An organization disables a network service that its systems do not need, reducing the ways an attacker could gain access. What purpose does this control primarily serve?
6 Mitigation and Defensive Response Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 6 Mitigation and Defensive Response, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
True or false: Centralizing security logs by itself ensures that the logs cannot be altered by an unauthorized person.
- A
True
- B
False
Complete the risk chain: threat actor or event → attack method → → affected asset and impact → control.
A company discovers that software on an internet-facing server is unpatched. Which action most directly reduces the underlying weakness?
- A
Monitor service changes and scan for vulnerabilities.
- B
Maintain an asset inventory and promptly patch the exposed software.
- C
Isolate systems that have already been affected.
A security analyst uses a malicious file hash as a signal to help detect or investigate an incident. What is the general term for this kind of signal?
A security team has more weaknesses to fix than it can address immediately. Select all factors that should inform its risk-based prioritization.
- A
Potential impact if the weakness is exploited
- B
The order in which the weaknesses were discovered
- C
Whether the asset is exposed and whether exploitation is occurring
- D
The system's importance and how feasible an effective control is
True or false: During an incident, abruptly shutting down a safety-critical operational technology system is always the safest containment action.
- A
True
- B
False
In the practical response sequence, triage is followed by containment. What stage comes immediately after containment?
A company wants to reduce the likelihood and potential impact of ransomware before an incident occurs. Select all the preventive measures.
- A
Limit execution privileges.
- B
Keep backups protected from unauthorized alteration and test them regularly.
- C
Rely on endpoint alerts to identify suspicious activity.
- D
Isolate hosts after they are affected.
A team must choose one system for urgent remediation. Which risk should it address first?
- A
A low-impact issue on a system with limited access and no known exploitation.
- B
A weakness on a noncritical system that can be fixed easily but has little exposure.
- C
An actively exploited vulnerability on an internet-facing system that supports a critical business function.
What log-management practice helps an organization use security events across systems to support detection and incident response?
Employees are being targeted by phishing, and a stolen password could provide access to email and administrator tools. Propose a coordinated set of preventive, detective, and responsive controls for this risk.
An analyst sees one suspicious account alert, followed by an unusual process and a suspicious domain connected to the same system. What is the best way to interpret these indicators?
- A
Treat every alert as proof of a full compromise.
- B
Interpret alerts in context and investigate whether related signals point to a broader compromise.
- C
Ignore individual alerts unless data loss has already been confirmed.
A network is segmented so that an intruder cannot freely move between departments, and monitoring flags unexpected connections between segments. Can this control support both prevention and detection?
- A
True
- B
False
Responders confirm an alert, assess its likely scope and impact, and notify the appropriate team before limiting access or spread. What response phase are they performing?
An employee's password may have been stolen through phishing. Which listed control most directly reduces the chance that the password alone will grant access?
- A
Alert on unusual sign-ins
- B
Require phishing-resistant multifactor authentication
- C
Investigate mailbox activity after a suspected compromise
- D
Remove unauthorized forwarding rules
Endpoint alerts suggest ransomware is spreading across several devices. Which action is the best immediate response?
- A
Restore all affected systems from backups immediately
- B
Delete suspicious files before documenting them
- C
Isolate affected hosts and preserve evidence
- D
Wait for confirmation that every device is infected before taking action
A team applies a control to reduce a vulnerability but recognizes that some possibility of harm remains. What is the risk that remains called?
A vulnerable internet-facing service cannot be patched until a planned maintenance window. Which interim action best reduces exposure in the meantime?
- A
Leave the system unchanged until a patch can be applied
- B
Restrict access to the vulnerable system while arranging remediation
- C
Disable monitoring to avoid distracting responders
- D
Assume the vulnerability is harmless if no incident has been confirmed
A suspected compromise may involve a safety-critical operational technology system. Which response best accounts for the risk that containment itself could disrupt safe operations?
- A
Shut down every system on the network immediately
- B
Delete all logs to prevent further access
- C
Disconnect the safety-critical system without consulting its operators
- D
Coordinate any high-impact containment action with responsible technical and business owners