WGU D340 – Cyber Defense and
Countermeasures Final Prep Exam
(Latest Update 2026/2027) Questions
and Verified Answers | 100% Correct |
Grade A.
1. Which cybersecurity concept is primarily concerned with ensuring
that information is accessible when needed?
A. Confidentiality
B. Integrity
C. Availability
D. Nonrepudiation
Rationale: Availability is one of the three pillars of the CIA Triad. It
ensures that authorized users can access systems, applications, and
data whenever needed. Organizations achieve availability through
redundancy, backups, fault tolerance, disaster recovery, and continuous
monitoring. Without availability, business operations may be disrupted
even if confidentiality and integrity remain intact.
2. Which security device monitors network traffic and blocks
malicious activity based on predefined rules?
,A. Router
B. Firewall
C. Switch
D. Hub
Rationale: A firewall filters inbound and outbound network traffic
according to configured security policies. Modern next-generation
firewalls also inspect applications, identify users, detect malware, and
prevent intrusion attempts. Firewalls serve as a first line of defense
between trusted and untrusted networks.
3. What is the primary purpose of multi-factor authentication
(MFA)?
A. Increase password length
B. Require more than one form of identity verification
C. Encrypt stored passwords
D. Eliminate passwords completely
Rationale: MFA enhances security by requiring two or more
authentication factors, such as something you know (password),
something you have (security token), or something you are (biometric).
Even if one factor is compromised, attackers still face additional barriers
before gaining access.
4. Which attack attempts to overwhelm a server with excessive
traffic, preventing legitimate users from accessing services?
,A. SQL Injection
B. Cross-Site Scripting
C. Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS)
D. Privilege Escalation
Rationale: A DDoS attack floods a target with traffic from multiple
compromised devices, consuming bandwidth or system resources until
legitimate requests cannot be processed. Organizations mitigate DDoS
attacks through traffic filtering, rate limiting, cloud-based mitigation
services, and scalable infrastructure.
5. Which component of the CIA Triad ensures data has not been
altered without authorization?
A. Availability
B. Integrity
C. Confidentiality
D. Authentication
Rationale: Integrity ensures that information remains accurate,
complete, and trustworthy throughout its lifecycle. Hashing, digital
signatures, checksums, and version control help detect unauthorized
modifications to data.
6. Which security principle grants users only the permissions
necessary to perform their job responsibilities?
A. Separation of duties
B. Job rotation
, C. Principle of least privilege
D. Defense in depth
Rationale: The principle of least privilege minimizes security risks by
limiting user permissions to only those required for assigned tasks. This
reduces the impact of compromised accounts, insider threats, and
accidental misuse of sensitive resources.
7. Which malware type encrypts files and demands payment to
restore access?
A. Worm
B. Trojan Horse
C. Ransomware
D. Spyware
Rationale: Ransomware encrypts victim files and demands payment,
often in cryptocurrency, for the decryption key. Preventive measures
include regular offline backups, endpoint detection solutions, employee
awareness training, and timely patch management.
8. What is the primary purpose of a Security Information and Event
Management (SIEM) solution?
A. Encrypt sensitive files
B. Block network traffic automatically
C. Collect and analyze security logs from multiple sources
D. Replace antivirus software
Countermeasures Final Prep Exam
(Latest Update 2026/2027) Questions
and Verified Answers | 100% Correct |
Grade A.
1. Which cybersecurity concept is primarily concerned with ensuring
that information is accessible when needed?
A. Confidentiality
B. Integrity
C. Availability
D. Nonrepudiation
Rationale: Availability is one of the three pillars of the CIA Triad. It
ensures that authorized users can access systems, applications, and
data whenever needed. Organizations achieve availability through
redundancy, backups, fault tolerance, disaster recovery, and continuous
monitoring. Without availability, business operations may be disrupted
even if confidentiality and integrity remain intact.
2. Which security device monitors network traffic and blocks
malicious activity based on predefined rules?
,A. Router
B. Firewall
C. Switch
D. Hub
Rationale: A firewall filters inbound and outbound network traffic
according to configured security policies. Modern next-generation
firewalls also inspect applications, identify users, detect malware, and
prevent intrusion attempts. Firewalls serve as a first line of defense
between trusted and untrusted networks.
3. What is the primary purpose of multi-factor authentication
(MFA)?
A. Increase password length
B. Require more than one form of identity verification
C. Encrypt stored passwords
D. Eliminate passwords completely
Rationale: MFA enhances security by requiring two or more
authentication factors, such as something you know (password),
something you have (security token), or something you are (biometric).
Even if one factor is compromised, attackers still face additional barriers
before gaining access.
4. Which attack attempts to overwhelm a server with excessive
traffic, preventing legitimate users from accessing services?
,A. SQL Injection
B. Cross-Site Scripting
C. Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS)
D. Privilege Escalation
Rationale: A DDoS attack floods a target with traffic from multiple
compromised devices, consuming bandwidth or system resources until
legitimate requests cannot be processed. Organizations mitigate DDoS
attacks through traffic filtering, rate limiting, cloud-based mitigation
services, and scalable infrastructure.
5. Which component of the CIA Triad ensures data has not been
altered without authorization?
A. Availability
B. Integrity
C. Confidentiality
D. Authentication
Rationale: Integrity ensures that information remains accurate,
complete, and trustworthy throughout its lifecycle. Hashing, digital
signatures, checksums, and version control help detect unauthorized
modifications to data.
6. Which security principle grants users only the permissions
necessary to perform their job responsibilities?
A. Separation of duties
B. Job rotation
, C. Principle of least privilege
D. Defense in depth
Rationale: The principle of least privilege minimizes security risks by
limiting user permissions to only those required for assigned tasks. This
reduces the impact of compromised accounts, insider threats, and
accidental misuse of sensitive resources.
7. Which malware type encrypts files and demands payment to
restore access?
A. Worm
B. Trojan Horse
C. Ransomware
D. Spyware
Rationale: Ransomware encrypts victim files and demands payment,
often in cryptocurrency, for the decryption key. Preventive measures
include regular offline backups, endpoint detection solutions, employee
awareness training, and timely patch management.
8. What is the primary purpose of a Security Information and Event
Management (SIEM) solution?
A. Encrypt sensitive files
B. Block network traffic automatically
C. Collect and analyze security logs from multiple sources
D. Replace antivirus software
