Important WGU (D487, KEO1) Secure Software Design Exam Questions

Answer: D

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

Throttling is a common and effective mitigation technique against Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. It limits the number of requests a user or IP can send over a certain time period, preventing resource exhaustion. This reduces the risk of overwhelming servers, which is the core issue in DoS attacks. Digital signatures (A) protect data integrity and authenticity, Protect secrets (B) secures confidential information, and Timestamps (C) help prevent replay attacks but are not direct defenses for DoS. According to NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 (Computer Security Incident Handling Guide) and OWASP DoS Prevention, throttling and rate limiting are standard controls to maintain availability under attack conditions.

NIST SP 800-61 Revision 2 -- Computer Security Incident Handling Guide

OWASP Denial of Service Prevention Cheat Sheet

Microsoft SDL -- Security Controls for Availability

Answer: D

Explanation:

The last step of the SDLC code review process is to review the code for security issues. This involves a detailed examination of the code to identify any potential security vulnerabilities that could be exploited. It's a critical phase where the focus is on ensuring that the code adheres to security best practices and does not contain any flaws that could compromise the security of the application or system. The process typically includes manual inspection as well as automated tools to scan for common security issues. The goal is to ensure that the software is as secure as possible before it is deployed. Reference: Mastering the Code Review Process, Understanding the SDLC, How Code Reviews Improve Software Quality in SDLC - LinkedIn.

Answer: D

Explanation:

The three primary goals of the secure software development process, often referred to as the CIA triad, are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. These principles form the cornerstone of security considerations in the software development life cycle (SDLC).

Confidentiality ensures that sensitive information is accessed only by authorized individuals and systems. This involves implementing access controls and encryption to protect data from unauthorized access.

Integrity refers to maintaining the accuracy and consistency of data across its lifecycle. This means that the data is not altered or tampered with by unauthorized entities. Techniques like checksums and digital signatures help ensure data integrity.

Availability ensures that information and resources are accessible to authorized users when needed. This involves creating resilient systems that can withstand attacks and recover quickly from any disruptions.

By integrating these security goals into each phase of the SDLC, from planning and design to development, testing, and maintenance, organizations can create more secure software systems that are resilient to cyber threats.

Answer: A

Explanation:

Comprehensive and Detailed In-Depth Explanation:

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) Software Assurance Maturity Model (SAMM) is a framework designed to help organizations assess and improve their software security posture. SAMM is structured around five primary business functions: Governance, Design, Implementation, Verification, and Operations.

In this scenario, the focus is on reviewing design artifacts to ensure compliance with organizational security standards. This activity aligns with the Verification business function within SAMM. The Verification function encompasses security practices related to assessing and validating the security of software artifacts throughout the development lifecycle. Key practices under this function include:

Design Review: Evaluating design documents and models to identify potential security issues and ensure that security requirements are adequately addressed.

Code Review: Analyzing source code to detect security vulnerabilities and ensure adherence to secure coding standards.

Security Testing: Conducting various testing methodologies, such as penetration testing and vulnerability scanning, to identify and remediate security weaknesses in the software.

By focusing on the Verification function, the organization aims to proactively identify and address security concerns during the design and development phases, thereby enhancing the overall security posture of their software products.

OWASP SAMM - Verification

Answer: A

Explanation:

Penetration testing is an activity where a simulated attack is performed on a software product to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. It is a proactive and authorized attempt to evaluate the security of an IT infrastructure by safely trying to exploit system vulnerabilities, including OS, service and application flaws, improper configurations, and risky end-user behavior. In the context of the Ship phase of the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL), penetration testing is conducted as a final check to uncover any potential security issues that might have been missed during previous phases. This ensures that the software product is robust and secure before it is released.

The Ship phase of the SDL includes activities such as policy compliance review, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, open-source licensing review, and final security and privacy reviews1.

Penetration testing is a critical component of the Ship phase, as it helps to identify and fix security vulnerabilities before the software is deployed2.