WGU D487 — Secure Software Design Practice Exam verified with
correct answers 2026/2027 version/instant pdf
1. What is the primary purpose of integrating security into the Software
Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?
A. To postpone security testing until deployment
B. To identify and address security risks throughout development
C. To eliminate the need for testing
D. To focus only on physical security
Correct answer: B. To identify and address security risks throughout development
Rationale: Integrating security throughout the SDLC helps identify vulnerabilities earlier,
reducing remediation costs and improving the security of the final product.
2. Which principle requires that a user or process receive only the permissions
necessary to perform its assigned task?
A. Defense in depth
B. Least privilege
C. Fail-open design
D. Complete mediation
Correct answer: B. Least privilege
Rationale: Least privilege limits access rights to only what is necessary, reducing the potential
impact of compromised accounts or processes.
3. What is the primary purpose of threat modeling?
A. To identify potential threats and determine appropriate mitigations
B. To replace all software testing
C. To create marketing requirements
D. To increase application complexity
Correct answer: A. To identify potential threats and determine appropriate mitigations
Rationale: Threat modeling systematically identifies assets, threats, attack paths, vulnerabilities,
and security controls.
,4. In a data-flow diagram (DFD), what does a trust boundary represent?
A. A location where the application's trust level changes
B. A database backup
C. A user interface component
D. A software license boundary
Correct answer: A. A location where the application's trust level changes
Rationale: Trust boundaries identify transitions between components or zones with different
levels of trust, such as a client communicating with a server.
5. In the STRIDE threat-modeling methodology, what does the “S” represent?
A. Scanning
B. Spoofing
C. Separation
D. Serialization
Correct answer: B. Spoofing
Rationale: STRIDE represents Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure,
Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege.
6. Which STRIDE category involves unauthorized modification of data?
A. Spoofing
B. Tampering
C. Repudiation
D. Information disclosure
Correct answer: B. Tampering
Rationale: Tampering involves the unauthorized alteration or manipulation of data or code.
7. Which STRIDE threat involves a user denying that they performed an action?
,A. Repudiation
B. Spoofing
C. Denial of service
D. Elevation of privilege
Correct answer: A. Repudiation
Rationale: Repudiation occurs when an individual can deny performing an action because
adequate logging or accountability controls are absent.
8. Which security control most directly helps prevent repudiation?
A. Audit logging
B. Input length limits
C. Data compression
D. Load balancing
Correct answer: A. Audit logging
Rationale: Proper audit logs provide evidence of actions and support accountability and
nonrepudiation.
9. Which threat involves exposing sensitive information to an unauthorized
party?
A. Information disclosure
B. Spoofing
C. Tampering
D. Elevation of privilege
Correct answer: A. Information disclosure
Rationale: Information disclosure occurs when confidential data becomes accessible to
unauthorized users or systems.
10. Which security principle recommends multiple independent layers of security
controls?
A. Defense in depth
B. Least functionality
, C. Open design
D. Fail-open design
Correct answer: A. Defense in depth
Rationale: Defense in depth ensures that failure of one security control does not automatically
result in complete compromise.
11. What is the primary difference between authentication and authorization?
A. Authentication determines what a user can access; authorization verifies identity
B. Authentication verifies identity; authorization determines permitted access
C. They are identical processes
D. Authorization occurs before identity verification in every system
Correct answer: B. Authentication verifies identity; authorization determines permitted access
Rationale: Authentication establishes who the subject is, while authorization determines what
that authenticated subject is allowed to do.
12. Which is an example of multifactor authentication?
A. Username and password
B. Password and security question
C. Password and a fingerprint
D. Two different passwords
Correct answer: C. Password and a fingerprint
Rationale: Multifactor authentication uses two or more different factor categories, such as
something you know and something you are.
13. Which principle requires security checks to be applied consistently whenever
access to a protected resource is requested?
A. Complete mediation
B. Economy of mechanism
C. Least common mechanism
D. Psychological acceptability
correct answers 2026/2027 version/instant pdf
1. What is the primary purpose of integrating security into the Software
Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?
A. To postpone security testing until deployment
B. To identify and address security risks throughout development
C. To eliminate the need for testing
D. To focus only on physical security
Correct answer: B. To identify and address security risks throughout development
Rationale: Integrating security throughout the SDLC helps identify vulnerabilities earlier,
reducing remediation costs and improving the security of the final product.
2. Which principle requires that a user or process receive only the permissions
necessary to perform its assigned task?
A. Defense in depth
B. Least privilege
C. Fail-open design
D. Complete mediation
Correct answer: B. Least privilege
Rationale: Least privilege limits access rights to only what is necessary, reducing the potential
impact of compromised accounts or processes.
3. What is the primary purpose of threat modeling?
A. To identify potential threats and determine appropriate mitigations
B. To replace all software testing
C. To create marketing requirements
D. To increase application complexity
Correct answer: A. To identify potential threats and determine appropriate mitigations
Rationale: Threat modeling systematically identifies assets, threats, attack paths, vulnerabilities,
and security controls.
,4. In a data-flow diagram (DFD), what does a trust boundary represent?
A. A location where the application's trust level changes
B. A database backup
C. A user interface component
D. A software license boundary
Correct answer: A. A location where the application's trust level changes
Rationale: Trust boundaries identify transitions between components or zones with different
levels of trust, such as a client communicating with a server.
5. In the STRIDE threat-modeling methodology, what does the “S” represent?
A. Scanning
B. Spoofing
C. Separation
D. Serialization
Correct answer: B. Spoofing
Rationale: STRIDE represents Spoofing, Tampering, Repudiation, Information Disclosure,
Denial of Service, and Elevation of Privilege.
6. Which STRIDE category involves unauthorized modification of data?
A. Spoofing
B. Tampering
C. Repudiation
D. Information disclosure
Correct answer: B. Tampering
Rationale: Tampering involves the unauthorized alteration or manipulation of data or code.
7. Which STRIDE threat involves a user denying that they performed an action?
,A. Repudiation
B. Spoofing
C. Denial of service
D. Elevation of privilege
Correct answer: A. Repudiation
Rationale: Repudiation occurs when an individual can deny performing an action because
adequate logging or accountability controls are absent.
8. Which security control most directly helps prevent repudiation?
A. Audit logging
B. Input length limits
C. Data compression
D. Load balancing
Correct answer: A. Audit logging
Rationale: Proper audit logs provide evidence of actions and support accountability and
nonrepudiation.
9. Which threat involves exposing sensitive information to an unauthorized
party?
A. Information disclosure
B. Spoofing
C. Tampering
D. Elevation of privilege
Correct answer: A. Information disclosure
Rationale: Information disclosure occurs when confidential data becomes accessible to
unauthorized users or systems.
10. Which security principle recommends multiple independent layers of security
controls?
A. Defense in depth
B. Least functionality
, C. Open design
D. Fail-open design
Correct answer: A. Defense in depth
Rationale: Defense in depth ensures that failure of one security control does not automatically
result in complete compromise.
11. What is the primary difference between authentication and authorization?
A. Authentication determines what a user can access; authorization verifies identity
B. Authentication verifies identity; authorization determines permitted access
C. They are identical processes
D. Authorization occurs before identity verification in every system
Correct answer: B. Authentication verifies identity; authorization determines permitted access
Rationale: Authentication establishes who the subject is, while authorization determines what
that authenticated subject is allowed to do.
12. Which is an example of multifactor authentication?
A. Username and password
B. Password and security question
C. Password and a fingerprint
D. Two different passwords
Correct answer: C. Password and a fingerprint
Rationale: Multifactor authentication uses two or more different factor categories, such as
something you know and something you are.
13. Which principle requires security checks to be applied consistently whenever
access to a protected resource is requested?
A. Complete mediation
B. Economy of mechanism
C. Least common mechanism
D. Psychological acceptability
