- Home
- ISC Certification
- SSCP Exam
- ISC.SSCP.v2024-05-23.q965 Practice Test
Question 51
What is the most secure way to dispose of information on a CD-ROM?
Correct Answer: D
Section: Security Operation Adimnistration
Explanation/Reference:
First you have to realize that the question is specifically talking about a CDROM. The information stored on a CDROM is not in electro magnetic format, so a degausser woud be inneffective.
You cannot sanitize a CDROM but you might be able to sanitize a RW/CDROM. A CDROM is a write once device and cannot be overwritten like a hard disk or other magnetic device.
Physical Damage would not be enough as information could still be extracted in a lab from the undamaged portion of the media or even from the pieces after the physical damage has been done.
Physical Destruction using a shredder, your microwave oven, melting it, would be very effective and the best choice for a non magnetic media such as a CDROM.
Source: TIPTON, Hal, (ISC)2, Introduction to the CISSP Exam presentation.
Explanation/Reference:
First you have to realize that the question is specifically talking about a CDROM. The information stored on a CDROM is not in electro magnetic format, so a degausser woud be inneffective.
You cannot sanitize a CDROM but you might be able to sanitize a RW/CDROM. A CDROM is a write once device and cannot be overwritten like a hard disk or other magnetic device.
Physical Damage would not be enough as information could still be extracted in a lab from the undamaged portion of the media or even from the pieces after the physical damage has been done.
Physical Destruction using a shredder, your microwave oven, melting it, would be very effective and the best choice for a non magnetic media such as a CDROM.
Source: TIPTON, Hal, (ISC)2, Introduction to the CISSP Exam presentation.
Question 52
Which of the following statements pertaining to the Bell-LaPadula is TRUE if you are NOT making use of the strong star property?
Correct Answer: D
Section: Access Control
Explanation/Reference:
Bell-LaPadula Confidentiality Model10 The Bell-LaPadula model is perhaps the most well-known and significant security model, in addition to being one of the oldest models used in the creation of modern secure computing systems. Like the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (or TCSEC), it was inspired by early U.S. Department of Defense security policies and the need to prove that confidentiality could be maintained. In other words, its primary goal is to prevent disclosure as the model system moves from one state (one point in time) to another.
When the strong star property is not being used it means that both the property and the Simple Security Property rules would be applied.
The Star (*) property rule of the Bell-LaPadula model says that subjects cannot write down, this would compromise the confidentiality of the information if someone at the secret layer would write the object down to a confidential container for example.
The Simple Security Property rule states that the subject cannot read up which means that a subject at the secret layer would not be able to access objects at Top Secret for example.
You must remember: The model tells you about are NOT allowed to do. Anything else would be allowed. For example within the Bell LaPadula model you would be allowed to write up as it does not compromise the security of the information. In fact it would upgrade it to the point that you could lock yourself out of your own information if you have only a secret security clearance.
The following are incorrect answers because they are all FALSE:
"It allows read up" is incorrect. The "simple security" property forbids read up.
"It addresses covert channels" is incorrect. Covert channels are not addressed by the Bell-LaPadula model.
"It addresses management of access controls" is incorrect. Management of access controls are beyond the scope of the Bell-LaPadula model.
Reference(s) used for this question:
Hernandez CISSP, Steven (2012-12-21). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 17595-17600). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.
Explanation/Reference:
Bell-LaPadula Confidentiality Model10 The Bell-LaPadula model is perhaps the most well-known and significant security model, in addition to being one of the oldest models used in the creation of modern secure computing systems. Like the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (or TCSEC), it was inspired by early U.S. Department of Defense security policies and the need to prove that confidentiality could be maintained. In other words, its primary goal is to prevent disclosure as the model system moves from one state (one point in time) to another.
When the strong star property is not being used it means that both the property and the Simple Security Property rules would be applied.
The Star (*) property rule of the Bell-LaPadula model says that subjects cannot write down, this would compromise the confidentiality of the information if someone at the secret layer would write the object down to a confidential container for example.
The Simple Security Property rule states that the subject cannot read up which means that a subject at the secret layer would not be able to access objects at Top Secret for example.
You must remember: The model tells you about are NOT allowed to do. Anything else would be allowed. For example within the Bell LaPadula model you would be allowed to write up as it does not compromise the security of the information. In fact it would upgrade it to the point that you could lock yourself out of your own information if you have only a secret security clearance.
The following are incorrect answers because they are all FALSE:
"It allows read up" is incorrect. The "simple security" property forbids read up.
"It addresses covert channels" is incorrect. Covert channels are not addressed by the Bell-LaPadula model.
"It addresses management of access controls" is incorrect. Management of access controls are beyond the scope of the Bell-LaPadula model.
Reference(s) used for this question:
Hernandez CISSP, Steven (2012-12-21). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 17595-17600). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.
Question 53
Controls like guards and general steps to maintain building security, securing of server rooms or laptops, the protection of cables, and usage of magnetic switches on doors and windows are some of the examples of:
Correct Answer: D
Explanation/Reference:
Controls like guards and general steps to maintain building security, securing of server rooms or laptops, the protection of cables, and usage of magnetic switches on doors and windows are all examples of Physical Security.
Reference(s) used for this question:
KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, 2001, John Wiley & Sons, Page 33.
Controls like guards and general steps to maintain building security, securing of server rooms or laptops, the protection of cables, and usage of magnetic switches on doors and windows are all examples of Physical Security.
Reference(s) used for this question:
KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, 2001, John Wiley & Sons, Page 33.
Question 54
Which of the following DoS attacks use ICMP? (Choose two)
Correct Answer: B,C
The ping-of-death attack sends an ICMP packet so large that some systems crash before they can process all of the information. The Smurf attack also manipulates ICMP. The other answers are incorrect. NMAP is a port scanning and banner grabbing tool.
Question 55
Which of the following is NOT true about IPSec Tunnel mode?
Correct Answer: B
Section: Network and Telecommunications
Explanation/Reference:
IPSec can be run in either tunnel mode or transport mode. Each of these modes has its own particular uses and care should be taken to ensure that the correct one is selected for the solution:
Tunnel mode is most commonly used between gateways, or at an end-station to a gateway, the gateway acting as a proxy for the hosts behind it.
Transport mode is used between end-stations or between an end-station and a gateway, if the gateway is being treated as a host-for example, an encrypted Telnet session from a workstation to a router, in which the router is the actual destination.
As Figure 1 shows, basically transport mode should be used for end-to-end sessions and tunnel mode should be used for everything else. (Refer to the figure for the following discussion.) Figure 1 Tunnel and transport modes in IPSec.
Figure 1 displays some examples of when to use tunnel versus transport mode:
Tunnel mode is most commonly used to encrypt traffic between secure IPSec gateways, such as between the Cisco router and PIX Firewall (as shown in example A in Figure 1). The IPSec gateways proxy IPSec for the devices behind them, such as Alice's PC and the HR servers in Figure 1. In example A, Alice connects to the HR servers securely through the IPSec tunnel set up between the gateways.
Tunnel mode is also used to connect an end-station running IPSec software, such as the Cisco Secure VPN Client, to an IPSec gateway, as shown in example B.
In example C, tunnel mode is used to set up an IPSec tunnel between the Cisco router and a server running IPSec software. Note that Cisco IOS software and the PIX Firewall sets tunnel mode as the default IPSec mode.
Transport mode is used between end-stations supporting IPSec, or between an end-station and a gateway, if the gateway is being treated as a host. In example D, transport mode is used to set up an encrypted Telnet session from Alice's PC running Cisco Secure VPN Client software to terminate at the PIX Firewall, enabling Alice to remotely configure the PIX Firewall securely.
AH Tunnel Versus Transport Mode
Figure 2 shows the differences that the IPSec mode makes to AH. In transport mode, AH services protect the external IP header along with the data payload. AH services protect all the fields in the header that don't change in transport. The header goes after the IP header and before the ESP header, if present, and other higher-layer protocols.
In tunnel mode, the entire original header is authenticated, a new IP header is built, and the new IP header is protected in the same way as the IP header in transport mode.
Figure 2 AH tunnel versus transport mode.
AH is incompatible with Network Address Translation (NAT) because NAT changes the source IP address, which breaks the AH header and causes the packets to be rejected by the IPSec peer.
ESP Tunnel Versus Transport Mode
Figure 3 shows the differences that the IPSec mode makes to ESP. In transport mode, the IP payload is encrypted and the original headers are left intact. The ESP header is inserted after the IP header and before the upper-layer protocol header. The upper-layer protocols are encrypted and authenticated along with the ESP header. ESP doesn't authenticate the IP header itself.
NOTE
Higher-layer information is not available because it's part of the encrypted payload.
When ESP is used in tunnel mode, the original IP header is well protected because the entire original IP datagram is encrypted. With an ESP authentication mechanism, the original IP datagram and the ESP header are included; however, the new IP header is not included in the authentication.
When both authentication and encryption are selected, encryption is performed first, before authentication. One reason for this order of processing is that it facilitates rapid detection and rejection of replayed or bogus packets by the receiving node. Prior to decrypting the packet, the receiver can detect the problem and potentially reduce the impact of denial-of-service attacks.
Figure 3 ESP tunnel versus transport mode.
ESP can also provide packet authentication with an optional field for authentication. Cisco IOS software and the PIX Firewall refer to this service as ESP hashed message authentication code (HMAC). Authentication is calculated after the encryption is done. The current IPSec standard specifies SHA-1 and MD5 as the mandatory HMAC algorithms.
The main difference between the authentication provided by ESP and AH is the extent of the coverage.
Specifically, ESP doesn't protect any IP header fields unless those fields are encapsulated by ESP (tunnel mode). Figure 4 illustrates the fields protected by ESP HMAC.
Figure 4 ESP encryption with a keyed HMAC.
IPSec Transforms
An IPSec transform specifies a single IPSec security protocol (either AH or ESP) with its corresponding security algorithms and mode. Example transforms include the following:
The AH protocol with the HMAC with MD5 authentication algorithm in tunnel mode is used for authentication.
The ESP protocol with the triple DES (3DES) encryption algorithm in transport mode is used for confidentiality of data.
The ESP protocol with the 56-bit DES encryption algorithm and the HMAC with SHA-1 authentication algorithm in tunnel mode is used for authentication and confidentiality.
Transform Sets
A transform set is a combination of individual IPSec transforms designed to enact a specific security policy for traffic. During the ISAKMP IPSec security association negotiation that occurs in IKE phase 2 quick mode, the peers agree to use a particular transform set for protecting a particular data flow. Transform sets combine the following IPSec factors:
Mechanism for payload authentication-AH transform
Mechanism for payload encryption-ESP transform
IPSec mode (transport versus tunnel)
Transform sets equal a combination of an AH transform, plus an ESP transform, plus the IPSec mode (either tunnel or transport mode).
This brings us to the end of the second part of this five-part series of articles covering IPSec. Be sure to catch the next installment.
Cisco Press at: http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/printerfriendly.asp?p=25477 and Source: TIPTON, Harold F. & KRAUSE, MICKI, Information Security Management Handbook, 4th Edition, Volume 2, 2001, CRC Press, NY, Pages 166-167.
Explanation/Reference:
IPSec can be run in either tunnel mode or transport mode. Each of these modes has its own particular uses and care should be taken to ensure that the correct one is selected for the solution:
Tunnel mode is most commonly used between gateways, or at an end-station to a gateway, the gateway acting as a proxy for the hosts behind it.
Transport mode is used between end-stations or between an end-station and a gateway, if the gateway is being treated as a host-for example, an encrypted Telnet session from a workstation to a router, in which the router is the actual destination.
As Figure 1 shows, basically transport mode should be used for end-to-end sessions and tunnel mode should be used for everything else. (Refer to the figure for the following discussion.) Figure 1 Tunnel and transport modes in IPSec.
Figure 1 displays some examples of when to use tunnel versus transport mode:
Tunnel mode is most commonly used to encrypt traffic between secure IPSec gateways, such as between the Cisco router and PIX Firewall (as shown in example A in Figure 1). The IPSec gateways proxy IPSec for the devices behind them, such as Alice's PC and the HR servers in Figure 1. In example A, Alice connects to the HR servers securely through the IPSec tunnel set up between the gateways.
Tunnel mode is also used to connect an end-station running IPSec software, such as the Cisco Secure VPN Client, to an IPSec gateway, as shown in example B.
In example C, tunnel mode is used to set up an IPSec tunnel between the Cisco router and a server running IPSec software. Note that Cisco IOS software and the PIX Firewall sets tunnel mode as the default IPSec mode.
Transport mode is used between end-stations supporting IPSec, or between an end-station and a gateway, if the gateway is being treated as a host. In example D, transport mode is used to set up an encrypted Telnet session from Alice's PC running Cisco Secure VPN Client software to terminate at the PIX Firewall, enabling Alice to remotely configure the PIX Firewall securely.
AH Tunnel Versus Transport Mode
Figure 2 shows the differences that the IPSec mode makes to AH. In transport mode, AH services protect the external IP header along with the data payload. AH services protect all the fields in the header that don't change in transport. The header goes after the IP header and before the ESP header, if present, and other higher-layer protocols.
In tunnel mode, the entire original header is authenticated, a new IP header is built, and the new IP header is protected in the same way as the IP header in transport mode.
Figure 2 AH tunnel versus transport mode.
AH is incompatible with Network Address Translation (NAT) because NAT changes the source IP address, which breaks the AH header and causes the packets to be rejected by the IPSec peer.
ESP Tunnel Versus Transport Mode
Figure 3 shows the differences that the IPSec mode makes to ESP. In transport mode, the IP payload is encrypted and the original headers are left intact. The ESP header is inserted after the IP header and before the upper-layer protocol header. The upper-layer protocols are encrypted and authenticated along with the ESP header. ESP doesn't authenticate the IP header itself.
NOTE
Higher-layer information is not available because it's part of the encrypted payload.
When ESP is used in tunnel mode, the original IP header is well protected because the entire original IP datagram is encrypted. With an ESP authentication mechanism, the original IP datagram and the ESP header are included; however, the new IP header is not included in the authentication.
When both authentication and encryption are selected, encryption is performed first, before authentication. One reason for this order of processing is that it facilitates rapid detection and rejection of replayed or bogus packets by the receiving node. Prior to decrypting the packet, the receiver can detect the problem and potentially reduce the impact of denial-of-service attacks.
Figure 3 ESP tunnel versus transport mode.
ESP can also provide packet authentication with an optional field for authentication. Cisco IOS software and the PIX Firewall refer to this service as ESP hashed message authentication code (HMAC). Authentication is calculated after the encryption is done. The current IPSec standard specifies SHA-1 and MD5 as the mandatory HMAC algorithms.
The main difference between the authentication provided by ESP and AH is the extent of the coverage.
Specifically, ESP doesn't protect any IP header fields unless those fields are encapsulated by ESP (tunnel mode). Figure 4 illustrates the fields protected by ESP HMAC.
Figure 4 ESP encryption with a keyed HMAC.
IPSec Transforms
An IPSec transform specifies a single IPSec security protocol (either AH or ESP) with its corresponding security algorithms and mode. Example transforms include the following:
The AH protocol with the HMAC with MD5 authentication algorithm in tunnel mode is used for authentication.
The ESP protocol with the triple DES (3DES) encryption algorithm in transport mode is used for confidentiality of data.
The ESP protocol with the 56-bit DES encryption algorithm and the HMAC with SHA-1 authentication algorithm in tunnel mode is used for authentication and confidentiality.
Transform Sets
A transform set is a combination of individual IPSec transforms designed to enact a specific security policy for traffic. During the ISAKMP IPSec security association negotiation that occurs in IKE phase 2 quick mode, the peers agree to use a particular transform set for protecting a particular data flow. Transform sets combine the following IPSec factors:
Mechanism for payload authentication-AH transform
Mechanism for payload encryption-ESP transform
IPSec mode (transport versus tunnel)
Transform sets equal a combination of an AH transform, plus an ESP transform, plus the IPSec mode (either tunnel or transport mode).
This brings us to the end of the second part of this five-part series of articles covering IPSec. Be sure to catch the next installment.
Cisco Press at: http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/printerfriendly.asp?p=25477 and Source: TIPTON, Harold F. & KRAUSE, MICKI, Information Security Management Handbook, 4th Edition, Volume 2, 2001, CRC Press, NY, Pages 166-167.
- Other Version
- 8959ISC.SSCP.v2024-11-11.q999
- 23437ISC.SSCP.v2022-08-26.q999
- 20482ISC.SSCP.v2022-01-29.q657
- 36ISC.Prepawaypdf.SSCP.v2021-11-05.by.harvey.888q.pdf
- Latest Upload
- 200PaloAltoNetworks.NGFW-Engineer.v2026-05-01.q43
- 292Nokia.4A0-113.v2026-05-01.q69
- 250EC-COUNCIL.312-49v11.v2026-04-30.q214
- 227Microsoft.MB-820.v2026-04-30.q101
- 207Salesforce.MC-202.v2026-04-30.q57
- 204BICSI.INSTC_V8.v2026-04-29.q53
- 332NMLS.MLO.v2026-04-28.q82
- 241NCARB.Project-Management.v2026-04-28.q27
- 457EMC.D-AV-DY-23.v2026-04-27.q184
- 1108ServiceNow.CSA.v2026-04-27.q483
