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Free ISACA CCOA Exam Questions (page: 3)

Page 3 of 36
PDF with 139 Questions

Which of the following roles typically performs routine vulnerability scans?

  1. Incident response manager
  2. Information security manager
  3. IT auditor
  4. IT security specialist

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

An IT security specialist is responsible for performing routine vulnerability scans as part of maintaining the organization's security posture. Their primary tasks include:

Vulnerability Assessment: Using automated tools to detect security flaws in networks, applications, and systems.

Regular Scanning: Running scheduled scans to identify new vulnerabilities introduced through updates or configuration changes.

Reporting: Analyzing scan results and providing reports to management and security teams.

Remediation Support: Working with IT staff to patch or mitigate identified vulnerabilities.

Other options analysis:

A . Incident response manager: Primarily focuses on responding to security incidents, not performing routine scans.

B . Information security manager: Manages the overall security program but does not typically conduct scans.

C . IT auditor: Reviews the effectiveness of security controls but does not directly perform scanning.

CCOA Official Review Manual, 1st Edition


Reference:

Chapter 6: Vulnerability and Patch Management: Outlines the responsibilities of IT security specialists in conducting vulnerability assessments.

Chapter 8: Threat and Vulnerability Assessment: Discusses the role of specialists in maintaining security baselines.



An organization was breached via a web application attack to a database in which user inputs were not validated. This can BEST be described as which type of attack?

  1. Broken access control
  2. Infection
  3. Buffer overflow
  4. X-Path

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

The described scenario indicates a Injection (i) attack, where the attacker exploits insufficient input validation in a web application to manipulate queries. This type of attack falls under the category of Broken Access Control because:

Improper Input Handling: The application fails to properly sanitize or validate user inputs, allowing malicious commands to execute.

Direct Database Manipulation: Attackers can bypass normal authentication or gain elevated access by injecting code.

OWASP Top Ten 2021: Lists Broken Access Control as a critical risk, often leading to data breaches when input validation is weak.

Other options analysis:

B . Infection: Typically involves malware, which is not relevant here.

C . Buffer overflow: Involves memory management errors, not manipulation.

D . X-Path: Involves XML query manipulation, not databases.

CCOA Official Review Manual, 1st Edition


Reference:

Chapter 4: Web Application Security: Discusses Injection as a common form of broken access control.

Chapter 9: Secure Coding and Development: Stresses the importance of input validation to prevent i.



Which of the following is a KEY difference between traditional deployment methods and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD)?

  1. CI/CD decreases the frequency of updates.
  2. CI/CD decreases the amount of testing.
  3. CI/CD increases the number of errors.
  4. CI/CD Increases the speed of feedback.

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

The key difference between traditional deployment methods and CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) is the speed and frequency of feedback during the software development lifecycle.

Traditional Deployment: Typically follows a linear, staged approach (e.g., development testing deployment), often resulting in slower feedback loops.

CI/CD Pipelines: Integrate automated testing and deployment processes, allowing developers to quickly identify and resolve issues.

Speed of Feedback: CI/CD tools automatically test code changes upon each commit, providing near- instant feedback. This drastically reduces the time between code changes and error detection.

Rapid Iteration: Teams can immediately address issues, making the development process more efficient and resilient.

Other options analysis:

A . CI/CD decreases the frequency of updates: CI/CD actually increases the frequency of updates by automating the deployment process.

B . CI/CD decreases the amount of testing: CI/CD usually increases testing by integrating automated tests throughout the pipeline.

C . CI/CD increases the number of errors: Proper CI/CD practices reduce errors by catching them early.

CCOA Official Review Manual, 1st Edition


Reference:

Chapter 10: Secure DevOps and CI/CD Practices: Discusses how CI/CD improves feedback and rapid bug fixing.

Chapter 7: Automation in Security Operations: Highlights the benefits of automated testing in CI/CD environments.



Exposing the session identifier in a URL is an example of which web application-specific risk?

  1. Cryptographic failures
  2. Insecure design and implementation
  3. Identification and authentication failures
  4. Broken access control

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Exposing the session identifier in a URL is a classic example of an identification and authentication failure because:

Session Hijacking Risk: Attackers can intercept session IDs when exposed in URLs, especially through techniques like referrer header leaks or logs.

Session Fixation: If the session ID is predictable or accessible, attackers can force a user to log in with a known ID.

OWASP Top Ten 2021 - Identification and Authentication Failures (A07): Exposing session identifiers makes it easier for attackers to impersonate users.

Secure Implementation: Best practices dictate storing session IDs in HTTP-only cookies rather than in URLs to prevent exposure.

Other options analysis:

A . Cryptographic failures: This risk involves improper encryption practices, not session management.

B . Insecure design and implementation: Broad category, but this specific flaw is more aligned with authentication issues.

D . Broken access control: Involves authorization flaws rather than authentication or session handling.

CCOA Official Review Manual, 1st Edition


Reference:

Chapter 4: Web Application Security: Covers session management best practices and related vulnerabilities.

Chapter 8: Application Security Testing: Discusses testing for session-related flaws.



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