Exam Objectives Frequently Asked Questions

The following Frequently Asked Questions, answered by the authors of this book, are designed to both measure your understanding of the Exam Objectives presented in this chapter, and to assist you with real-life implementation of these concepts.

Q.

 

I am implementing an access control system using biometrics. Is biometrics reliable enough to use or should I combine this with something else?

A.  Biometric authentication is fairly reliable, but it is still best to combine it with another form of identification from the user. It is typical in most biometric installations to use a combination of the biometric data and a password or PIN.

Q.

 

Why are password policies important in an access control system? It would be a lot easier to just tell the users to pick passwords that are difficult to guess.

A.  Unfortunately, to maintain a secure system, you cannot rely on the users to know what a secure password is nor use one. By implementing an access control policy, you ensure that passwords are more secure and improve the overall security of the access control system.

Q.

 

When using DAC, what is the best way to apply permissions so that data is protected, but users can still perform their job functions?

A.  Always use the principle of least privilege. Apply the permissions at the lowest level in the directory hierarchy possible and allow the users to access the data at that point. It is always a good idea to restrict access to the minimum necessary to do a job.

Q.

 

When working with accounts, at what point should the account be deleted?

A.  Accounts should only be deleted if there is no data associated with the account that needs to be retained, no database records are tied to the account, and there is no need for a new person to fill the position previously occupied by the original user. Typically, it is best to just disable accounts, but deletions can and should be done occasionally based on these criteria.

Q.

 

I ran a test against my access control system using a dictionary/brute force password cracker and most of the passwords were compromised within a few minutes. What should I do?

A.  You need to change your access control policy to require more secure passwords. For the passwords to be compromised that quickly, the passwords had to be very simple or contain common words. Implementing a better access control policy can help alleviate this risk.

Q.

 

I just started working as part of the security team for a corporation and have found some major system weaknesses. I want to do some penetration testing in order to bring these possible vulnerabilities to light. What is the best process to follow in this situation?

A.  First and foremost, get permission to perform penetration testing from your management. This is critical if you want to retain your job. Next, come up with a plan of attack that you want to follow and get all of the components in place to log the test. When all approvals have been obtained and the systems are ready, perform the test in a non-destructive manner. Analyze the results and use them to write up a result report for the test scenarios. Repeat as needed.



SSCP Systems Security Certified Practitioner Study Guide
SSCP Study Guide and DVD Training System
ISBN: 1931836809
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 135

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