PCCSA EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) - Correct Answers -A protocol that translates a
logical address, such as an IP address, to a physical MAC address. The Reverse
Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) translates a physical MAC address to a logical
address.
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) - Correct Answers -A symmetric block cipher
based on the Rijndael cipher.
application programming interface (API) - Correct Answers -A set of routines, protocols,
and tools for building software applications and integrations.
application whitelisting - Correct Answers -A technique used to prevent unauthorized
applications from running on an endpoint. Authorized applications are manually added
to a list that is maintained on the endpoint. If an application is not on the whitelist, it
cannot run on the endpoint. However, if it is on the whitelist the application can run,
regardless of whether vulnerabilities or exploits are present within the application.
attack vector - Correct Answers -A path or tool that an attacker uses to target a network.
authoritative DNS server - Correct Answers -The system of record for a given domain.
autonomous system (AS) - Correct Answers -A group of contiguous IP address ranges
under the control of a single internet entity. Individual _______ _______s are assigned
a 16-bit or 32-bit AS number (ASN) that uniquely identifies the network on the internet.
ASNs are assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
boot sector - Correct Answers -Contains machine code that is loaded into an endpoint's
memory by firmware during the startup process, before the operating system is loaded.
boot sector virus - Correct Answers -Targets the boot sector or master boot record
(MBR) of an endpoint's storage drive or other removable storage media.
,bot - Correct Answers -Individual endpoints that are infected with advanced malware
that enables an attacker to take control of the compromised endpoint. Also known as a
zombie.
botnet - Correct Answers -A network of bots (often tens of thousands or more) working
together under the control of attackers using numerous command-and-control (C&C)
servers.
bridge - Correct Answers -A wired or wireless network device that extends a network or
joins separate network segments.
bring your own apps (BYOA) - Correct Answers -Closely related to BYOD, _________
is a policy trend in which organizations permit end users to download, install, and use
their own personal apps on mobile devices, primarily smartphones and tablets, for work-
related purposes.
bring your own device (BYOD) - Correct Answers -A policy trend in which organizations
permit end users to use their own personal devices, primarily smartphones and tablets,
for work-related purposes. _______ relieves organizations from the cost of providing
equipment to employees but creates a management challenge because of the vast
number and type of devices that must be supported.
broadband cable - Correct Answers -A type of high-speed internet access that delivers
different upload and download data speeds over a shared network medium. The overall
speed varies depending on the network traffic load from all the subscribers on the
network segment.
broadcast domain - Correct Answers -The portion of a network that receives broadcast
packets sent from a node in the domain.
bulk electric system (BES) - Correct Answers -The large interconnected electrical
system, consisting of generation and transmission facilities (among others), that
comprises the "power grid."
bus (or linear bus) topology - Correct Answers -A LAN topology in which all nodes are
connected to a single cable (the backbone) that is terminated on both ends. In the past,
bus networks were commonly used for very small networks because they were
inexpensive and relatively easy to install, but today bus topologies are rarely used. The
cable media has physical limitations (the cable length), the backbone is a single point of
failure (a break anywhere on the network affects the entire network), and tracing of a
fault in a large network can be extremely difficult.
child process - Correct Answers -In multitasking operating systems, a subprocess
created by a parent process that is currently running on the system.
,circuit-switched network - Correct Answers -A network in which a dedicated physical
circuit path is established, maintained, and terminated between the sender and receiver
across a network for each communications session.
classless inter-domain routing (CIDR) - Correct Answers -A method for allocating IP
addresses and IP routing that replaces classful IP addressing (for example, Class A, B,
and C networks) with classless IP addressing.
collision domain - Correct Answers -A network segment on which data packets may
collide with each other during transmission.
consumerization - Correct Answers -A computing trend that describes the process that
occurs as end users increasingly find personal technology and apps that are more
powerful or capable, more convenient, less expensive, quicker to install, and easier to
use, than enterprise IT solutions.
convergence - Correct Answers -The time required for all routers in a network to update
their routing tables with the most current routing information about the network.
covered entity - Correct Answers -Defined by HIPAA as a healthcare provider that
electronically transmits PHI (such as doctors, clinics, psychologists, dentists,
chiropractors, nursing homes, and pharmacies), a health plan (such as a health
insurance company, health maintenance organization, company health plan, or
government program including Medicare, Medicaid, military and veterans' healthcare),
or a healthcare clearinghouse.
Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) - Correct Answers -Cybersecurity standards
defined by NERC to protect the physical and cyber assets necessary to operate the bulk
electric system (BES).
Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 - Correct Answers -A U.S. regulation that
provides an ongoing, voluntary public-private partnership to improve cybersecurity and
to strengthen cybersecurity research and development, workforce development and
education, and public awareness and preparedness.
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) - Correct Answers -A U.S. regulation that
enhances information sharing about cybersecurity threats by allowing internet traffic
information to be shared between the U.S. government and technology and
manufacturing companies.
cyclic redundancy check (CRC) - Correct Answers -A checksum used to create a
message profile. The CRC is recalculated by the receiving device. If the recalculated
CRC does not match the received CRC, the packet is dropped and a request to resend
the packet is transmitted back to the device that sent the packet.
, data encapsulation - Correct Answers -A process in which protocol information from the
OSI or TCP/IP layer immediately above is wrapped in the data section of the OSI or
TCP/IP layer immediately below. Also referred to as data hiding.
default gateway - Correct Answers -A network device, such as a router or switch, to
which an endpoint sends network traffic when a specific destination IP address is not
specified by an application or service, or when the endpoint does not know how to reach
a specified destination. See also router and switch.
DevOps - Correct Answers -The culture and practice of improved collaboration between
application development and IT operations teams.
digital subscriber line (DSL) - Correct Answers -A type of high-speed internet access
that delivers different upload and download data speeds. The overall speed depends on
the distance from the home or business location to the provider's central office (CO).
distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) - Correct Answers -A type of cyberattack in which
extremely high volumes of network traffic such as packets, data, or transactions are
sent to the target victim's network to make their network and systems (such as an e-
commerce website or other web application) unavailable or unusable.
domain name registrar - Correct Answers -An organization that is accredited by a top-
level domain (TLD) registry to manage domain name registrations.
Domain Name System (DNS) - Correct Answers -A hierarchical distributed database
that maps the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for computers, services, or any
resource connected to the internet or a private network to an IP address.
drive-by-download - Correct Answers -A software download, typically malware, that
happens without a user's knowledge or permission.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) - Correct Answers -A network
management protocol that dynamically assigns (leases) IP addresses and other
network configuration parameters (such as default gateway and Domain Name System
[DNS] information) to devices on a network.
dynamic-link library (DLL) - Correct Answers -A type of file used in Microsoft operating
systems that enables multiple programs to simultaneously share programming
instructions contained in a single file to perform specific functions.
electronic health record (EHR) - Correct Answers -As defined by HealthIT.gov, an
________ _______ ________ "goes beyond the data collected in the provider's office
and include[s] a more comprehensive patient history. _______ _______ _______ data
can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized providers and staff from across
more than one healthcare organization."
CORRECT ANSWERS
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) - Correct Answers -A protocol that translates a
logical address, such as an IP address, to a physical MAC address. The Reverse
Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) translates a physical MAC address to a logical
address.
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) - Correct Answers -A symmetric block cipher
based on the Rijndael cipher.
application programming interface (API) - Correct Answers -A set of routines, protocols,
and tools for building software applications and integrations.
application whitelisting - Correct Answers -A technique used to prevent unauthorized
applications from running on an endpoint. Authorized applications are manually added
to a list that is maintained on the endpoint. If an application is not on the whitelist, it
cannot run on the endpoint. However, if it is on the whitelist the application can run,
regardless of whether vulnerabilities or exploits are present within the application.
attack vector - Correct Answers -A path or tool that an attacker uses to target a network.
authoritative DNS server - Correct Answers -The system of record for a given domain.
autonomous system (AS) - Correct Answers -A group of contiguous IP address ranges
under the control of a single internet entity. Individual _______ _______s are assigned
a 16-bit or 32-bit AS number (ASN) that uniquely identifies the network on the internet.
ASNs are assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA).
boot sector - Correct Answers -Contains machine code that is loaded into an endpoint's
memory by firmware during the startup process, before the operating system is loaded.
boot sector virus - Correct Answers -Targets the boot sector or master boot record
(MBR) of an endpoint's storage drive or other removable storage media.
,bot - Correct Answers -Individual endpoints that are infected with advanced malware
that enables an attacker to take control of the compromised endpoint. Also known as a
zombie.
botnet - Correct Answers -A network of bots (often tens of thousands or more) working
together under the control of attackers using numerous command-and-control (C&C)
servers.
bridge - Correct Answers -A wired or wireless network device that extends a network or
joins separate network segments.
bring your own apps (BYOA) - Correct Answers -Closely related to BYOD, _________
is a policy trend in which organizations permit end users to download, install, and use
their own personal apps on mobile devices, primarily smartphones and tablets, for work-
related purposes.
bring your own device (BYOD) - Correct Answers -A policy trend in which organizations
permit end users to use their own personal devices, primarily smartphones and tablets,
for work-related purposes. _______ relieves organizations from the cost of providing
equipment to employees but creates a management challenge because of the vast
number and type of devices that must be supported.
broadband cable - Correct Answers -A type of high-speed internet access that delivers
different upload and download data speeds over a shared network medium. The overall
speed varies depending on the network traffic load from all the subscribers on the
network segment.
broadcast domain - Correct Answers -The portion of a network that receives broadcast
packets sent from a node in the domain.
bulk electric system (BES) - Correct Answers -The large interconnected electrical
system, consisting of generation and transmission facilities (among others), that
comprises the "power grid."
bus (or linear bus) topology - Correct Answers -A LAN topology in which all nodes are
connected to a single cable (the backbone) that is terminated on both ends. In the past,
bus networks were commonly used for very small networks because they were
inexpensive and relatively easy to install, but today bus topologies are rarely used. The
cable media has physical limitations (the cable length), the backbone is a single point of
failure (a break anywhere on the network affects the entire network), and tracing of a
fault in a large network can be extremely difficult.
child process - Correct Answers -In multitasking operating systems, a subprocess
created by a parent process that is currently running on the system.
,circuit-switched network - Correct Answers -A network in which a dedicated physical
circuit path is established, maintained, and terminated between the sender and receiver
across a network for each communications session.
classless inter-domain routing (CIDR) - Correct Answers -A method for allocating IP
addresses and IP routing that replaces classful IP addressing (for example, Class A, B,
and C networks) with classless IP addressing.
collision domain - Correct Answers -A network segment on which data packets may
collide with each other during transmission.
consumerization - Correct Answers -A computing trend that describes the process that
occurs as end users increasingly find personal technology and apps that are more
powerful or capable, more convenient, less expensive, quicker to install, and easier to
use, than enterprise IT solutions.
convergence - Correct Answers -The time required for all routers in a network to update
their routing tables with the most current routing information about the network.
covered entity - Correct Answers -Defined by HIPAA as a healthcare provider that
electronically transmits PHI (such as doctors, clinics, psychologists, dentists,
chiropractors, nursing homes, and pharmacies), a health plan (such as a health
insurance company, health maintenance organization, company health plan, or
government program including Medicare, Medicaid, military and veterans' healthcare),
or a healthcare clearinghouse.
Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) - Correct Answers -Cybersecurity standards
defined by NERC to protect the physical and cyber assets necessary to operate the bulk
electric system (BES).
Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 - Correct Answers -A U.S. regulation that
provides an ongoing, voluntary public-private partnership to improve cybersecurity and
to strengthen cybersecurity research and development, workforce development and
education, and public awareness and preparedness.
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) - Correct Answers -A U.S. regulation that
enhances information sharing about cybersecurity threats by allowing internet traffic
information to be shared between the U.S. government and technology and
manufacturing companies.
cyclic redundancy check (CRC) - Correct Answers -A checksum used to create a
message profile. The CRC is recalculated by the receiving device. If the recalculated
CRC does not match the received CRC, the packet is dropped and a request to resend
the packet is transmitted back to the device that sent the packet.
, data encapsulation - Correct Answers -A process in which protocol information from the
OSI or TCP/IP layer immediately above is wrapped in the data section of the OSI or
TCP/IP layer immediately below. Also referred to as data hiding.
default gateway - Correct Answers -A network device, such as a router or switch, to
which an endpoint sends network traffic when a specific destination IP address is not
specified by an application or service, or when the endpoint does not know how to reach
a specified destination. See also router and switch.
DevOps - Correct Answers -The culture and practice of improved collaboration between
application development and IT operations teams.
digital subscriber line (DSL) - Correct Answers -A type of high-speed internet access
that delivers different upload and download data speeds. The overall speed depends on
the distance from the home or business location to the provider's central office (CO).
distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) - Correct Answers -A type of cyberattack in which
extremely high volumes of network traffic such as packets, data, or transactions are
sent to the target victim's network to make their network and systems (such as an e-
commerce website or other web application) unavailable or unusable.
domain name registrar - Correct Answers -An organization that is accredited by a top-
level domain (TLD) registry to manage domain name registrations.
Domain Name System (DNS) - Correct Answers -A hierarchical distributed database
that maps the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for computers, services, or any
resource connected to the internet or a private network to an IP address.
drive-by-download - Correct Answers -A software download, typically malware, that
happens without a user's knowledge or permission.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) - Correct Answers -A network
management protocol that dynamically assigns (leases) IP addresses and other
network configuration parameters (such as default gateway and Domain Name System
[DNS] information) to devices on a network.
dynamic-link library (DLL) - Correct Answers -A type of file used in Microsoft operating
systems that enables multiple programs to simultaneously share programming
instructions contained in a single file to perform specific functions.
electronic health record (EHR) - Correct Answers -As defined by HealthIT.gov, an
________ _______ ________ "goes beyond the data collected in the provider's office
and include[s] a more comprehensive patient history. _______ _______ _______ data
can be created, managed, and consulted by authorized providers and staff from across
more than one healthcare organization."
