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Difficulty: MediumCIA Triad & Core Security Concepts

A network security administrator needs to select a security control that specifically protects log files against unauthorized modification while stored at rest on a syslog server. Which of the following technical controls directly fulfills this Integrity requirement?

  1. Calculating and periodically verifying SHA-256 cryptographic hashes of the stored log filesAnswer
  2. B
    Enforcing HTTPS transport using TCP port 443 to transmit log files across the local subnet
  3. C
    Deploying a RADIUS authentication server to encrypt log file bodies on the local hard drive
  4. D
    Isolating syslog server traffic inside a dedicated Layer 2 Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN)

Answer

Calculating and periodically verifying SHA-256 cryptographic hashes of the stored log files directly ensures data integrity at rest by providing a mechanism to detect any unauthorized modification of stored data.
The correct option involves generating and verifying SHA-256 cryptographic hashes. Cryptographic hashing provides one-way mathematical verification that file contents remain unaltered, directly supporting the Integrity pillar of the CIA triad for stored log files.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary security requirement specified in the scenario
The requirement focuses on maintaining Integrity for stored data (preventing/detecting unauthorized modification of log files at rest).
The CIA triad categorizes protection against unauthorized alteration as Integrity.
2
Evaluate technical mechanisms designed to guarantee data integrity at rest
Cryptographic hashing algorithms like SHA-256 produce deterministic digests. Comparing current hashes against baseline hashes detects file modifications immediately.
Hashing is a one-way function specifically designed to detect data tampering.
3
Differentiate integrity controls at rest from transit protection or access control mechanisms
Transport protocols protect data in motion, RADIUS provides AAA access services, and VLANs provide network segmentation.
None of those alternative controls compute or verify file checksums for stored static files.

Key Concept

Integrity Control via Cryptographic Hashing
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Topics

CIA Triad & Core Security Concepts

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