Explanation: Input validation is a technique that checks the user input for any malicious or unexpected data before processing it by the web application. Input validation can prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, which exploit the vulnerability of a web application to execute malicious scripts in the browser of a victim. XSS attacks can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the web application and its users. Input validation can be implemented on both the client-side and the server-side, but server-side validation is more reliable and secure. Input validation can use various methods, such as whitelisting, blacklisting, filtering, escaping, encoding, and sanitizing the input data. References = CompTIA Security+ Study Guide with over 500 Practice Test Questions: Exam SY0-701, 9th Edition, Chapter 2, page 70. CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) Certification Exam Objectives, Domain 3.2, page 11. Application Security – SY0-601 CompTIA Security+ : 3.2

Explanation: The first step in reducing the number of credentials each employee must maintain when using multiple SaaS applications is to select an Identity Provider (IdP). An IdP provides a centralized authentication service that supports Single Sign-On (SSO), enabling users to access multiple applications with a single set of credentials.
Enabling SAML would be part of the technical implementation but comes after selecting an IdP. OAuth tokens are used for authorization, but selecting an IdP is the first step in managing authentication.
Password vaulting stores multiple passwords securely but doesn't reduce the need for separate logins.

Explanation: Side loading refers to the process of installing applications on a device from outside the official app store, which can introduce security vulnerabilities by bypassing standard app validation processes. References: Security+ SY0-701 Course Content, Security+ SY0-601 Book.

Explanation: Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the victim’s files and demands a ransom for the decryption key. The ransomware usually displays a message on the infected system with instructions on how to pay the ransom and recover the files. The .ryk extension is associated with a ransomware variant called Ryuk, which targets large organizations and demands high ransoms1.
References: CompTIA Security+ Certification Kit: Exam SY0-701, 7th Edition, Chapter 1, page 17.

Explanation: Jailbreaking is a primary security concern for a company setting up a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program. Jailbreaking is the process of removing the manufacturer’s or the carrier’s restrictions on a device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, to gain root access and install unauthorized or custom software. Jailbreaking can compromise the security of the device and the data stored on it, as well as expose it to malware, viruses, or hacking. Jailbreaking can also violate the warranty and the terms of service of the device, and make it incompatible with the company’s security policies and standards.
Therefore, a company setting up a BYOD program should prohibit jailbreaking and enforce device compliance and encryption. References = CompTIA Security+ Study Guide with over 500 Practice Test Questions: Exam SY0-701, 9th Edition, Chapter 2, page 76. CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Exam Objectives, Domain 2.4, page 11.

Explanation: A tabletop exercise involves the executive team or key stakeholders discussing and testing the company’s incident response plan in a simulated environment. These exercises are low-stress, discussion-based, and help to validate the plan's effectiveness by walking through different scenarios without disrupting actual operations. It is an essential part of testing business continuity and incident response strategies. Continuity of operations refers to the ability of an organization to continue functioning during and after a disaster but doesn't specifically involve simulations like tabletop exercises. Capacity planning is related to ensuring the infrastructure can handle growth, not incident response testing. Parallel processing refers to running multiple processes simultaneously, which is unrelated to testing an incident response plan.

Explanation: Data Loss Prevention (DLP) systems are typically configured to protect sensitive data such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) within an organization. DLP tools enforce policies that monitor, detect, and block the unauthorized transmission of sensitive data. By leveraging the organization’s existing labeling and classification system, DLP solutions can identify and protect data based on its classification, ensuring that PII is appropriately secured according to organizational policies.
References = CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Course Content: Domain 03 Security Architecture. CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Study Guide: Chapter on Network Security and DLP.

Explanation: To minimize the impact of the increasing number of various traffic types during attacks, a security engineer is most likely to configure behavioral-based rules on a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW). Behavioral-based rules analyze the behavior of traffic patterns and can detect and block unusual or malicious activity that deviates from normal behavior. Behavioral-based: Detects anomalies by comparing current traffic behavior to known good behavior, making it effective against various traffic types during attacks. Signature-based: Relies on known patterns of known threats, which might not be as effective against new or varied attack types. URL-based: Controls access to websites based on URL categories but is not specifically aimed at handling diverse traffic types during attacks. Agent-based: Typically involves software agents on endpoints to monitor and enforce policies, not directly related to NGFW rules. Reference: CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Exam Objectives, Domain 4.5 - Modify enterprise capabilities to enhance security (Behavioral-based rules on NGFW).

Explanation: IPS stands for intrusion prevention system, which is a network security device that monitors and blocks malicious traffic in real time. IPS is different from IDS, which only detects and alerts on malicious traffic, but does not block it. IPS would have mitigated the spread of ransomware by preventing the hacker from accessing the system via the phishing link, or by stopping the ransomware from communicating with its command and control server or encrypting the files.

Explanation: The scenario suggests that only the employees who used the kiosks inside the building had their credentials compromised. Since the time-keeping website is accessible from the internet, it is possible that a malicious actor exploited an unpatched vulnerability in the site, allowing them to inject malicious code that captured the credentials of those who logged in from the kiosks. This is a common attack vector for stealing credentials from web applications.