Best CISSP Exam Questions and Answers for Practice Test

CISSP Practice Exam Questions and Answers for Certification

The Certified information systems security professional (CISSP) is a prestigious certification in IT domain offered by (ISC)2. This CISSP certification will help you to design, create and deploy security systems. The CCISP exam will take your technical skills to the next level and boost your confidence to perform in the domain of information security systems. The CISSP certificate validates that you have a best-in-class information security skills.

We have compiled CISSP exam questions along with correct answers and explanations for those answers.  These sample CCISP test questions will help you to practice and brush up your concepts as a last minute preparation, and you can recap the assimilated knowledge to appear your CCISP certification exam.

Exam details: (ISC)²

Exam name: CCISP

Duration: 180 minutes

No. of questions: 100-150

Passing score: 700/1000

Validated against: https://www.isc2.org/Training/Enterprise-Solutions

Format: Multiple Choice

Exam Cost: $699

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Q1- The admissibility rule requires that evidence must be excluded if:

•    It is not pertinent.

• It is not legally obtained.

•    It is not sufficient

•    It is not relevant

Any evidence can be included if it is legally obtained. But, if it is not legally obtained, it should be excluded.

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Q2-Resuming critical business functions include:

•    Determining the extent of the damage

•    Declaring a disaster

• Establishing the command centre

•    Contacting recovery team members

Essential functions of a business can be resumed by establishing the command center.

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Q3-If a site needed sporadic access to another network, which would be the best choice?

•    SVC (secondary virtual circuit)

• SVC (switched virtual circuit)

•    TVC (temporary virtual circuit)

•    PVC (permanent virtual circuit)

An SVC (Switched virtual circuit) is a virtual circuit which is accessed for a data transfer session.

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Q4-What is the optimum length of a secret key in the Data Encryption Standard (DES) algorithm?

•    56-bit

•    64-bit

•    32-bit

•    16-bit

A data encryption standard algorithm encrypts a plain text message into 64-bit blocks.

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Q5-A business impact analysis would not likely include which of the following tasks?

• Calculating the risk

•    Identifying threats

•    Selecting team members

•    Identifying critical functions of the company

A business impact analysis evaluates the impact of the disaster or accident on the essential business operations. It does not calculate risks.

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Q6-Which of the following backup facility is the most expensive?

•    Cold

• Hot

•    Warm

•    Mobile

A hot data backup facility is most costly as the backup is performed while the database is active and accessible to the users.

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Q7-What is the best description of a structured walk-through test?

•    The test ensures that the critical systems operate at the alternate site

• All the departments receive a copy of the disaster recovery plan and discuss it.

•    Every department representatives assemble to review the plan together.

•    The top management reviews the disaster recovery plan step-by-step and shifts the operations to an emergency site.

A structured walk-through test is a procedure to review the disaster recovery plan. The primary objective is to find the reasons for disaster and describe it in detail.

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Q8-What is the most critical factor in the development of a disaster recovery plan (DRP)?

• Business impact analysis (BIA)

•    Annual testing

•    Participation from every department

•    Management support

Business impact analysis helps in the evaluation of the stoppage or interruptions to important business activities due to an accident or disaster.

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Q9-What is the primary reason for using one-way hash algorithms on user passwords?

•    The algorithm provides sufficient compression for the conservation of disk space on the host system

•    It removes the excessive processing required of symmetric encryption.

• Prevents visualization of passwords in explicit texts.

•    It provides a simplified platform for a password for most password cracking utilities

Hashing passwords are used to secure passwords. It secures the user’s password by not displaying in plain text and displays as a hash.

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Q10-What is the most crucial factor to consider for an off-site backup facility to store all backup media?

•    The backup facility should resume within 15 minutes of the original facility

•    The backup facility ideally contains sufficient computer systems and servers with elevated flooring.

•    The backup facility should have at least one armed guard

• The facility should protect against unauthorized access and entry

The off-site backup facility will store your data. Hence, unauthorized access and entry need to be protected.

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Q11-What are the objectives of emergency actions taken at the beginning stage of a disaster? For example Preventing injuries, loss of life, and …

•    Determining damage.

•    Protecting evidence.

•    Relocating operations

• Mitigating damage

Disaster mitigation helps to eliminate or reduce the damage through proactive measures before the disaster occurs. It is an effort of reducing resource, employee and property damage before the disaster.

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Q12-Which network protocol uses a “connected” session?

•    Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

•    Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)

•    Used Defined Protocol (UDP)

•    Layer 2 Transmission Protocol (L2TP)

A transmission control protocol(TCP) also known as User datagram protocol(UDP). It is a connection-related protocol.

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Q13-Which of the following is not a valid X.509 V.3 certificate field?

•    Subject’s public key information

•    Subject’s X.500 name

•    Issuer’s unique identifier

• Subject’s digital signature

A subject’s digital signature is not a valid X.509 V.3 certificate field.

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Q14-Evidence may be not detected through:

•    Out of band communications

• Accidental discovery

•    Audit trail review

•    Real-time intrusion monitoring

Evidence cannot be detected through accidental discovery.

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Q15-What is the best description of a stream cipher?

•    The stream cipher divides the message into blocks, and mathematical functions are performed on each block.

•    A private key is used to encrypt the message, and the receiver decrypts the message with the public key.

• The cipher uses a key to create a keystream, and XOR’s the result with the message.

•    The cipher carries out 16 rounds of computation on each bit.

A stream cipher functions byte-at- a time principle. It functions using two data streams. The first data stream is the input stream; the second data stream is the key data stream.

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Q16-What is the minimum and customary practice of responsible protection of assets that affect a community or societal norm?

•    Due diligence

•    Risk mitigation

•    Asset protection

• Due care

Due care is a developing security policy, standards and practice adopted by a company. It is a responsibility taken by the company to protect its resources, employees, and assets from all possible risks.

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Q17-hat are the provisions included in the privacy laws?

•    Individuals can erase the information they do not wish to disclose.

•    Government agencies must maintain accurate data.

•    Every government agency must provide data access to other government agencies

•    Government agencies can use the data for the objective of being collected.

Privacy laws protect the right of the individuals. Individuals have the right to remove the data they wish to keep private and not disclose.

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Q18-Why is computer crime difficult to investigate:

•    Privacy laws protect individuals from investigations.

•   Special techniques and tools should be used for Computer crime investigations.

• Criminals can spoof their address

•    The police face challenges as there is no jurisdiction over the Internet

It is challenging to investigate computer crime as criminals can jump from one network to another network.

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Q19-A unique packaging method or symbol is a:

•    Trade secret

•    Patent

• Trademark

•    Copyright. x`

A trademark represents and distinguishes products or services with a symbol, word, logo etc.

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Q20-What is the primary objective of Chain of custody:

• Protection of evidence in a secure storage location.

•    Fix responsibility for protecting evidence.

•    Protection of evidence and accountability of the evidence.

•    The evidence should be returned to the victim in good condition.

The primary objective of the chain of custody is to seize, store and transfer the condition of the evidence.

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Q21. Name the algorithms used for Kerberos Encryption?

•    DSA

•    RSA

•  DES

•    ECC

A data encryption standard (DES) is used for Kerberos encryption.

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Q 22. How can computer evidence be admissible in the court?

•    Relevant

•    Decrypted

•    Edited

•    Incriminating

Computer evidence should be relevant and necessary to be admitted in the court.

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Q23. Which is the recommended single sign-in system to reduce logins and passwords?

A. Kerberos 

B. RBAC

 C. DAC     

D. SAML

Kerberos is a single-sign-in system. It provides mutual authentication in communication. It assumes that there is no trust between both the parties and both the parties should be authenticated.

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•    Single sign-on

•    Tokens

•  Biometrics

•    Passwords

Biometric methods are the most expensive ways of authenticating a user’s identity. They are more expensive than tokens, passwords or single-sign-on.

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Q25-A public key algorithm that does both encryption and the digital signature is which of the following?

•    RSA

•    DES

•    IDEA

•    DSS

RSS uses both encryption and digital signature.

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Q26-Which network topology offers the highest reliability and availability?

•    Bus

•    Star

•    Ring

•    Mesh

A star topology network is the most reliable as the failure of a node does not impact other nodes.

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Q 27-Cryptography does not concern itself with:

• Availability

•    Authenticity

•    Integrity

•    Confidentiality

Cryptography is a practice and a study of the various techniques for secure communication. It is concerned with authenticity, integrity, and confidentiality. It is not worried about availability.

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Q 28-A momentary power outage is a:

•    Surge

•    Fault

•    Blackout

•    Spike

A momentary power outage is a fault.

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Q29.  This IPsec mode encapsulates the entire IP packet between IPsec nodes.

•    Transport

•    PPP

•  Tunnel

•    GRE

The tunnel mode is typically used for site-to-site VPNs to encapsulate the whole IP packet.

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Q30.  Which is security which prevents authorized use of resource?

•    Information disclosure

•    Repudiation

•    DoS

•    Elevation of privilege

Denial of service is a kind of security threat where the attack prevents the authorized use of the resource.  A DoS need not necessarily result in interruption, and it can result in latency.

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Q31. What is the objective of using Secure Hash Algorithm in virtual private networks?

•    Authentication

•    Key validation

•    Integrity

•    Encryption

A secure hash algorithm in VPN (virtual private networks) is used for authentication and data security. A secure hash is used for authentication and not for encryption over VPN. Authentication is crucial to avoid tampering of data and communication with the right user.

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Q32. Which technique ensures that the application’s hardware remains highly available?

•    Disk Mirroring

•    Clustering

•    RAI

•    RAIT

Disk mirroring technique makes the data available from the mirrored half of the disc. This technique protects the computer from loss of data from disk failures. Disk mirroring is also known as RAID. Disk mirroring is a replication of disk data volume in real-time on a separate physical hard disc.

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Q33. What is the advantage of digital signatures over message authentication codes?

•    A digital signature authenticates integrity verification while the message authentication code can not

•    A digital signature provides confidentiality while message authentication code can not

•    A digital signature provides authenticity while message authentication code can not

•    A Digital signature works faster than message authentication codes

The advantage that digital signature has over authentication code is that verification is possible only with public keys.

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Q34.  Which of the following is not a basic component of a security policy?

•    A definition of the issue and statement of relevant terms.

•    Statement of roles and responsibilities

•    Statement of applicability and compliance requirements.

• Statement of the performance of characteristics and requirements.

A statement of performance is not a basic component of a security policy

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Q35.  Security is a process that is:

•    Continuous

•    Indicative

•    Examined

•    Abnormal

Security is a continuous process that should be monitored on a day-to-day basis.

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Q 36. What are the three fundamental principles of security?

•    Accountability, confidentiality, and integrity

•    Confidentiality, integrity, and availability

•    Integrity, availability, and accountability

•    Availability, accountability, and confidentiality

Security is the protection of an organization’s assets like computers, data, software, intellectual property, goodwill, reputation etc. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability are the three fundamental principles of security.

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Q 37.  If the data is accessible when and where it is needed, what is it known as?

•    Confidentiality

•    Integrity

•    Acceptability

•    Availability

Availability of data provides reliable access to the resources. Availability ensures the intended information to the right resources.

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Q38.  What is the purpose of a change control/management system?

•    All the concerned and interested parties should be notified of the completion of the change.

•    Ensure that the change meets user specifications.

• All the changes should be documented for audit and management review.

•    Ensure the orderly processing of a change request.

A change control or change management system documents the changes in the organization for audit and review of the management.

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Q39.  What is the term used for the absence or weakness in a system that may be exploited is called a(n)?

•    Threat

•    Exposure

•    Vulnerability

•    Risk

When any system can be easily exploited because of the absence of an element or weakness in the system is known as the vulnerability.

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Q40. Name the tool used to determine whether a host is vulnerable to known attacks?

•    Padded Cells

•    Vulnerability analysis

•    Honey Pots

•    IDS

A vulnerability analysis or vulnerability assessment helps to detect if a network or host is susceptible to attacks. It’s a unique detection process.

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Q41.  What is the primary objective of penetration testing?

•    Assessment

•    Correction

•    Detection

•    Protection

The penetration testing helps to detect the weakness of an organisation and measure the resistance level to any attack. The penetration test measures the level of vulnerabilities which are prone to attack.

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Q 42.  Mention the tools used to assess the vulnerability of your network?

•    ISS

•    All of the choices.

•    SATAN

•    Ballista

The network vulnerability can be assessed with a penetration test. ISS, SATAN, Ballista are penetration tools. Therefore, the answer is all of the choices.

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Q 43. Which computer crime is more often associated with insiders?

•    IP spoofing

•    Password sniffing

• Data diddling

•    Denial of Service (DOS)

Data diddling is an incremental attack. An insider can make small incremental changes to the data. The insider usually has access to the system. Data diddling is done by making changes to the data by removing controls or using fraud inputs.

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Q44.  When a system or a computer uses more than CPU to execute instructions, it is known as?

•    Multiprocessing

•    Multitasking

•    Multithreading

•    Parallel running

Multiprocessing adds more CPUs or the processors to the system. This increases the computing speed of the system.

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Q45. Which of the following provide network redundancy in a local network environment?

•    Mirroring

•    Shadowing

•    Dual backbones

•    Duplexing

Dual backbones provide the network redundancy in a local network environment. A dual backbone can minimize the disaster potential.

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Q46.  How can you reduce data inference violation?

• Polyinstantiation Technique

•    Rules based meditation.

•    Multi-level data classification.

•    Correct-state transformation.

A computing technique known as Polyinstantiation can reduce data inference violation. In this technique, a database can maintain multiple records with the same key.  The database exhibits various instances of a shared res