Master Distributed Systems Security: Security Mechanisms

Question 1

When selecting an encryption algorithm for a distributed system, which factor is **least** important?

Accepted Answer

Ease of use

Answer

Encryption strength

Answer

Performance impact

Answer

Resource consumption

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of authentication in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

To verify the identity of users or services

Answer

To grant access to protected resources

Answer

To encrypt sensitive data

Answer

To detect malicious activity

Question 3

Which type of encryption algorithm uses the same key for both encryption and decryption?

Accepted Answer

Symmetric encryption

Answer

Asymmetric encryption

Answer

Hashing

Answer

Digital signatures

Question 4

What is the primary function of a certificate authority (CA) in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

To issue and verify digital certificates

Answer

To store and manage encryption keys

Answer

To detect and respond to security incidents

Answer

To configure network devices

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a typical component of a distributed firewall?

Accepted Answer

Load balancer

Answer

Packet filter

Answer

Proxy server

Answer

Intrusion detection system

Question 6

Role-based access control (RBAC) primarily serves what purpose in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Granting access permissions based on predefined user roles

Answer

Encrypting data during transmission

Answer

Detecting and responding to security incidents

Answer

Authenticating users through digital certificates

Question 7

Which encryption algorithm is commonly employed to protect data at rest in distributed systems, providing robust protection against unauthorized access?

Accepted Answer

AES-256

Answer

DES

Answer

RSA

Answer

SHA-256

Question 8

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) play a crucial role in distributed systems by:

Accepted Answer

Identifying and reporting suspicious events that could indicate security breaches

Answer

Preventing malicious activities from occurring

Answer

Encrypting and decrypting data to ensure confidentiality

Answer

Authenticating and authorizing users to access system resources

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a common threat that distributed systems face?

Accepted Answer

Hardware failures

Answer

Identity theft

Answer

Data breaches

Answer

Denial of service attacks

Question 10

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) mitigation services offer a key advantage, which is:

Accepted Answer

Enhanced protection against large-scale attacks that aim to overwhelm system resources

Answer

Reduced costs associated with implementing security measures

Answer

Automatic detection and blocking of malicious traffic without the need for manual intervention

Answer

Complete elimination of all security risks, ensuring foolproof protection

Question 11

Firewalls play a critical role in distributed systems by:

Accepted Answer

Preventing unauthorized access to system resources by implementing access control rules

Answer

Detecting and responding to security incidents by monitoring network traffic for suspicious activities

Answer

Encrypting data in transit to protect sensitive information from eavesdropping

Answer

Enforcing security policies and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements

Question 12

The fundamental difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption lies in:

Accepted Answer

Symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, while asymmetric encryption uses different keys for each operation.

Answer

Asymmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, while symmetric encryption uses different keys for each operation.

Answer

Symmetric encryption is significantly faster than asymmetric encryption.

Answer

Asymmetric encryption provides superior security compared to symmetric encryption.

Question 13

Which authentication mechanism verifies a user's identity based on something they know, like a password or PIN?

Accepted Answer

Knowledge-based Authentication

Answer

Token-based Single Sign-On (SSO)

Answer

Biometric Authentication

Question 14

In the context of distributed systems, what is the primary purpose of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS)?

Accepted Answer

Monitors and detects suspicious activities

Answer

Prevents unauthorized access to the system

Answer

Encrypts sensitive data transmitted over the network

Answer

Enforces access control policies

Question 15

What is the primary purpose of role-based access control (RBAC) in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

To restrict access to specific resources based on the user's assigned role

Answer

To grant permissions based on the user's individual identity

Answer

To allow users to access any resource in the system without restrictions

Answer

To provide a single sign-on experience for users across multiple systems

Question 16

What is the key difference between a Message Authentication Code (MAC) and a hash function in the context of distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

A MAC is a keyed function, while a hash function is not

Answer

A MAC is used for authentication, while a hash function is used for encryption

Answer

A MAC produces a longer output than a hash function

Answer

A hash function is reversible, while a MAC is not

Question 17

What is the primary purpose of a digital certificate in securing distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

To bind a public key to an identity, verifying ownership

Answer

To encrypt data transmitted over the network

Answer

To authenticate a user's identity

Answer

To provide non-repudiation of messages

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of a physical security measure implemented to protect distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Biometric authentication

Answer

Encryption

Answer

Firewalls

Answer

Intrusion detection systems

Question 19

Which mechanism is employed to ascertain the identity of a user or system?

Accepted Answer

Authentication

Answer

Authorization

Answer

Encryption

Answer

Intrusion detection

Question 20

What is the primary purpose of an access control list (ACL)?

Accepted Answer

To determine which users are authorized to access specific resources

Answer

To encrypt data stored within a distributed system

Answer

To detect and prevent unauthorized access to a system

Answer

To generate cryptographic keys for secure communication

Question 21

Which encryption algorithm is commonly utilized in distributed systems to protect data confidentiality?

Accepted Answer

AES

Answer

DES

Answer

RSA

Answer

SHA-256

Question 22

What is the overarching goal of an intrusion detection system (IDS)?

Accepted Answer

To detect and alert on suspicious activities within a system

Answer

To prevent unauthorized access to a system

Answer

To recover data in the event of a security breach

Answer

To generate security keys for communication between systems

Question 23

What is the primary function of a certificate authority (CA) within a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

To issue and manage digital certificates for entities within the system

Answer

To encrypt data transmitted between systems

Answer

To detect and block malicious traffic

Answer

To store and manage user passwords

Question 24

Which of the following is a type of security vulnerability that could grant an attacker the ability to execute arbitrary code on a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

Buffer overflow

Answer

Cross-site scripting (XSS)

Answer

SQL injection

Answer

Man-in-the-middle attack

Question 25

What is the primary purpose of a firewall in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

To control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined rules

Answer

To encrypt sensitive data stored on the system

Answer

To detect and block intrusion attempts

Answer

To generate security keys for communication

Question 26

In distributed systems, which symmetric encryption algorithm is widely employed to ensure secure communication, balancing both security and performance?

Accepted Answer

AES (Advanced Encryption Standard)

Answer

RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman)

Answer

ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography)

Answer

DES (Data Encryption Standard)

Question 27

In distributed systems, digital signatures play a crucial role in ensuring data integrity and authenticity. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using digital signatures in this context.

Accepted Answer

Improved non-repudiation and increased computational overhead

Answer

Enhanced confidentiality and improved non-repudiation

Answer

Simplified key management and enhanced confidentiality

Answer

Reduced computational overhead and improved non-repudiation

Question 28

What is the primary purpose of encryption in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

To ensure the confidentiality of data by transforming it into an unreadable format

Answer

To maintain the integrity of data by detecting unauthorized modifications

Answer

To prevent unauthorized access to data by controlling who can decrypt it

Answer

To detect intrusions by monitoring for suspicious patterns in encrypted data

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a type of intrusion detection system (IDS)?

Accepted Answer

Predictive IDS: Anticipates and prevents attacks based on machine learning algorithms

Answer

Signature-based IDS: Detects known attack patterns based on signatures

Answer

Anomaly-based IDS: Detects deviations from normal system behavior

Answer

Behavior-based IDS: Detects suspicious user or system actions

Question 30

What is the fundamental goal of authorization in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

Granting or denying access to specific resources based on user permissions

Answer

Verifying the identity of users attempting to access the system

Answer

Protecting against unauthorized modifications to data or system configurations

Answer

Detecting malicious activity within the system

Question 31

What is the key difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption in the context of distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Symmetric encryption uses a single key for both encryption and decryption, while asymmetric encryption uses two different keys.

Answer

Asymmetric encryption is significantly faster than symmetric encryption.

Answer

Symmetric encryption is inherently more secure than asymmetric encryption.

Answer

None of the above statements is correct.

Question 32

Which practice is considered essential for designing secure distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

All of the above practices are crucial for secure distributed system design

Answer

Implementing robust authentication and authorization mechanisms

Answer

Employing encryption techniques to safeguard sensitive data

Answer

Continuously monitoring and logging system activities

Question 33

What is the primary function of a digital certificate in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

Binding a public key to a specific entity or organization, establishing trust

Answer

Encrypting and decrypting messages securely without the need for a shared secret

Answer

Detecting and preventing malicious activities within the system

Answer

Providing authorization to access specific resources based on defined permissions

Question 34

What is the primary objective of conducting a security audit in a distributed system?

Accepted Answer

All of the above are key objectives of a comprehensive security audit

Answer

Identifying vulnerabilities and assessing risks to the system's security posture

Answer

Providing recommendations for improvements to enhance security measures

Answer

Ensuring compliance with applicable security regulations and standards

Question 35

Which authentication mechanism is **NOT** commonly used in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)

Answer

Kerberos

Answer

OAuth

Answer

Two-factor authentication

Question 36

The primary purpose of encryption in distributed systems is to ensure:

Accepted Answer

Confidentiality of data

Answer

Unauthorized access prevention

Answer

Intrusion attack detection

Answer

Access permission management

Question 37

Which is **NOT** a type of intrusion detection system?

Accepted Answer

Access control list-based

Answer

Signature-based

Answer

Anomaly-based

Answer

Heuristic-based

Question 38

Firewalls in distributed systems are primarily responsible for:

Accepted Answer

Network traffic filtering to prevent unauthorized access

Answer

Security vulnerability identification and mitigation

Answer

Intrusion attempt detection and response

Answer

Access granting or denying to specific resources

Question 39

The primary goal of security monitoring in distributed systems is:

Accepted Answer

Early detection of security incidents

Answer

Potential threat identification

Answer

Unauthorized access prevention

Answer

Recovery from security breaches

Question 40

For securing sensitive data at rest in a distributed system and ensuring its integrity, which encryption algorithm is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

AES

Answer

RSA

Answer

DES

Answer

SHA-256

Question 41

Which of the following is a widely used authentication mechanism in distributed systems for authenticating user identities?

Accepted Answer

Kerberos

Answer

Firewall

Answer

Digital Signature

Answer

Intrusion Detection System

Question 42

To secure data during transmission over a network, which of the following techniques is commonly employed?

Accepted Answer

Encryption

Answer

Access Control Lists

Answer

Biometric Authentication

Answer

Tokenization

Question 43

In the context of authorization models, which of the following options represents a widely used approach for controlling access to resources?

Accepted Answer

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Answer

Firewall

Answer

Intrusion Detection System

Answer

Kerberos

Question 44

Which of the following is a common type of security threat that targets the availability of distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack

Answer

Spam

Answer

Phishing

Answer

Malware

Question 45

Within an intrusion detection system, which component is responsible for collecting and analyzing information to detect suspicious activities?

Accepted Answer

Sensor

Answer

Firewall

Answer

Authentication Server

Answer

Authorization Module

Question 46

In the realm of digital certificates, which of the following options represents a widely recognized standard?

Accepted Answer

X.509

Answer

AES

Answer

RSA

Answer

SSL

Question 47

A fundamental goal of security mechanisms in distributed systems is to:

Accepted Answer

Protect data integrity.

Answer

Enhance user experience.

Answer

Improve system performance.

Answer

Reduce development costs.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a common security mechanism used in distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Obfuscation

Answer

Authentication

Answer

Firewalls

Answer

Authorization

Question 49

Which authentication mechanism involves verifying a user's identity using a shared secret?

Accepted Answer

Password-based authentication

Answer

Certificate-based authentication

Answer

Biometric authentication

Answer

Token-based authentication

Question 50

Which authorization model grants access to resources based on the user's role?

Accepted Answer

Role-based access control (RBAC)

Answer

Discretionary access control (DAC)

Answer

Attribute-based access control (ABAC)

Answer

Mandatory access control (MAC)

Question 51

Which encryption algorithm is commonly used for symmetric key encryption?

Accepted Answer

AES

Answer

ECC

Answer

RSA

Answer

DSA

Question 52

Which intrusion detection system (IDS) type monitors network traffic for suspicious activity?

Accepted Answer

Network IDS

Answer

Database IDS

Answer

Application IDS

Answer

Host IDS

Question 53

Which security principle states that users should only have the privileges they need to perform their tasks?

Accepted Answer

Least privilege

Answer

Separation of duties

Answer

Need to know

Answer

Defense in depth

Question 54

Which security mechanism involves granting access to resources based on the user's attributes?

Accepted Answer

Attribute-based access control (ABAC)

Answer

Mandatory access control (MAC)

Answer

Role-based access control (RBAC)

Answer

Discretionary access control (DAC)

Question 55

Which of the following is a best practice for securing distributed systems?

Accepted Answer

Regularly audit and update security measures

Answer

Rely solely on firewalls for boundary protection

Answer

Grant excessive privileges to all users

Answer

Ignore security until a breach occurs