ISC2 CC Exam Questions With 100% Correct Answers
Triffid Corporation has a rule that all employees working with sensitive hardcopy documents must put
the documents into a safe at the end of the workday, where they are locked up until the following workday. What kind of control is the process of putting the documents into the safe? (D1, L1.3.1)
A) Administrative
B) Tangential
C) Physical
D) Technical
A is the correct answer. The process itself is an administrative control; rules and practices are administrative. The safe itself is physical, but the question asked specifically about process, not the safe, so C is incorrect. Neither the safe nor the process is part of the IT environment, so this is not a technical control; D is incorrect. B is incorrect; "tangential" is not a term commonly used to describe a particular type of security control, and is used here only as a distractor.
A vendor sells a particular operating system (OS). In order to deploy the OS securely on different platforms, the vendor publishes several sets of instructions on how to install it, depending on which platform the customer is using. This is an example of a ________. (D1, L1.4.2)
A)Law
B)Procedure
C)Standard
D)Policy
B is correct. This is a set of instructions to perform a particular task, so it is a procedure (several procedures, actually—one for each platform). A is incorrect; the instructions are not a governmental mandate. C is incorrect, because the instructions are particular to a specific product, not accepted throughout the industry. D is incorrect, because the instructions are not particular to a given organization.
The Triffid Corporation publishes a policy that states all personnel will act in a manner that protects health and human safety. The security office is tasked with writing a detailed set of processes on how employees should wear protective gear such as hardhats and gloves when in hazardous areas. This detailed set of processes is a _________. (D1, L1.4.1)
A)Policy
B)Procedure
C)Standard
D)Law
B is correct. A detailed set of processes used by a specific organization is a procedure. A is incorrect; the policy is the overarching document that requires the procedure be created and implemented. C is incorrect. The procedure is not recognized and implemented throughout the industry; it is used internally. D is incorrect; the procedure was created by Triffid Corporation, not a governmental body.
Chad is a security practitioner tasked with ensuring that the information on the organization's public website is not changed by anyone outside the organization. This task is an example of ensuring _________. (D1, L1.1.1)
A)Confidentiality
B)Integrity
C)Availability
D)Confirmation
B is correct. Preventing unauthorized modification is the definition of integrity. A is incorrect because the website is not meant to be secret; it is open to the public. C is incorrect because Chad is not tasked with ensuring the website is accessible, only that the information on it is not changed. D is incorrect because "confirmation" is not a typical security term, and is used here only as a distractor.
The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Council is a committee made up of representatives from major credit
card providers (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) in the United States. The PCI Council issues rules that merchants must follow if the merchants choose to accept payment via credit card. These rules describe best practices for securing credit card processing technology, activities for securing credit card information, and how to protect customers' personal data. This set of rules is a _____. (D1, L1.4.2)
A)Law
B)Policy
C)Standard
D)Procedure
C is correct. This set of rules is known as the Data Security Standard, and it is accepted throughout the
industry. A is incorrect, because this set of rules was not issued by a governmental body. B is incorrect, because the set of rules is not a strategic, internal document published by senior leadership
of a single organization. D is incorrect, because the set of rules is not internal to a given organization and is not limited to a single activity.
Olaf is a member of (ISC)² and a security analyst for Triffid Corporation. During an audit, Olaf is asked whether Triffid is currently following a particular security practice. Olaf knows that Triffid is not adhering to that standard in that particular situation, but that saying this to the auditors will reflect poorly on Triffid. What should Olaf do? (D1, L1.5.1)
A)Tell the auditors the truth
B)Ask supervisors for guidance
C)Ask (ISC)² for guidance
D)Lie to the auditors
A is the best answer. The (ISC)² Code of Ethics requires that members "act honorably, honestly, justly, responsibly" and also "advance and protect the profession." Both requirements dictate that Olaf should tell the truth to the auditors. While the Code also says that Olaf should "provide diligent and competent service to principals," and Olaf's principal is Triffid in this case, lying does not serve Triffid's
best long-term interests, even if the truth has some negative impact in the short term.
Siobhan is an (ISC)² member who works for Triffid Corporation as a security analyst. Yesterday, Siobhan got a parking ticket while shopping after work. What should Siobhan do? (D1, L1.5.1)
A)Inform (ISC)²
B)Pay the parking ticket
C)Inform supervisors at Triffid
D)Resign employment from Triffid
B is the best answer. A parking ticket is not a significant crime, besmirchment of character or moral failing, and has nothing to do with Siobhan's duties for Triffid. Even though the (ISC)² Code of Ethics requires that members act "legally," and "protect the profession," a parking ticket does not reflect poorly on Siobhan, Triffid, (ISC)², or the security profession. Siobhan should, however, pay the ticket.
Kerpak works in the security office of a medium-sized entertainment company. Kerpak is asked to assess a particular threat, and he suggests that the best way to counter this threat would be to purchase and implement a particular security solution. This is an example of _______. (D1, L1.2.2)
A)Acceptance
B)Avoidance C)Mitigation
D)Transference
C is correct. Applying a security solution (a type of control) is an example of mitigation. A is incorrect; if Kerpak suggested acceptance, then the threat, and the acceptance of the associated risk, only needs
to be documented—no other action is necessary. B is incorrect; if Kerpak suggested avoidance, the course of action would be to cease whatever activity was associated with the threat. D is incorrect; if Kerpak suggested transference, this would involve forming some sort of risk-sharing relationship with an external party, such as an insurance underwriter.
Which of the following is an example of a "something you are" authentication factor? (D1, L1.1.1)
A)A credit card presented to a cash machine
B)Your password and PIN
C)A user ID
D)A photograph of your face
D is correct. A facial photograph is something you are—your appearance. A is incorrect because a credit card is an example of an authentication factor that is something you have. B is incorrect because passwords and PINs are examples of authentication factors that are something you know. C is incorrect because a user ID is an identity assertion, not an authentication factor.
In risk management concepts, a(n) ___________ is something or someone that poses risk to an organization or asset. (D1, L1.2.1)
A)Fear
B)Threat
C)Control
D)Asset
B is correct. A threat is something or someone that poses risk to the organization; this is the definition
of a threat. A is incorrect because "fear" is not generally a term associated with risk management. C is incorrect; a control is something used to mitigate risk. D is incorrect; an asset is something of value, which may need protection.
A system that collects transactional information and stores it in a record in order to show which users performed which actions is an example of providing ________. (D1, L1.1.1)
A)Non-repudiation
B)Multifactor authentication
C)Biometrics
D)Privacy
A is correct. Non-repudiation is the concept that users cannot deny they have performed transactions that they did, in fact, conduct. A system that keeps a record of user transactions provides non-
repudiation. B and C are incorrect because nothing in the question referred to authentication at all. D is incorrect because non-repudiation does not support privacy (if anything, non-repudiation and privacy are oppositional).
A software firewall is an application that runs on a device and prevents specific types of traffic from entering that device. This is a type of ________ control. (D1, L1.3.1)
A)Physical
B)Administrative
C)Passive
D)Technical
Triffid Corporation has a rule that all employees working with sensitive hardcopy documents must put
the documents into a safe at the end of the workday, where they are locked up until the following workday. What kind of control is the process of putting the documents into the safe? (D1, L1.3.1)
A) Administrative
B) Tangential
C) Physical
D) Technical
A is the correct answer. The process itself is an administrative control; rules and practices are administrative. The safe itself is physical, but the question asked specifically about process, not the safe, so C is incorrect. Neither the safe nor the process is part of the IT environment, so this is not a technical control; D is incorrect. B is incorrect; "tangential" is not a term commonly used to describe a particular type of security control, and is used here only as a distractor.
A vendor sells a particular operating system (OS). In order to deploy the OS securely on different platforms, the vendor publishes several sets of instructions on how to install it, depending on which platform the customer is using. This is an example of a ________. (D1, L1.4.2)
A)Law
B)Procedure
C)Standard
D)Policy
B is correct. This is a set of instructions to perform a particular task, so it is a procedure (several procedures, actually—one for each platform). A is incorrect; the instructions are not a governmental mandate. C is incorrect, because the instructions are particular to a specific product, not accepted throughout the industry. D is incorrect, because the instructions are not particular to a given organization.
The Triffid Corporation publishes a policy that states all personnel will act in a manner that protects health and human safety. The security office is tasked with writing a detailed set of processes on how employees should wear protective gear such as hardhats and gloves when in hazardous areas. This detailed set of processes is a _________. (D1, L1.4.1)
A)Policy
B)Procedure
C)Standard
D)Law
B is correct. A detailed set of processes used by a specific organization is a procedure. A is incorrect; the policy is the overarching document that requires the procedure be created and implemented. C is incorrect. The procedure is not recognized and implemented throughout the industry; it is used internally. D is incorrect; the procedure was created by Triffid Corporation, not a governmental body.
Chad is a security practitioner tasked with ensuring that the information on the organization's public website is not changed by anyone outside the organization. This task is an example of ensuring _________. (D1, L1.1.1)
A)Confidentiality
B)Integrity
C)Availability
D)Confirmation
B is correct. Preventing unauthorized modification is the definition of integrity. A is incorrect because the website is not meant to be secret; it is open to the public. C is incorrect because Chad is not tasked with ensuring the website is accessible, only that the information on it is not changed. D is incorrect because "confirmation" is not a typical security term, and is used here only as a distractor.
The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Council is a committee made up of representatives from major credit
card providers (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) in the United States. The PCI Council issues rules that merchants must follow if the merchants choose to accept payment via credit card. These rules describe best practices for securing credit card processing technology, activities for securing credit card information, and how to protect customers' personal data. This set of rules is a _____. (D1, L1.4.2)
A)Law
B)Policy
C)Standard
D)Procedure
C is correct. This set of rules is known as the Data Security Standard, and it is accepted throughout the
industry. A is incorrect, because this set of rules was not issued by a governmental body. B is incorrect, because the set of rules is not a strategic, internal document published by senior leadership
of a single organization. D is incorrect, because the set of rules is not internal to a given organization and is not limited to a single activity.
Olaf is a member of (ISC)² and a security analyst for Triffid Corporation. During an audit, Olaf is asked whether Triffid is currently following a particular security practice. Olaf knows that Triffid is not adhering to that standard in that particular situation, but that saying this to the auditors will reflect poorly on Triffid. What should Olaf do? (D1, L1.5.1)
A)Tell the auditors the truth
B)Ask supervisors for guidance
C)Ask (ISC)² for guidance
D)Lie to the auditors
A is the best answer. The (ISC)² Code of Ethics requires that members "act honorably, honestly, justly, responsibly" and also "advance and protect the profession." Both requirements dictate that Olaf should tell the truth to the auditors. While the Code also says that Olaf should "provide diligent and competent service to principals," and Olaf's principal is Triffid in this case, lying does not serve Triffid's
best long-term interests, even if the truth has some negative impact in the short term.
Siobhan is an (ISC)² member who works for Triffid Corporation as a security analyst. Yesterday, Siobhan got a parking ticket while shopping after work. What should Siobhan do? (D1, L1.5.1)
A)Inform (ISC)²
B)Pay the parking ticket
C)Inform supervisors at Triffid
D)Resign employment from Triffid
B is the best answer. A parking ticket is not a significant crime, besmirchment of character or moral failing, and has nothing to do with Siobhan's duties for Triffid. Even though the (ISC)² Code of Ethics requires that members act "legally," and "protect the profession," a parking ticket does not reflect poorly on Siobhan, Triffid, (ISC)², or the security profession. Siobhan should, however, pay the ticket.
Kerpak works in the security office of a medium-sized entertainment company. Kerpak is asked to assess a particular threat, and he suggests that the best way to counter this threat would be to purchase and implement a particular security solution. This is an example of _______. (D1, L1.2.2)
A)Acceptance
B)Avoidance C)Mitigation
D)Transference
C is correct. Applying a security solution (a type of control) is an example of mitigation. A is incorrect; if Kerpak suggested acceptance, then the threat, and the acceptance of the associated risk, only needs
to be documented—no other action is necessary. B is incorrect; if Kerpak suggested avoidance, the course of action would be to cease whatever activity was associated with the threat. D is incorrect; if Kerpak suggested transference, this would involve forming some sort of risk-sharing relationship with an external party, such as an insurance underwriter.
Which of the following is an example of a "something you are" authentication factor? (D1, L1.1.1)
A)A credit card presented to a cash machine
B)Your password and PIN
C)A user ID
D)A photograph of your face
D is correct. A facial photograph is something you are—your appearance. A is incorrect because a credit card is an example of an authentication factor that is something you have. B is incorrect because passwords and PINs are examples of authentication factors that are something you know. C is incorrect because a user ID is an identity assertion, not an authentication factor.
In risk management concepts, a(n) ___________ is something or someone that poses risk to an organization or asset. (D1, L1.2.1)
A)Fear
B)Threat
C)Control
D)Asset
B is correct. A threat is something or someone that poses risk to the organization; this is the definition
of a threat. A is incorrect because "fear" is not generally a term associated with risk management. C is incorrect; a control is something used to mitigate risk. D is incorrect; an asset is something of value, which may need protection.
A system that collects transactional information and stores it in a record in order to show which users performed which actions is an example of providing ________. (D1, L1.1.1)
A)Non-repudiation
B)Multifactor authentication
C)Biometrics
D)Privacy
A is correct. Non-repudiation is the concept that users cannot deny they have performed transactions that they did, in fact, conduct. A system that keeps a record of user transactions provides non-
repudiation. B and C are incorrect because nothing in the question referred to authentication at all. D is incorrect because non-repudiation does not support privacy (if anything, non-repudiation and privacy are oppositional).
A software firewall is an application that runs on a device and prevents specific types of traffic from entering that device. This is a type of ________ control. (D1, L1.3.1)
A)Physical
B)Administrative
C)Passive
D)Technical
