5 Network Defenses and Security Practice Free Online FlashCards

What does a firewall do?

A firewall allows or blocks traffic according to rules such as source, destination, protocol, port, or application.

What is the primary role of an IDS?

An IDS inspects network or host activity and alerts on suspicious patterns or policy violations; it does not necessarily interrupt traffic.

How does an IPS differ from an IDS?

An IPS detects suspicious activity and attempts to block it, often while positioned inline with traffic.

What should a VPN connection not imply?

A VPN connection should provide access only to approved resources; it should not imply unrestricted access to the entire network.

How does network segmentation limit risk?

Segmentation separates areas with different purposes or risks and permits only required traffic between them, limiting attacker movement.

What makes a sound firewall policy?

Use explicit, justified allow rules; block unneeded traffic; and periodically review rules to remove obsolete exceptions.

What authentication measure is recommended for remote access?

Strong authentication, such as MFA, helps protect remote connections by requiring more than a single sign-in factor.

What does least-privilege access mean?

Least privilege gives users access only to the resources their roles require, reducing unnecessary exposure.

What makes centralized security monitoring useful?

Collect relevant events, keep timestamps consistent, assign alert ownership, and define how staff investigate and respond.

Why correlate alerts with firewall and identity logs?

An alert about unusual laptop connections can be investigated alongside firewall and identity logs to connect relevant signals.

Why place a public website in a separate DMZ?

A DMZ separates a public-facing website from internal systems; internet users should not connect directly to a sensitive database.

How should an outside IT vendor's access be limited?

Give a vendor a named account with narrowly scoped, time-limited access to designated systems.