Free Cisco 100-160 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guideexplains thatSOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response)platforms integrate data from multiple tools and sources, support case management, and automate security workflows for faster incident response.

"SOAR solutions provide orchestration, automation, and response capabilities. They collect security data from multiple systems, enable analysts to manage incidents, and automate repetitive tasks in the response process."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Incident Handling, Security Automation Tools section, Cisco Networking Academy)

A(SIEM) collects and correlates security logs but lacks full orchestration and automated response capabilities.

Bis correct: SOAR adds orchestration, case management, and automated incident response.

C(NextGen IPS) focuses on intrusion prevention, not orchestration.

D(Snort) is an open-source intrusion detection/prevention tool, not an orchestration platform.

TheCCST Cybersecuritystudy material definesInformation Assurance (IA)as the practice of managing information-related risks to ensure data availability, integrity, confidentiality, authentication, and non-repudiation. It specifically applies to sensitive information like PII (Personally Identifiable Information).

"Information assurance involves the protection and validation of data so that it remains accurate, confidential, and available only to authorized users. IA ensures the trustworthiness of information, particularly when handling sensitive or regulated data such as PII."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Management, Information Assurance section, Cisco Networking Academy)

A(Risk framing) is part of risk management planning but does not verify data integrity and confidentiality directly.

B(Cyber Kill Chain) is an attack lifecycle model.

C(Workflow management) is about process efficiency, not data protection.

Dis correct: Information Assurance addresses the availability, accuracy, and confidentiality of sensitive data.

TheCCST Cybersecuritymaterial states that aVirtual Private Network (VPN)provides secure communication over an untrusted network, typically by ensuring:

Authentication→ verifying the identity of the user/device

Confidentiality→ encrypting the data so it cannot be read by unauthorized parties

Integrity→ ensuring that transmitted data has not been altered in transit

"VPNs secure remote access by authenticating users, encrypting data for confidentiality, and ensuring integrity through cryptographic checks."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Basic Network Security Concepts, VPNs section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Ais incorrect: WAN management is a network administration function, not a VPN feature.

Bis incorrect: Authorization is related but not a primary VPN security function.

Cis correct: Integrity is preserved through cryptographic hashing.

Dis correct: Authentication verifies user identity.

Eis correct: Confidentiality is provided via encryption.

Fis incorrect: Password management is separate from VPN functions.

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guideoutlines the standardrisk management processin the following sequence:

Identify the risks–

"Determine potential threats and vulnerabilities that could negatively impact organizational assets."

Prioritize the risks–

"Assess each risk in terms of likelihood and potential impact to rank them for remediation."

Implement a response–

"Apply the appropriate mitigation, transfer, acceptance, or avoidance strategy to address each prioritized risk."

Monitor results–

"Continuously assess the effectiveness of implemented controls and make adjustments as needed."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Management, Risk Management Process section, Cisco Networking Academy)

TheCCST Cybersecuritycourse describes ransomware as a form of malicious software that encrypts or locks access to an organization’s data, demanding payment for its release.

"Ransomware is a type of malware that denies access to data by encrypting it and demands payment from the victim to restore access. Threat actors may deliver ransomware through phishing emails, malicious downloads, or exploiting vulnerabilities in exposed systems."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Essential Security Principles, Malware Types and Threats section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Adescribes spyware or information-stealing malware.

Bis website defacement, which is vandalism, not ransomware.

Cis correct: locking/encrypting data and demanding payment is the defining behavior of ransomware.

Dis more aligned with insider threat or espionage activities.

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guidespecifies thatAES (Advanced Encryption Standard)is the encryption method used in modern WiFi security protocols like WPA2 and WPA3.

"WPA2 and WPA3 use the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for securing wireless traffic. AES provides strong symmetric encryption, replacing outdated methods like WEP and TKIP."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Basic Network Security Concepts, Wireless Security section, Cisco Networking Academy)

A(DES) is outdated and insecure.

B(Triple DES) is older and slower, rarely used in WiFi.

Cis correct: AES is the industry standard for WiFi security.

D(RSA) is asymmetric encryption used in key exchange, not bulk WiFi encryption.

TheCCST Cybersecuritycourse describes that risk scoring for vulnerabilities often involveslikelihoodandimpact— similar to the CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) model.

"When prioritizing vulnerabilities, assess both the likelihood of exploitation and the potential impact to the organization. Likelihood measures how easy or probable it is for an adversary to exploit the weakness, while impact measures the consequences to confidentiality, integrity, and availability if exploitation occurs."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Management, Risk Assessment and Prioritization section, Cisco Networking Academy)

Ais correct: Likelihood is a fundamental part of severity assessment.

Bis correct: Impact determines how damaging an exploit would be.

Cis incorrect: Time to choose replacement software is an operational consideration, not a severity metric.

Dis incorrect: Hardware age may influence performance but does not directly define vulnerability severity.

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guideexplains thatport securityon switches can be configured to limit the number of MAC addresses allowed on a port, or to restrict it to specific devices.

"Port security can prevent unauthorized access by limiting or specifying the MAC addresses allowed to connect through a given switch port. This mitigates risks from rogue devices connecting to the network."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Basic Network Security Concepts, Switch Security section, Cisco Networking Academy)

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guideexplains that disabling SSID broadcast hides the network from casual scanning, adding a layer of obscurity. While not a complete security measure, when combined with WPA2/WPA3 encryption and strong passwords, it can help protect private wireless networks, especially in environments with separate employee and guest access.

"Disabling SSID broadcast can reduce the visibility of a wireless network, making it less likely to be detected by casual attackers. This should be combined with strong encryption and authentication."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Basic Network Security Concepts, Wireless Security section, Cisco Networking Academy)

A(IP filtering) provides limited protection and is harder to manage for employee devices.

Bis correct: Disabling SSID broadcast adds an extra layer of obscurity for the employee network.

Cwould make the network easier to access from outside the premises, which is less secure.

Dwould cause network conflicts and make segmentation impossible.

TheCCST Cybersecurity Study Guidedescribes the CIA Triad as the foundational model for information security:

Confidentiality

"Confidentiality ensures that sensitive information is accessed only by authorized individuals and is protected from unauthorized disclosure."

Integrity

"Integrity ensures that data remains accurate, complete, and unaltered except by authorized processes or users."

Availability

"Availability ensures that information and systems are accessible to authorized users when needed."

(CCST Cybersecurity,Essential Security Principles, CIA Triad section, Cisco Networking Academy)