CY-702-A Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Analysis - Dec 2024 Question Paper

Under each question, How to answer lists the points an answer should cover, outlined by CampusPrep from the syllabus. Check the details against your textbook.

1. 7 Marks
   aEvaluate the impact of legal and ethical considerations on the decision-making process for organizations when choosing to conduct penetration testing.
   How to answer

   • Define legal authorization, scope, contracts and ethical codes
   • Explain impact on decision: consent, liability, compliance
   • Discuss ethical constraints: privacy, disclosure, no harm
   • Conclude with risk of non-compliance vs benefits
2. 7 Marks
   bCompare the use cases for network penetration testing and application penetration testing, highlighting the specific considerations for each.
   How to answer

   • Define network pentest vs application pentest
   • List use cases for network testing
   • List use cases for application testing
   • Highlight specific considerations for each in table
3. 7 Marks
   aWhat is the purpose of DNS reconnaissance in the context of penetration testing? Why is it crucial to gather information about an organization's external presence before conducting a penetration test?
   How to answer

   • Define DNS reconnaissance and record types
   • Explain purpose: enumerate external presence, subdomains, IPs
   • Explain why crucial before test: scope, attack surface, OSINT
   • Give tools examples: dig, nslookup, DNSenum
4. 7 Marks
   bWhy is it important for penetration testers to have a thorough understanding of the target system's architecture before attempting exploitation?
   How to answer

   • Define target architecture: network, OS, apps, trust boundaries
   • Explain need to avoid disruption and false positives
   • Explain tailoring exploits and privilege escalation paths
   • Conclude with efficiency and safety
5. 7 Marks
   aWhy is it crucial for web applications to employ HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to enhance security?
   How to answer

   • Define HSTS and HTTPS downgrade attacks
   • Explain how HSTS enforces HTTPS and prevents MITM/ssl-strip
   • Explain benefits: confidentiality, integrity, trust
   • Note deployment considerations: preload, max-age
6. 7 Marks
   bWhat is the primary risk associated with SQL injection vulnerabilities in web applications?
   How to answer

   • Define SQL injection vulnerability
   • Explain primary risk: unauthorized database access/data breach
   • Mention impacts: data theft, authentication bypass, RCE
   • Give mitigation hint: prepared statements
7. 7 Marks
   aExplain the importance of packet sniffing in wireless penetration testing.
   How to answer

   • Define packet sniffing in wireless context
   • Explain capturing traffic for analysis of protocols and creds
   • Explain identifying misconfigurations and vulnerable services
   • Mention tools: Wireshark, Aircrack-ng and promiscuous/monitor mode
8. 7 Marks
   bList three common tactics used in social engineering attacks targeting wireless networks.
   How to answer

   • Define social engineering against wireless users
   • List tactic 1: evil twin / rogue AP
   • List tactic 2: phishing / captive portal credential harvest
   • List tactic 3: pretexting / baiting for WPA keys
9. 7 Marks
   aExplain how employee training programs contribute to the mitigation of social engineering risks.
   How to answer

   • Define social engineering risks
   • Explain training: awareness, phishing simulation
   • Explain behavioral change and reporting culture
   • Conclude with reduced click rates and incident response
10. 7 Marks
    bDemonstrate how the RSA algorithm can be applied to achieve secure communication.
    How to answer

    • Outline RSA key generation, encryption, decryption steps
    • Show key pair use for confidentiality and digital signatures
    • Explain secure key exchange without shared secret
    • Give example flow of secure message exchange
11. 7 Marks
    aList the key elements that should be included in a documentation report for a cryptography audit.
    How to answer

    • Define cryptography audit purpose
    • List elements: scope, algorithms, key management, compliance
    • Include findings, risk rating, recommendations
    • Mention executive summary and evidence
12. 7 Marks
    bExplain the importance of stakeholder engagement in the successful implementation of cryptographic measures.
    How to answer

    • Define stakeholders: management, IT, users, vendors
    • Explain need for buy-in, usability and policy compliance
    • Explain training and communication for adoption
    • Conclude with reduced resistance and sustained security
13. 7 Marks
    aDiscuss the primary objectives of the penetration test in a specific case?
    How to answer

    • Define penetration test objectives: identify, exploit, assess impact
    • Discuss objectives: validate security, compliance, risk prioritization
    • Relate to specific case: scope-driven goals
    • Mention reporting and remediation guidance
14. 7 Marks
    bHow does a Capture the Flag competition simulate real-world cyber security scenarios? Discuss.
    How to answer

    • Define CTF: jeopardy vs attack-defense formats
    • Explain simulation: real vulnerabilities, exploitation, pivoting
    • Discuss skills: teamwork, time pressure, incident response
    • Conclude with training value and limitations
15. 14 Marks
    Write a short note on any two of the following.

    1. a)Vulnerability scanning tools
    2. b)Web application penetration testing methodologies
    3. c)Decryption
    4. d)Cloud security
    How to answer

    • Select any two topics with definition and purpose
    • Explain key tools/methods/steps for each
    • Give examples and use in pentest
    • Mention advantages and limitations