Question

Difficulty: EasyMitigation Strategies and Enterprise Hardening Practices

Match each enterprise endpoint hardening practice to the primary security threat or vulnerability vector it mitigates.

  • Application AllowlistingExecution of unauthorized software binaries and unapproved executables
  • OS Patch ManagementExploitation of known system flaws and publicly disclosed software bugs
  • Disabling Unnecessary ServicesExpanded attack surface caused by unused background processes and open listener ports
  • Host-Based Firewall ConfigurationUnauthorized incoming and outgoing network traffic directly at the system level

Answer

Application Allowlisting matches with execution prevention of unauthorized software; OS Patch Management matches with remediation of known software flaws; Disabling Unnecessary Services matches with reducing attack surface from unused background processes; Host-Based Firewall Configuration matches with filtering unauthorized network traffic at the endpoint.
Application allowlisting prevents unauthorized software execution; patch management remediates known software vulnerabilities; disabling unnecessary services reduces the system attack surface; and host-based firewalls restrict local network traffic.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary protective function of Application Allowlisting
It restricts executable environments so only approved applications run, blocking malware and unauthorized software.
Allowlisting operates on binary execution paths and cryptographic hashes.
2
Identify the primary protective function of OS Patch Management
It applies vendor updates to fix known security vulnerabilities in operating system code.
Patching removes known targets exploited by malware and vulnerability kits.
3
Identify the primary protective function of Disabling Unnecessary Services
It reduces the host attack surface by eliminating unnecessary listening daemons and background processes.
Fewer active services mean fewer potential entry points for network attackers.
4
Identify the primary protective function of Host-Based Firewall Configuration
It inspects and controls network traffic entering or leaving the local operating system.
Host firewalls enforce microsegmentation policies directly on local interfaces.

Key Concept

Enterprise Hardening Practices and Security Control Application
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