ISC SSCP Exam Made Easy: Step-by-Step Preparation Guide

The Rijndael algorithm, chosen as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to replace DES, can be categorized as an iterated block cipher with a variable block length and key length that can be independently chosen as 128, 192 or 256 bits.

Below you have a summary of the differences between AES and Rijndael.

AES is the advanced encryption standard defined by FIPS 197. It is implemented differently than Rijndael:

FIPS-197 specifies that the block size must always be 128 bits in AES, and that the key size may be either 128, 192, or 256 bits. Therefore AES-128, AES-192, and AES-256 are actually:

Key Size (bits) Number of rounds

Block Size (bits)

AES-128

128 10 Rounds

128

AES-192

192 12 Rounds

128

AES-256

256 14 Rounds

128

Some book will say "up to 9 rounds will be done with a 128 bits keys". Really it is 10 rounds because you must include round zero which is the first round.

By contrast, the Rijndael specification per se is specified with block and key sizes that may be any multiple of 32 bits, both with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 256 bits.

Reference(s) used for this question:

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 153).

and

FIPS 197

and

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Encryption_Standard

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).

Accreditation is the authorization by management to implement software or systems in a production environment. This authorization may be either provisional or full.

The following are incorrect answers:

Certification is incorrect. Certification is the process of evaluating the security stance of the software or system against a selected set of standards or policies. Certification is the technical evaluation of a product. This may precede accreditation but is not a required precursor.

Acceptance is incorrect. This term is sometimes used as the recognition that a piece of software or system has met a set of functional or service level criteria (the new payroll system has passed its acceptance test). Certification is the better tem in this context.

Evaluation is incorrect. Evaluation is certainly a part of the certification process but it is not the best answer to the question.

Reference(s) used for this question:

The Official Study Guide to the CBK from ISC2, pages 559-560

AIO3, pp. 314 - 317

AIOv4 Security Architecture and Design (pages 369 - 372)

AIOv5 Security Architecture and Design (pages 370 - 372)

An company security program must:

1) assure that systems and applications operate effectively and provide appropriate confidentiality, integrity, and availability;

2) protect informationcommensurate with the level of risk and magnitude ofharmresulting fromloss, misuse, unauthorized access, or modification.

The property of a system or a system resource being accessible and usable upon demand by an authorized system entity, according to performance specifications for the system; i.e., a system is available if it provides services according to the system design whenever users request them.

The following are incorrect answers:

Confidentiality - The information requires protection from unauthorized disclosure and only the INTENDED recipient should have access to the meaning of the data either in storage or in transit.

Integrity - The information must be protected from unauthorized, unanticipated, or unintentional modification. This includes, but is not limited to:

Authenticity –A third party must be able to verify that the content of a message has not been changed in transit.

Non-repudiation – The origin or the receipt of a specific message must be verifiable by a third party.

Accountability - A security goal that generates the requirement for actions of an entity to be traced uniquely to that entity.

Reference used for this question:

RFC 2828

and

SWANSON, Marianne, NIST Special Publication 800-26, Security Self-Assessment Guide for Information Technology Systems, November 2001 (page 5).

Confidentiality is the prevention of the intentional or unintentional unauthorized disclosure of contents.

Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, 2001, John Wiley & Sons, Page 60.

Integrity refers to the protection of information from unauthorized modification or deletion.

Confidentiality is incorrect. Confidentiality refers to the protection of information from unauthorized disclosure.

Availability is incorrect. Availability refers to the assurance that information and services will be available to authorized users in accordance with the service level objective.

Auditability is incorrect. Auditability refers to the ability to trace an action to the identity that performed it and identify the date and time at which it occurred.

References:

CBK, pp. 5 - 6

AIO3, pp. 56 - 57

DSS emphasizes flexibility in the decision-making approach of users. It is aimed at solving less structured problems, combines the use of models and analytic techniques with traditional data access and retrieval functions and supports semi-structured decision-making tasks.

DSS is sometimes referred to as the Delphi Method or Delphi Technique:

The Delphi technique is a group decision method used to ensure that each member gives an honest opinion of what he or she thinks the result of a particular threat will be. This avoids a group of individuals feeling pressured to go along with others’ thought processes and enables them to participate in an independent and anonymous way. Each member of the group provides his or her opinion of a certain threat and turns it in to the team that is performing the analysis. The results are compiled and distributed to the group members, who then write down their comments anonymously and return them to the analysis group. The comments are compiled and redistributed for more comments until a consensus is formed. This method is used to obtain an agreement on cost, loss values, and probabilities of occurrence without individuals having to agree verbally.

Here is the ISC2 book coverage of the subject:

One of the methods that uses consensus relative to valuation of information is the consensus/modified Delphi method. Participants in the valuation exercise are asked to comment anonymously on the task being discussed. This information is collected and disseminated to a participant other than the original author. This participant comments upon the observations of the original author. The information gathered is discussed in a public forum and the best course is agreed upon by the group (consensus).

EXAM TIP:

The DSS is what some of the books are referring to as the Delphi Method or Delphi Technique. Be familiar with both terms for the purpose of the exam.

The other answers are incorrect:

'DSS is aimed at solving highly structured problems' is incorrect because it is aimed at solving less structured problems.

'DSS supports only structured decision-making tasks' is also incorrect as it supports semi-structured decision-making tasks.

'DSS combines the use of models with non-traditional data access and retrieval functions' is also incorrect as it combines the use of models and analytic techniques with traditional data access and retrieval functions.

Reference(s) used for this question:

Harris, Shon (2012-10-25). CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, 6th Edition (p. 91). McGraw-Hill. Kindle Edition.

and

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 1424-1426). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.

In multilevel mode, two or more classification levels of data exist, some people are not cleared for all the data on the system.

Risk is higher because sensitive data could be made available to someone not validated as being capable of maintaining secrecy of that data (i.e., not cleared for it).

In other security modes, all users have the necessary clearance for all data on the system.

Source: LaROSA, Jeanette (domain leader), Application and System Development Security CISSP Open Study Guide, version 3.0, January 2002.

The Answer: People. The other choices can be strengthened and counted on (For the most part) to remain consistent if properly protected. People are fallible and unpredictable. Most security intrusions are caused by employees. People get tired, careless, and greedy. They are not always reliable and may falter in following defined guidelines and best practices. Security professionals must install adequate prevention and detection controls and properly train all systems users Proper hiring and firing practices can eliminate certain risks. Security Awareness training is key to ensuring people are aware of risks and their responsibilities.

The following answers are incorrect:Software. Although software exploits are major threat and cause for concern, people are the weakest point in a security posture. Software can be removed, upgraded or patched to reduce risk.

Communications. Although many attacks from inside and outside an organization use communication methods such as the network infrastructure, this is not the weakest point in a security posture. Communications can be monitored, devices installed or upgraded to reduce risk and react to attack attempts.

Hardware. Hardware components can be a weakness in a security posture, but they are not the weakest link of the choices provided. Access to hardware can be minimized by such measures as installing locks and monitoring access in and out of certain areas.

The following reference(s) were/was used to create this question:

Shon Harris AIO v.3 P.19, 107-109

ISC2 OIG 2007, p.51-55

Baselines provide the minimum level of security necessary throughout the organization.

Standards specify how hardware and software products should be used throughout the organization.

Procedures are detailed step-by-step instruction on how to achieve certain tasks.

Guidelines are recommendation actions and operational guides to personnel when a specific standard does not apply.

Source: HARRIS, Shon, All-In-One CISSP Certification Exam Guide, McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2002, chapter 3: Security Management Practices (page 94).

Integrity is the opposite of "alteration."

Source: KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, 2001, John Wiley & Sons, Page 59.

If there is no support by management to implement, execute, and enforce security policies and procedure, then they won't work. Senior management must be involved in this because they have an obligation to the organization to protect the assests . The requirement here is for management to show “due diligence” in establishing an effective compliance, or security program.

The following answers are incorrect:

The tech support team. Is incorrect because the ultimate responsibility is with management for the security of computer-based information systems.

The Operation Team. Is incorrect because the ultimate responsibility is with management for the security of computer-based information systems.

The Training Team. Is incorrect because the ultimate responsibility is with management for the security of computer-based information systems.

Reference(s) used for this question:

OIG CBK Information Security Management and Risk Management (page 20 - 22)

Acceptance confirms that users’ needs have been met by the supplied solution. Verification and Validation informs Acceptance by establishing the evidence – set against acceptance criteria - to determine if the solution meets the users’ needs. Acceptance should also explicitly address any integration or interoperability requirements involving other equipment or systems. To enable acceptance every user and system requirement must have a 'testable' characteristic.

Accreditation is the formal acceptance of security, adequacy, authorization for operation and acceptance of existing risk. Accreditation is the formal declaration by a Designated Approving Authority (DAA) that an IS is approved to operate in a particular security mode using a prescribed set of safeguards to an acceptable level of risk.

Certification is the formal testing of security safeguards and assurance is the degree of confidence that the implemented security measures work as intended. The certification is a Comprehensive evaluation of the technical and nontechnical security features of an IS and other safeguards, made in support of the accreditation process, to establish the extent to which a particular design and implementation meets a set of specified ecurity requirements.

Assurance is the descriptions of the measures taken during development and evaluation of the product to assure compliance with the claimed security functionality. For example, an evaluation may require that all source code is kept in a change management system, or that full functional testing is performed. The Common Criteria provides a catalogue of these, and the requirements may vary from one evaluation to the next. The requirements for particular targets or types of products are documented in the Security Targets (ST) and Protection Profiles (PP), respectively.

Source: ROTHKE, Ben, CISSP CBK Review presentation on domain 4, August 1999.

and

Official ISC2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Second Edition, on page 211.

and

http://www.aof.mod.uk/aofcontent/tactical/randa/content/randaintroduction.htm

The questions specifically said: "within a different function" which eliminate Job Rotation as a choice.

Management monitoring of audit logs is a detective control and it would not prevent collusion.

Changing passwords regularly would not prevent such attack.

This question validates if you understand the concept of separation of duties and least privilege. By having operators that have only the minimum access level they need and only what they need to do their duties within a company, the operations personnel would be force to use collusion to defeat those security mechanism.

Source: TIPTON, Hal, (ISC)2, Introduction to the CISSP Exam presentation.

From a security standpoint, a compiled program is less desirable than an interpreted one because malicious code can be

resident somewhere in the compiled code, and it is difficult to detect in a very large program.

Passwords can be compromised and must be protected. In the ideal case, a password should only be used once. The changing of passwords can also fall between these two extremes.

Passwords can be required to change monthly, quarterly, or at other intervals, depending on the criticality of the information needing protection and the password's frequency of use.

Obviously, the more times a password is used, the more chance there is of it being compromised.

It is recommended to use a passphrase instead of a password. A passphrase is more resistant to attacks. The passphrase is converted into a virtual password by the system. Often time the passphrase will exceed the maximum length supported by the system and it must be trucated into a Virtual Password.

Reference(s) used for this question:

http://www.itl.nist.gov/fipspubs/fip112.htm

and

KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, 2001, John Wiley & Sons, Page 36 & 37.

In Non-Discretionary Access Control, when Role Based Access Control is being used, a central authority determines what subjects can have access to certain objects based on the organizational security policy. The access controls may be based on the individual's role in the organization.

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 33.

Systems accountability depends on the ability to ensure that senders cannot deny sending information and that receivers cannot deny receiving it. Because the mechanisms implemented in nonrepudiation prevent the ability to successfully repudiate an action, it can be considered as a preventive control.

Source: STONEBURNER, Gary, NIST Special Publication 800-33: Underlying Technical Models for Information Technology Security, National Institute of Standards and Technology, December 2001, page 7.

The reverse address resolution protocol (RARP) sends out a packet including a MAC address and a request to be informed of the IP address that should be assigned to that MAC.

Diskless workstations do not have a full operating system but have just enough code to know how to boot up and broadcast for an IP address, and they may have a pointer to the server that holds the operating system. The diskless workstation knows its hardware address, so it broadcasts this information so that a listening server can assign it the correct IP address.

As with ARP, Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) frames go to all systems on the subnet, but only the RARP server responds. Once the RARP server receives this request, it looks in its table to see which IP address matches the broadcast hardware address. The server then sends a message that contains its IP address back to the requesting computer. The system now has an IP address and can function on the network.

The Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) was created after RARP to enhance the functionality that RARP provides for diskless workstations. The diskless workstation can receive its IP address, the name server address for future name resolutions, and the default gateway address from the BOOTP server. BOOTP usually provides more functionality to diskless workstations than does RARP.

The evolution of this protocol has unfolded as follows: RARP evolved into BOOTP, which evolved into DHCP.

The following are incorrect answers:

NAT is a tool that is used for masking true IP addresses by employing internal addresses.

ARP does the opposite of RARP, it finds the MAC address that maps with an existing IP address.

Data Link layer The Data Link layer is not a protocol; it is represented at layer 2 of the OSI model. In the TCP/IP model, the Data Link and Physical layers are combined into the Network Access layer, which is sometimes called the Link layer or the Network Interface layer.

Reference(s) used for this question:

Harris, Shon (2012-10-25). CISSP All-in-One Exam Guide, 6th Edition, Telecommunications and Network Security, Page 584-585 and also 598. For Kindle users see Kindle Locations 12348-12357. McGraw-Hill.

and

KRUTZ, Ronald L. & VINES, Russel D., The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security, John Wiley & Sons, 2001, Chapter 3: Telecommunications and Network Security (page 87).

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