Security Revision MCQ

100 termsStudBud Administration23 plays

Multiple choice, Week 1 to Week 11 --- Answer key: https://cccu-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/g/personal/ba387_canterbury_ac_uk/EbK0YzarbWdHixfjqLaSfi0B7JjTPbtoIbDQX8IGAraVDg?e=iCDeAx

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Questions 100

Answers

1
Week 11: Which protocol allows an email client to download messages from a mail server?
SMTP
HTTP
TLS
POP3
2
Week 3: What is the main weakness of the RSA encryption algorithm?
B) It requires large key sizes for strong security
C) It cannot be used for digital signatures
D) It does not work on public networks
A) It is vulnerable to symmetric attacks
3
Week 3: Which of the following is an example of a block cipher?
B) AES
C) ECC
A) RSA
D) Diffie-Hellman
4
Week 8: How can users protect themselves from DNS spoofing?
C) Disabling JavaScript in their browser
B) Using a trusted DNS provider with DNS-SEC
A) Only visiting HTTPS websites
D) Using a strong password for their router
5
Week 4: What is stack smashing?
A) A method for optimizing memory allocation
C) A way to compress large amounts of data
B) A type of attack that overwrites the return address on the stack
D) A way to clear unused memory
6
Week 2: What is a hash function used for in cryptography?
B) To generate a unique fixed-length output from input data for checking
C) To increase data speed
A) To encrypt messages
D) To compress files
7
Week 1: A system is considered secure if it maintains...
A) Reliability
B) Usability
C) The CIA triad
D) Speed
8
Week 11: What percentage of inbox traffic consists of spam emails on average?
25%
50%
5%
10%
9
Week 3: What is the primary purpose of salting passwords before hashing?
D) To simplify user authentication
C) To allow easy password recovery
B) To make hash values unique even for identical passwords
A) To speed up authentication
10
Week 8: What is the main purpose of the DNS?
B) To translate domain names into IP addresses
C) To block malicious websites
D) To store user passwords
A) To encrypt internet traffic
11
What is the primary goal of adware?
C) To prevent malware infections
B) To encrypt user data
A) To display unwanted advertisements
D) To disable antivirus software
12
Week 4: What type of programming languages are most vulnerable to buffer overflow attacks?
B) Languages with manual memory management like C and C++
C) Interpreted languages like Python
D) Functional programming languages
A) High-level languages with automatic memory management
13
Week 4: What does ASLR do to help prevent buffer overflow exploits?
C) Disables memory allocation
B) Randomises the memory addresses of system components
D) Improves CPU performance
A) Encrypts system memory
14
Week 9: How does a Content Security Policy (CSP) help prevent XSS attacks?
A) It blocks all JavaScript execution
D) It prevents SQL injection attacks
B) It defines which sources are allowed to execute scripts on a website
C) It disables all forms of user input
15
Week 3: What is a man-in-the-middle attack?
C) A phishing technique
A) A type of denial-of-service attack
D) A brute-force attack
B) An attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two parties
16
Week 2: What is the purpose of cryptography?
D) To create backup files
C) To speed up internet connections
B) To encrypt and secure data
A) To prevent hardware failures
17
Week 11: What is the main protocol used to send emails between mail servers?
HTTP
SMTP
IMAP
POP3
18
Week 1: The process of proving one's identity in a system is called:
D) Spoofing
A) Encryption
C) Phishing
B) Authentication
19
Week 4: Why is disabling executable stack regions an effective buffer overflow defence?
A) It prevents an attacker from executing injected malicious code
B) It speeds up memory access
C) It improves network security
D) It removes vulnerabilities from software
20
Week 7: Which of the following services is often targeted in an amplification attack?
D) Bluetooth devices
B) Local storage drives
C) Social media accounts
A) DNS servers
21
Week 9: What is a "cache poisoning" attack in DNS?
D) A technique used for speeding up domain resolution
C) Encrypting DNS requests to prevent hacking
B) A method of cleaning outdated DNS records
A) Modifying cached DNS records to redirect users to malicious sites
22
Week 9: What is the primary risk of XSS vulnerabilities?
C) Slower internet browsing
A) Loss of Wi-Fi connection
B) Unauthorized execution of scripts in a user’s browser
D) Increased CPU usage
23
Week 2: What is the primary advantage of asymmetric encryption?
B) No need to share a secret key
C) Less computational overhead
A) Faster encryption speed
D) It does not require passwords
24
Week 4: What is a canary value in buffer overflow protection?
D) A debugging tool
C) A hashing algorithm for memory security
A) A value placed before the return address to detect memory corruption
B) A type of encryption key
25
Week 4: Which of the following can result from a successful buffer overflow attack?
B) Unauthorized code execution
D) Faster memory access
C) Reduced network latency
A) Enhanced system performance
26
Week 3: What is the main purpose of a digital certificate?
B) To verify the authenticity of a public key
D) To protect passwords
A) To store encrypted files
C) To generate random numbers
27
Week 6: What is a keylogger?
B) A type of malware that records keystrokes
C) A tool for encrypting files
A) A device used for logging security events
D) A security feature in modern operating systems
28
Week 6: How does a computer virus typically spread?
C) By being embedded in hardware
A) By attaching itself to legitimate programs or files
B) By modifying network configurations
D) By requiring administrator access
29
Week 6: What is malware?
A) A type of hardware failure
C) A type of network firewall
B) Any software designed to harm or exploit systems
D) A method of encrypting files
30
Week 10: Which of the following statements about risk management is FALSE?
d) It involves identifying important decision factors
b) It is only relevant for enterprise-level organizations
c) It is performed by all managers, either deliberately or intuitively
a) It can be simple or complex depending on the project size
31
Week 2: What is an example of asymmetric encryption?
C) DES
D) Blowfish
A) AES
B) RSA
32
Week 10: What is the definition of "risk"?
a) The certainty of financial loss
d) The act of transferring threats
b) The possibility of suffering harm or loss
c) The process of mitigating vulnerabilities
33
Week 11: What is the primary advantage of S/MIME in email communication?
It speeds up email delivery
It blocks phishing emails
It ensures emails remain confidential and authentic
It scans emails for viruses
34
Week 9: What role does input validation play in preventing XSS?
B) It ensures user input does not contain harmful scripts
D) It encrypts form submissions
A) It removes all JavaScript from a website
C) It blocks all network traffic
35
Week 9: What does XSS stand for?
D) Cross-System Synchronization
A) External System Security
C) XML Site Security
B) Cross-Site Scripting
36
Week 10: What is the primary purpose of risk management?
d) To ensure compliance with regulations
a) To eliminate all risks
c) To maximize profits
b) To identify, assess and mitigate risks to protect assets.
37
Week 7: What is the best defence against DDoS attacks?
A) Strong passwords
B) Traffic filtering and rate limiting
D) Avoiding email attachments
C) Using outdated software
38
Week 11: What is a key risk associated with Instant Messaging (IM) systems in corporate environments?
Increased internet speed
Lack of encryption for transmitted messages
Compatibility with email servers
Limited user availability
39
Week 1: What is multi-factor authentication?
B) A security approach that requires multiple forms of verification
C) A backup of login credentials
A) Using multiple passwords for different accounts
D) Using an easy-to-remember password
40
Week 10: What does "risk analysis" involve?
d) Implementing controls to prevent threats
b) Eliminating all potential vulnerabilities in an organization
c) Calculating financial losses from previous risks
a) Identifying risks and determining their impact on projects or businesses
41
Week 3: What is perfect forward secrecy (PFS) in cryptography?
C) A technique used in symmetric encryption
D) A method for password storage
A) A feature that ensures past encrypted sessions remain secure
B) A new type of encryption algorithm
42
Week 9: What is the main goal of an XSS attack?
B) To inject malicious scripts into a trusted website
D) To disable firewalls
A) To encrypt files on a victim’s computer
C) To steal network passwords
43
Week 10: What is meant by "vulnerability"?
c) A method used to deliver malware to systems or networks
b) A flaw or weakness in an asset that can be exploited by threats
a) The likelihood of an event occurring that causes harm to assets
d) A security control implemented to prevent attacks
44
Week 6: What is the main difference between a worm and a virus?
D) Worms only affect Linux systems
C) Worms replicate without user intervention, while viruses require a host
A) Worms require user interaction to spread, viruses do not
B) Viruses spread automatically, while worms need a host file
45
Week 6: Which of the following is NOT a type of malware?
B) Worm
C) Firewall
D) Trojan
A) Virus
46
Week 1: Which of the following is NOT a fundamental principle of computer security?
C) Availability
B) Integrity
A) Confidentiality
D) Aesthetics
47
Week 1: What is a vulnerability?
B) A security update
C) A type of firewall
D) A backup system
A) A weak point in a system that can be exploited
48
Week 4: What is a buffer overflow?
C) A method for encrypting data in memory
A) When a computer runs out of memory
B) When data exceeds allocated memory space and overwrites adjacent memory
D) A technique for improving CPU performance
49
Week 1: Which of the following is an example of social engineering?
A) A firewall blocking traffic
C) Using an antivirus program
D) Encrypting a file
B) A hacker tricking someone into giving their password
50
Week 9: What can an attacker achieve using an XSS attack?
B) Perform a denial of service attack
A) Steal user session cookies
D) Install ransomware directly on a server
C) Encrypt all network traffic
51
Week 9: Which of the following is NOT a type of XSS attack?
A) Stored XSS
B) Reflected XSS
D) SQL-based XSS
C) DOM-based XSS
52
Week 10: Risk management is described as both a:
b) Process and a tool
a) Skill and a task
c) Threat and a vulnerability
d) Cost and a benefit
53
Week 2: What is the main weakness of symmetric encryption?
C) It cannot encrypt data
D) It only works on large files
A) It is too slow
B) The key must be securely shared
54
Week 1: What is the primary goal of computer security?
Protecting physical hardware
Increasing internet speed
Preventing software updates
Safeguarding data and systems from threats
55
Week 8: What does DNS stand for?
C) Digital Network Service
B) Domain Name System
D) Dynamic Name Server
A) Data Network Security
56
Week 3: What is the primary purpose of a cryptographic nonce?
D) To act as a password replacement
C) To speed up encryption algorithms
B) To ensure that an encryption key is used only once
A) To create secure hash values
57
Week 10: Why must businesses take risks?
d) To simplify operations
b) To retain their competitive edge
c) To avoid financial losses
a) To comply with industry standards
58
Week 7: What is the goal of a denial-of-service attack?
D) To encrypt files for ransom
C) To install malware on a system
A) To steal user credentials
B) To prevent legitimate users from accessing a service
59
Week 1: What does the CIA triad stand for?
D) Control, Identification, Authorization
C) Confidentiality, Innovation, Access
A) Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability
B) Cybersecurity, Internet, Authentication
60
Week 7: What is a common tool used in DDoS attacks?
A) Firewalls
C) VPNs
B) Botnets
D) Encryption keys
61
Week 6: What is ransomware?
D) A software used for ethical hacking
B) Malware that encrypts a user’s files and demands payment for decryption
A) A program that steals passwords
C) A system vulnerability in Windows
62
Week 2: What does SSL/TLS use to secure internet communications?
A) Symmetric encryption
C) Both symmetric and asymmetric encryption
B) Asymmetric encryption
D) Only hashing
63
Week 9: Which of the following is an effective defence against XSS?
D) Using a VPN
C) Blocking all JavaScript on a website
A) Enforcing HTTPS
B) Using input sanitization and output encoding
64
Week 11: What security feature does PGP use to encrypt emails?
Two-factor authentication
Captcha
Public Key Infrastructure
Biometrics
65
Week 2: What is the main function of a public key in asymmetric encryption?
C) To encrypt messages
A) To sign digital documents
D) To create backup keys
B) To hide files from view
66
Week 1: A strong password typically includes:
A) Only lowercase letters
D) Common words like "password"
C) The user's name
B) A mix of letters, numbers, and symbols
67
Week 6: How does spyware operate?
B) It disables system updates
C) It spreads through email attachments
A) It monitors user activity and collects data without their knowledge
D) It encrypts user files
68
Week 11: Which of the following is NOT a common threat to email security?
Browser cookies
Integrity-related threats
Availability-related threats
Confidentiality-related threats
69
Week 11: What does DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail) help prevent?
Denial-of-service attacks
Email spoofing
Buffer overflow attacks
SQL injection
70
Week 4: Which of the following is a defence mechanism against buffer overflow attacks?
B) Disabling antivirus software
A) Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR)
C) Allowing executable stack regions
D) Using default system configurations
71
Week 7: What is an amplification attack in DDoS?
B) A brute-force attack on passwords
A) A method of making a single request appear as multiple requests
D) A process that speeds up network performance
C) A method of securing network connections
72
Week 8: What type of attack involves overwhelming a DNS server with excessive requests?
B) DNS flood attack
D) SQL injection
A) Man-in-the-middle attack
C) Phishing attack
73
Week 9: How does a stored XSS attack differ from a reflected XSS attack?
A) Stored XSS attacks persist on the server and affect multiple users
B) Stored XSS attacks require user interaction
C) Stored XSS is harmless and only used for debugging
D) Stored XSS only affects the administrator
74
Week 2: Which cryptographic method ensures message integrity?
C) Compression
A) Encryption
D) Decryption
B) Hashing
75
Week 9: In a reflected XSS attack, where does the malicious script originate?
B) It is included in a user-submitted form
A) It is stored in the web server’s database
C) It is reflected from a web application’s response
D) It is embedded in network traffic
76
Week 7: What is a reflection attack?
B) A method for encrypting communications
A) An attack that uses a legitimate server to send traffic to a victim
C) A technique used in password cracking
D) A way to prevent network congestion
77
Week 6: What is a rootkit?
B) A type of malware that hides its presence on a system
A) A hardware vulnerability
D) A tool used to manage encryption keys
C) A security patch for Windows
78
Week 1: What is an example of a threat in cybersecurity?
C) An antivirus program
D) A software license agreement
B) A hacker attempting to breach a system
A) A locked door
79
Week 10: Which of the following is NOT an element of risk management?
c) Ignoring low-priority risks
b) Determining costs to mitigate risks
d) Deciding cost-effective actions to control risks
a) Identifying threats and vulnerabilities
80
Week 8: How can DNS-SEC improve DNS security?
D) By preventing DDoS attacks
A) By blocking malware-infected domains
C) By digitally signing DNS records to ensure authenticity
B) By encrypting DNS queries
81
Week 7: What is a SYN flood attack?
C) A malware infection that spreads through email
A) An attack that encrypts user files
B) A type of attack that exploits the TCP handshake process
D) A type of phishing attack
82
Week 4: What is a common method used to prevent buffer overflow attacks?
A) Using weak passwords
D) Disabling encryption
C) Removing firewalls
B) Implementing bounds checking on arrays
83
Week 3: What does a key exchange algorithm do?
C) Allows two parties to securely share a cryptographic key
B) Hashes a message
D) Stores passwords securely
A) Encrypts a message
84
Week 11: What is one effective and practical way to mitigate spam emails?
Using blacklist and grey list filtering
Avoiding email attachments
Disabling email headers
Sending automated responses to spam messages
85
Week 11: What is the purpose of STARTTLS in email communication?
Secures communication channels for text-based protocols
Encrypts email attachments
Generates email headers
Filters spam emails
86
Week 3: Which cryptographic attack attempts to find two inputs that hash to the same output?
A) Brute force attack
C) Man-in-the-middle attack
D) Side-channel attack
B) Collision attack
87
How does a denial of service attack typically work?
D) By encrypting network traffic
A) By overloading a system with excessive requests
B) By injecting malicious code into a website
C) By exploiting weak passwords
88
Week 8: What is DNS spoofing?
B) A technique where a hacker impersonates DNS responses
D) A legitimate method for speeding up internet access
C) A process of updating DNS records
A) A method for encrypting DNS queries
89
Week 4: Which of the following is a real-world example of a buffer overflow vulnerability?
C) Phishing scams
B) SQL injection attacks
D) Denial-of-service attacks
A) The Heartbleed bug
90
Week 3: What is the main advantage of elliptic curve cryptography?
C) It replaces hashing algorithms
A) It requires longer keys for security
B) It provides strong security with shorter keys
D) It does not require private keys
91
Week 2: What is a digital signature used for?
B) Verifying the authenticity of a message
C) Creating random numbers
A) Encrypting files
D) Hiding files from view
92
Week 10: Which term refers to any resource or information an organization needs to conduct its business?
b) Asset
c) Impact factor
d) Control
a) Threat vector
93
Week 7: How can organizations mitigate the risk of denial of service attacks?
C) Using weak passwords
A) Using load balancers and intrusion prevention systems
B) Keeping outdated software
D) Avoiding system backups
94
Week 7: What is a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack?
B) An attack using multiple compromised devices to flood a target
A) A single attacker sending excessive requests to a server
D) A method for securing network traffic
C) An attack that installs spyware on a target system
95
Week 2: What is symmetric encryption?
D) Encryption that only works one way
A) The same key is used for encryption and decryption
B) Different keys are used for encryption and decryption
C) Data is stored without encryption
96
Week 8: What is a common symptom of a DNS poisoning attack?
C) Loss of Wi-Fi connection
A) Slow internet speeds
D) Increased CPU usage
B) Being redirected to a malicious website instead of the intended one
97
Week 8: What is the role of a recursive DNS server?
C) It acts as a firewall for DNS requests
B) It resolves domain names by querying other DNS servers
A) It stores all DNS records permanently
D) It encrypts web traffic
98
Week 8: What is a DNS resolver?
B) A service that translates domain names into IP addresses
A) A server that converts IP addresses into domain names
D) A tool for detecting malware
C) A type of firewall
99
Week 7: What is a botnet?
B) A security feature in web browsers
C) A firewall configuration tool
D) A type of encryption algorithm
A) A network of infected computers controlled by an attacker
100
Week 10: What is a "threat" in risk management terminology?
a) A flaw or weakness in an asset that can be exploited by attackers
b) An event with the potential to cause harm to an asset
d) A decision-making process
c) A measure taken to mitigate vulnerabilities in a system

Computer Security Revision MCQ Flashcards | StudBud