[2024] SSCP Exam Dumps, Test Engine Practice Test Questions [Q293-Q313]

The question mentions clearly “operating together”. Which means the BEST answer is Dual Control.
Two mechanisms necessary to implement high integrity environments where separation of duties is paramount are dual control or split knowledge.
Dual control enforces the concept of keeping a duo responsible for an activity. It requires more than one employee available to perform a task. It utilizes two or more separate entities (usually persons), operating together, to protect sensitive functions or information.
Whenever the dual control feature is limited to something you know., it is often called split knowledge (such as part of the password, cryptographic keys etc.) Split knowledge is the unique “what each must bring” and joined together when implementing dual control.
To illustrate, let say you have a box containing petty cash is secured by one combination lock and one keyed lock. One employee is given the combination to the combo lock and another employee has possession of the correct key to the keyed lock. In order to get the cash out of the box both employees must be present at the cash box at the same time. One cannot open the box without the other. This is the aspect of dual control.
On the other hand, split knowledge is exemplified here by the different objects (the combination to the combo lock and the correct physical key), both of which are unique and necessary, that each brings to the meeting.
This is typically used in high value transactions / activities (as per the organizations risk appetite) such as:
Approving a high value transaction using a special user account, where the password of this user account is split into two and managed by two different staff. Both staff should be present to enter the password for a high value transaction. This is often combined with the separation of duties principle. In this case, the posting of the transaction would have been performed by another staff. This leads to a situation where collusion of at least 3 people are required to make a fraud transaction which is of high value.
Payment Card and PIN printing is separated by SOD principles. Now the organization can even enhance the control mechanism by implementing dual control / split knowledge. The card printing activity can be modified to require two staff to key in the passwords for initiating the printing process. Similarly, PIN printing authentication can also be made to be implemented with dual control. Many Host Security modules (HSM) comes with built in controls for dual controls where physical keys are required to initiate the PIN printing process.
Managing encryption keys is another key area where dual control / split knowledge to be implemented.
PCI DSS defines Dual Control as below. This is more from a cryptographic perspective, still useful:
Dual Control: Process of using two or more separate entities (usually persons) operating in concert to protect sensitive functions or information. Both entities are equally responsible for the physical protection of materials involved in vulnerable transactions. No single person is permitted to access or use the materials (for example, the cryptographic key). For manual key generation, conveyance, loading, storage, and retrieval, dual control requires dividing knowledge of the key among the entities. (See also Split Knowledge).
Split knowledge: Condition in which two or more entities separately have key components that individually convey no knowledge of the resultant cryptographic key.
It is key for information security professionals to understand the differences between Dual Control and Separation of Duties. Both complement each other, but are not the same.
The following were incorrect answers:
Segregation of Duties address the splitting of various functions within a process to different users so that it will not create an opportunity for a single user to perform conflicting tasks.
For example, the participation of two or more persons in a transaction creates a system of checks and balances and reduces the possibility of fraud considerably. So it is important for an organization to ensure that all tasks within a process has adequate separation.
Let us look at some use cases of segregation of duties
A person handling cash should not post to the accounting records A loan officer should not disburse loan proceeds for loans they approved Those who have authority to sign cheques should not reconcile the bank accounts The credit card printing personal should not print the credit card PINs Customer address changes must be verified by a second employee before the change can be activated.
In situations where the separation of duties are not possible, because of lack of staff, the senior management should set up additional measure to offset the lack of adequate controls.
To summarise, Segregation of Duties is about Separating the conflicting duties to reduce fraud in an end to end function.
Need To Know (NTK): The term “need to know”, when used by government and other organizations (particularly those related to the military), describes the restriction of data which is considered very sensitive. Under need-to-know restrictions, even if one has all the necessary official approvals (such as a security clearance) to access certain information, one would not be given access to such information, unless one has a specific need to know; that is, access to the information must be necessary for the conduct of one’s official duties. As with most security mechanisms, the aim is to make it difficult for unauthorized access to occur, without inconveniencing legitimate access. Need-to-know also aims to discourage “browsing” of sensitive material by limiting access to the smallest possible number of people.
EXAM TIP: HOW TO DECIPHER THIS QUESTION First, you probably nototiced that both Separation of Duties and Segregation of Duties are synonymous with each others. This means they are not the BEST answers for sure. That was an easy first step.
For the exam remember:
Separation of Duties is synonymous with Segregation of Duties Dual Control is synonymous with Split Knowledge
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 16048-16078). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition. and http://www.ciso.in/dual-control-or-segregation-of-duties/

Section: Cryptography
Explanation/Reference:
RFC 2828 (Internet Security Glossary) defines digital watermarking as computing techniques for inseparably embedding unobtrusive marks or labels as bits in digital data-text, graphics, images, video, or audio#and for detecting or extracting the marks later. The set of embedded bits (the digital watermark) is sometimes hidden, usually imperceptible, and always intended to be unobtrusive. It is used as a measure to protect intellectual property rights. Steganography involves hiding the very existence of a message. A digital signature is a value computed with a cryptographic algorithm and appended to a data object in such a way that any recipient of the data can use the signature to verify the data’s origin and integrity. A digital envelope is a combination of encrypted data and its encryption key in an encrypted form that has been prepared for use of the recipient.
Source: SHIREY, Robert W., RFC2828: Internet Security Glossary, may 2000.

Most of the time users usually choose passwords which can be guessed , hence passwords is the BEST answer out of the choices listed above.
The following answers are incorrect because :
Passphrases is incorrect as it is more secure than a password because it is longer.
One-time passwords is incorrect as the name states , it is good for only once and cannot be reused.
Token devices is incorrect as this is also a password generator and is an one time password mechanism.

Because the contingency plan contains potentially sensitive operational and personnel information, its distribution should be marked accordingly and controlled. Not all employees would obtain a copy, but only those involved in the execution of the plan. All other statements are correct.
NOTE FROM CLEMENT: I have received multiple emails stating the explanations contradict the correct answer. It seems many people have a hard time with negative question. In this case the Incorrect choice (the one that is not true) is the correct choice. Be very carefull of such questions, you will get some on the real exam as well.
Reference(s) used for this question: SWANSON, Marianne, & al., National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NIST Special Publication 800-34, Contingency Planning Guide for Information Technology Systems

Explanation/Reference:
Source: TIPTON, et. al, Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, 2007 edition, page 254.
And from the RSA web site, http://www.rsa.com/rsalabs/node.asp?id=2214 :
The RSA cryptosystem is a public-key cryptosystem that offers both encryption and digital signatures (authentication). Ronald Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman developed the RSA system in 1977
[RSA78]; RSA stands for the first letter in each of its inventors’ last names.
The RSA algorithm works as follows: take two large primes, p and q, and compute their product n = pq; n is called the modulus. Choose a number, e, less than n and relatively prime to (p-1)(q-1), which means e and (p-1)(q-1) have no common factors except 1. Find another number d such that (ed – 1) is divisible by (p-1)(q-1). The values e and d are called the public and private exponents, respectively. The public key is the pair (n, e); the private key is (n, d). The factors p and q may be destroyed or kept with the private key.
It is currently difficult to obtain the private key d from the public key (n, e). However if one could factor n into p and q, then one could obtain the private key d. Thus the security of the RSA system is based on the assumption that factoring is difficult. The discovery of an easy method of factoring would “break” RSA (see Question 3.1.3 and Question 2.3.3).
Here is how the RSA system can be used for encryption and digital signatures (in practice, the actual use is slightly different; see Questions 3.1.7 and 3.1.8):
Encryption
Suppose Alice wants to send a message m to Bob. Alice creates the ciphertext c by exponentiating: c = me mod n, where e and n are Bob’s public key. She sends c to Bob. To decrypt, Bob also exponentiates:
m = cd mod n; the relationship between e and d ensures that Bob correctly recovers m. Since only Bob knows d, only Bob can decrypt this message.
Digital Signature
Suppose Alice wants to send a message m to Bob in such a way that Bob is assured the message is both authentic, has not been tampered with, and from Alice. Alice creates a digital signature s by exponentiating: s = md mod n, where d and n are Alice’s private key. She sends m and s to Bob. To verify the signature, Bob exponentiates and checks that the message m is recovered: m = se mod n, where e and n are Alice’s public key.
Thus encryption and authentication take place without any sharing of private keys: each person uses only another’s public key or their own private key. Anyone can send an encrypted message or verify a signed message, but only someone in possession of the correct private key can decrypt or sign a message.

Explanation/Reference:
Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, John Wiley & Sons, 2001, Chapter 4: Cryptography (page 160).

Section: Security Operation Adimnistration
Explanation/Reference:
The data or information owner also referred to as “Data Owner” would be the best person. That is the individual or officer who is ultimately responsible for the protection of the information and can therefore decide what are the adequate security controls according to the data sensitivity and data criticality. The auditor would be the best person to determine the adequacy of controls and whether or not they are working as expected by the owner.
The function of the auditor is to come around periodically and make sure you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. They ensure the correct controls are in place and are being maintained securely. The goal of the auditor is to make sure the organization complies with its own policies and the applicable laws and regulations.
Organizations can have internal auditors and/ or external auditors. The external auditors commonly work on behalf of a regulatory body to make sure compliance is being met. For example CobiT, which is a model that most information security auditors follow when evaluating a security program. While many security professionals fear and dread auditors, they can be valuable tools in ensuring the overall security of the organization. Their goal is to find the things you have missed and help you understand how to fix the problem.
The Official ISC2 Guide (OIG) says:
IT auditors determine whether users, owners, custodians, systems, and networks are in compliance with the security policies, procedures, standards, baselines, designs, architectures, management direction, and other requirements placed on systems. The auditors provide independent assurance to the management on the appropriateness of the security controls. The auditor examines the information systems and determines whether they are designed, configured, implemented, operated, and managed in a way ensuring that the organizational objectives are being achieved. The auditors provide top company management with an independent view of the controls and their effectiveness.
Example:
Bob is the head of payroll. He is therefore the individual with primary responsibility over the payroll database, and is therefore the information/data owner of the payroll database. In Bob’s department, he has Sally and Richard working for him. Sally is responsible for making changes to the payroll database, for example if someone is hired or gets a raise. Richard is only responsible for printing paychecks. Given those roles, Sally requires both read and write access to the payroll database, but Richard requires only read access to it. Bob communicates these requirements to the system administrators (the “information/data custodians”) and they set the file permissions for Sally’s and Richard’s user accounts so that Sally has read/write access, while Richard has only read access.
So in short Bob will determine what controls are required, what is the sensitivily and criticality of the Data. Bob will communicate this to the custodians who will implement the requirements on the systems/DB. The auditor would assess if the controls are in fact providing the level of security the Data Owner expects within the systems/DB. The auditor does not determine the sensitivity of the data or the crititicality of the data.
The other answers are not correct because:
A “system auditor” is never responsible for anything but auditing… not actually making control decisions but the auditor would be the best person to determine the adequacy of controls and then make recommendations.
A “system manager” is really just another name for a system administrator, which is actually an information custodian as explained above.
A “Data or information user” is responsible for implementing security controls on a day-to-day basis as they utilize the information, but not for determining what the controls should be or if they are adequate.
References:
Official ISC2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition , Page 477
Schneiter, Andrew (2013-04-15). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition : Information Security Governance and Risk Management ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 294-298). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.
Harris, Shon (2012-10-25). CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, 6th Edition (Kindle Locations 3108-3114).
Information Security Glossary
Responsibility for use of information resources

Section: Network and Telecommunications
Explanation/Reference:
Passwords are one of the multiple ways to authenticate (prove who you claim to be) an identity which allows confidentiality controls to be enforced to assure the identity can only access the information for which it is authorized. It is the authentication that assists assurance of confidentiality not the passwords.
“Network security protocols” is incorrect. Network security protocols are quite useful in assuring confidentiality in network communications.
“Network authentication services” is incorrect. Confidentiality is concerned with allowing only authorized users to access information. An important part of determining authorization is authenticating an identity and this service is supplied by network authentication services.
“Data encryption services” is incorrect. Data encryption services are quite useful in protecting the confidentiality of information.
Reference(s) used for this question:
Official ISC2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, pp. 407 – 520
AIO 3rd Edition, pp. 415 – 580

These controls can be used to investigate what happen after the fact. Your IDS may collect information on where the attack came from, what port was use, and other details that could be used in the investigation steps.
“Preventative control” is incorrect. Preventative controls preclude events or actions that might compromise a system or cause a policy violation. An intrusion prevention system would be an example of a preventative control.
“Recovery control” is incorrect. Recover controls include processes used to return the system to a secure state after the occurrence of a security incident. Backups and redundant components are examples of recovery controls.
“Directive controls” is incorrect. Directive controls are administrative instruments such as policies, procedures, guidelines, and aggreements. An acceptable use policy is an example of a directive control.

Monitoring has to be conducted is a lawful manner and applied in a consistent fashion; thus should be applied uniformly to all employees, not only to a small number.

Explanation/Reference:
The Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) email encryption system was developed by Phil Zimmerman. For encrypting messages, it actually uses AES with up to 256-bit keys, CAST, TripleDES, IDEA and Twofish.
RSA is also used in PGP, but only for symmetric key exchange and for digital signatures, but not for encryption.
Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, John Wiley & Sons, 2001, Chapter 4: Cryptography (pages 154, 169).
More info on PGP can be found on their site at http://www.pgp.com/display.php?pageID=29.

Section: Security Operation Adimnistration
Explanation/Reference:
Data diddling involves alteration of existing data and is extremely common. It is one of the easiest types of crimes to prevent by using access and accounting controls, supervision, auditing, separation of duties, and authorization limits. It is a form of active attack. All other choices are examples of passive attacks, only affecting confidentiality.
Source: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002, Chapter 10:
Law, Investigation, and Ethics (page 645).

Explanation/Reference:
To apply this concept to access control, the pair of elements is the subject and object, and the subject has to have an upper bound equal or higher than the object being accessed.
WIKIPEDIA has a great explanation as well:
In computer security, lattice-based access control (LBAC) is a complex access control based on the interaction between any combination of objects (such as resources, computers, and applications) and subjects (such as individuals, groups or organizations).
In this type of label-based mandatory access control model, a lattice is used to define the levels of security that an object may have and that a subject may have access to. The subject is only allowed to access an object if the security level of the subject is greater than or equal to that of the object.
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 34.
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lattice-based_access_control

Cryptology is the science that includes both cryptography and cryptanalysis and is not directly concerned with key management. Cryptology is the mathematics, such as number theory, and the application of formulas and algorithms, that underpin cryptography and cryptanalysis.
The following are all concerned with Key Management which makes them the wrong choices:
Internet Security Association Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) is a key management protocol used by IPSec. ISAKMP (Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol) is a protocol defined by RFC 2408 for establishing Security Associations (SA) and cryptographic keys in an Internet environment. ISAKMP only provides a framework for authentication and key exchange. The actual key exchange is done by the Oakley Key Determination Protocol which is a key-agreement protocol that allows authenticated parties to exchange keying material across an insecure connection using the Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm.
Diffie-Hellman and one variation of the Diffie-Hellman algorithm called the Key Exchange Algorithm (KEA) are also key exchange protocols. Key exchange (also known as “key establishment”) is any method in cryptography by which cryptographic keys are exchanged between users, allowing use of a cryptographic algorithm. Diffie-Hellman key exchange (D-H) is a specific method of exchanging keys. It is one of the earliest practical examples of key exchange implemented within the field of cryptography. The Diffie-Hellman key exchange method allows two parties that have no prior knowledge of each other to jointly establish a shared secret key over an insecure communications channel. This key can then be used to encrypt subsequent communications using a symmetric key cipher.

In an input validation error, the input received by a system is not properly
checked, resulting in a vulnerability that can be exploited by sending a certain input sequence. There are two important types of input validation errors: buffer overflows (input received is longer than expected input length) and boundary condition error (where an input received causes the system to exceed an assumed boundary). A race condition occurs when there is a delay between the time when a system checks to see if an operation is allowed by the security model and the time when the system actually performs the operation. In an access validation error, the system is vulnerable because the access control mechanism is faulty. In an exceptional condition handling error, the system somehow becomes vulnerable due to an exceptional condition that has arisen.
Source: DUPUIS, Clement, Access Control Systems and Methodology CISSP Open Study Guide, version 1.0, march 2002 (page 105).

Explanation/Reference:
A static packet filtering firewall is the simplest and least expensive type of firewalls, offering minimum security provisions to a low-risk computing environment.
A static packet filter firewall examines both the source and destination addresses of the incoming data packet and applies ACL’s to them. They operates at either the Network or Transport layer. They are known as the First generation of firewall.
Older firewalls that were only packet filters were essentially routing devices that provided access control functionality for host addresses and communication sessions. These devices, also known as stateless inspection firewalls, do not keep track of the state of each flow of traffic that passes though the firewall; this means, for example, that they cannot associate multiple requests within a single session to each other.
Packet filtering is at the core of most modern firewalls, but there are few firewalls sold today that only do stateless packet filtering. Unlike more advanced filters, packet filters are not concerned about the content of packets. Their access control functionality is governed by a set of directives referred to as a ruleset.
Packet filtering capabilities are built into most operating systems and devices capable of routing; the most common example of a pure packet filtering device is a network router that employs access control lists.
There are many types of Firewall:
Application Level Firewalls – Often called a Proxy Server. It works by transferring a copy of each accepted data packet from one network to another. They are known as the Second generation of firewalls.
An application-proxy gateway is a feature of advanced firewalls that combines lower-layer access control with upper-layer functionality. These firewalls contain a proxy agent that acts as an intermediary between two hosts that wish to communicate with each other, and never allows a direct connection between them.
Each successful connection attempt actually results in the creation of two separate connections-one between the client and the proxy server, and another between the proxy server and the true destination.
The proxy is meant to be transparent to the two hosts-from their perspectives there is a direct connection.
Because external hosts only communicate with the proxy agent, internal IP addresses are not visible to the outside world. The proxy agent interfaces directly with the firewall ruleset to determine whether a given instance of network traffic should be allowed to transit the firewall.
Stateful Inspection Firewall – Packets are captured by the inspection engine operating at the network layer and then analyzed at all layers. They are known as the Third generation of firewalls.
Stateful inspection improves on the functions of packet filters by tracking the state of connections and blocking packets that deviate from the expected state. This is accomplished by incorporating greater awareness of the transport layer. As with packet filtering, stateful inspection intercepts packets at the network layer and inspects them to see if they are permitted by an existing firewall rule, but unlike packet filtering, stateful inspection keeps track of each connection in a state table. While the details of state table entries vary by firewall product, they typically include source IP address, destination IP address, port numbers, and connection state information.
Web Application Firewalls – The HTTP protocol used in web servers has been exploited by attackers in many ways, such as to place malicious software on the computer of someone browsing the web, or to fool a person into revealing private information that they might not have otherwise. Many of these exploits can be detected by specialized application firewalls called web application firewalls that reside in front of the web server.
Web application firewalls are a relatively new technology, as compared to other firewall technologies, and the type of threats that they mitigate are still changing frequently. Because they are put in front of web servers to prevent attacks on the server, they are often considered to be very different than traditional firewalls.
Host-Based Firewalls and Personal Firewalls – Host-based firewalls for servers and personal firewalls for desktop and laptop personal computers (PC) provide an additional layer of security against network-based attacks. These firewalls are software-based, residing on the hosts they are protecting-each monitors and controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic for a single host. They can provide more granular protection than network firewalls to meet the needs of specific hosts.
Host-based firewalls are available as part of server operating systems such as Linux, Windows, Solaris, BSD, and Mac OS X Server, and they can also be installed as third-party add-ons. Configuring a host- based firewall to allow only necessary traffic to the server provides protection against malicious activity from all hosts, including those on the same subnet or on other internal subnets not separated by a network firewall. Limiting outgoing traffic from a server may also be helpful in preventing certain malware that infects a host from spreading to other hosts.11 Host-based firewalls usually perform logging, and can often be configured to perform address-based and application-based access controls Dynamic Packet Filtering – Makes informed decisions on the ACL’s to apply. They are known as the Fourth generation of firewalls.
Kernel Proxy – Very specialized architecture that provides modular kernel-based, multi-layer evaluation and runs in the NT executive space. They are known as the Fifth generation of firewalls.
The following were incorrect answers:
All of the other types of firewalls listed are more complex than the Packet Filtering Firewall.
Reference(s) used for this question:
HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, 6th Edition, Telecommunications and Network Security, Page 630.
and
NIST Guidelines on Firewalls and Firewalls policies, Special Publication 800-4 Revision 1

Explanation/Reference:
Contingency planning involves more than planning for a move offsite after a disaster destroys a facility.
It also addresses how to keep an organization’s critical functions operating in the event of disruptions, large and small.
Handling of damaged media is an operational task related to regular production and is not specific to contingency planning.
Source: SWANSON, Marianne, NIST Special Publication 800-26, Security Self-Assessment Guide for Information Technology Systems, November 2001 (Pages A-27 to A-28).

Explanation/Reference:
Detective administrative controls warn of administrative control violations. Rotation of duties, required vacations and security reviews and audits are forms of detective administrative controls. Separation of duties is the practice of dividing the steps in a system function among different individuals, so as to keep a single individual from subverting the process, thus a preventive control rather than a detective control.
Source: DUPUIS, Cl?ment, Access Control Systems and Methodology CISSP Open Study Guide, version
1.0 (march 2002).

Explanation/Reference:
As a signal travels though a medium, it attenuates (loses strength) and at some point will become indistinguishable from noise. To assure trouble-free communication, maximum cable lengths are set between nodes to assure that attenuation will not cause a problem. The maximum CAT-5 UTP cable length between two nodes for 10BASE-T is 100M.
The following answers are incorrect:
80 meters. It is only a distracter.
185 meters. Is incorrect because it is the maximum length for 10Base-2
500 meters. Is incorrect because it is the maximum length for 10Base-5