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Difficulty: HardSecurity Control Categories and Types

During an enterprise infrastructure hardening project, a security architect is tasked with selecting controls that are classified as technical controls and function specifically in a preventive capacity. Which of the following security measures meet both of these criteria? (Select TWO.)

  1. An inline Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) configured to inspect network traffic and automatically drop packets matching malicious signaturesAnswer
  2. An automated host-based firewall rule that blocks incoming connections on unapproved network portsAnswer
  3. C
    A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system configured to aggregate server logs and alert analysts to anomalous authentication failures
  4. D
    A mandatory password complexity policy documented in the enterprise security handbook requiring 16-character passphrases

Answer

The controls that are both technical and preventive are the inline Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) configured to drop malicious packets and the automated host-based firewall rule blocking unapproved ports.
Both the inline Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) and the host-based firewall rule are technical controls because they are implemented directly in software/hardware systems. Furthermore, both act preventively by actively blocking or dropping unauthorized and malicious network traffic before access to target assets is achieved.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary security control category requested
Technical controls rely on technology, hardware, or software mechanisms (e.g., firewalls, IPS, ACLs, encryption).
Categorization differentiates technological enforcement from administrative policies or physical barriers.
2
Identify the functional control type requested
Preventive controls proactively block or impede unwanted or malicious actions from occurring.
Functional classification evaluates the operational goal of the control during an attack lifecycle.
3
Evaluate each option against both criteria (Technical + Preventive)
The inline IPS drops malicious traffic automatically (Technical + Preventive). Host-based firewall rules block unapproved connections automatically (Technical + Preventive). The SIEM system logs and alerts (Technical + Detective). The written password policy sets administrative rules (Managerial/Directive + Preventive).
Dual-axis classification requires satisfying both the category (how it is implemented) and type (what operational function it performs).

Key Concept

Security Control Categories (Technical, Managerial, Operational, Physical) and Functional Types (Preventive, Detective, Corrective, Deterrent, Compensating, Directive)
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Topics

Security Control Categories and Types

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