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Which of the following choices describe a condition when RAM and Secondary storage are used
together?

  1. Primary storage
  2. Secondary storage
  3. Virtual storage
  4. Real storage

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Virtual storage a service provided by the operating system where it uses a combination of RAM and disk storage to simulate a much larger address space than is actually present. Infrequently used portions of memory are paged out by being written to secondary storage and paged back in when required by a running program.
Most OS's have the ability to simulate having more main memory than is physically available in the system. This is done by storing part of the data on secondary storage, such as a disk. This can be considered a virtual page. If the data requested by the system is not currently in main memory, a page fault is taken. This condition triggers the OS handler. If the virtual address is a valid one, the OS will locate the physical page, put the right information in that page, update the translation table, and then try the request again. Some other page might be swapped out to make room. Each process may have its own separate virtual address space along with its own mappings and protections.
The following are incorrect answers:
Primary storage is incorrect. Primary storage refers to the combination of RAM, cache and the processor registers. Primary Storage The data waits for processing by the processors, it sits in a staging area called primary storage. Whether implemented as memory, cache, or registers (part of the CPU), and regardless of its location, primary storage stores data that has a high probability of being requested by the CPU, so it is usually faster than long-term, secondary storage. The location where data is stored is denoted by its physical memory address. This memory register identifier remains constant and is independent of the value stored there. Some examples of primary storage devices include random-access memory (RAM), synchronous dynamic random- access memory (SDRAM), and read-only memory (ROM). RAM is volatile, that is, when the system shuts down, it flushes the data in RAM although recent research has shown that data may still be retrievable. Contrast this
Secondary storage is incorrect. Secondary storage holds data not currently being used by the CPU and is used when data must be stored for an extended period of time using high-capacity, nonvolatile storage. Secondary storage includes disk, floppies, CD's, tape, etc. While secondary storage includes basically anything different from primary storage, virtual memory's use of secondary storage is usually confined to high-speed disk storage.
Real storage is incorrect. Real storage is another word for primary storage and distinguishes
physical memory from virtual memory.


Reference:

Hernandez CISSP, Steven (2012-12-21). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 17164-17171). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.
Hernandez CISSP, Steven (2012-12-21). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 17196-17201). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.
Hernandez CISSP, Steven (2012-12-21). Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, Third Edition ((ISC)2 Press) (Kindle Locations 17186-17187). Auerbach Publications. Kindle Edition.



Which of the following statements pertaining to protection rings is false?

  1. They provide strict boundaries and definitions on what the processes that work within each ring can access.
  2. Programs operating in inner rings are usually referred to as existing in a privileged mode.
  3. They support the CIA triad requirements of multitasking operating systems.
  4. They provide users with a direct access to peripherals

Answer(s): D

Explanation:

In computer science, hierarchical protection domains, often called protection rings, are mechanisms to protect data and functionality from faults (fault tolerance) and malicious behaviour (computer security). This approach is diametrically opposite to that of capability-based security.
Computer operating systems provide different levels of access to resources. A protection ring is one of two or more hierarchical levels or layers of privilege within the architecture of a computer system. This is generally hardware-enforced by some CPU architectures that provide different CPU modes at the hardware or microcode level.
Rings are arranged in a hierarchy from most privileged (most trusted, usually numbered zero) to least privileged (least trusted, usually with the highest ring number). On most operating systems, Ring 0 is the level with the most privileges and interacts most directly with the physical hardware such as the CPU and memory.
Special gates between rings are provided to allow an outer ring to access an inner ring's resources in a predefined manner, as opposed to allowing arbitrary usage. Correctly gating access between rings can improve security by preventing programs from one ring or privilege level from misusing resources intended for programs in another. For example, spyware running as a user program in Ring 3 should be prevented from turning on a web camera without informing the user, since hardware access should be a Ring 1 function reserved for device drivers. Programs such as web browsers running in higher numbered rings must request access to the network, a resource restricted to a lower numbered ring.
"They provide strict boundaries and definitions on what the processes that work within each ring can access" is incorrect. This is in fact one of the characteristics of a ring protection system.
"Programs operating in inner rings are usually referred to as existing in a privileged mode" is incorrect. This is in fact one of the characteristics of a ring protection system.
"They support the CIA triad requirements of multitasking operating systems" is incorrect. This is in fact one of the characteristics of a ring protection system.


Reference:

CBK, pp. 310-311
AIO3, pp. 253-256
AIOv4 Security Architecture and Design (pages 308 - 310) AIOv5 Security Architecture and Design (pages 309 - 312)



What is it called when a computer uses more than one CPU in parallel to execute instructions?

  1. Multiprocessing
  2. Multitasking
  3. Multithreading
  4. Parallel running

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

A system with multiple processors is called a multiprocessing system.
Multitasking is incorrect. Multitasking involves sharing the processor amoung all ready processes.
Though it appears to the user that multiple processes are executing at the same time, only one process is running at any point in time.
Multithreading is incorrect. The developer can structure a program as a collection of independent threads to achieve better concurrency. For example, one thread of a program might be performing a calculation while another is waiting for additional input from the user.
"Parallel running" is incorrect. This is not a real term and is just a distraction.


Reference:

CBK, pp. 315-316
AIO3, pp. 234 - 239



What can be defined as an abstract machine that mediates all access to objects by subjects to ensure that subjects have the necessary access rights and to protect objects from unauthorized access?

  1. The Reference Monitor
  2. The Security Kernel
  3. The Trusted Computing Base
  4. The Security Domain

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

The reference monitor refers to abstract machine that mediates all access to objects by subjects.
This question is asking for the concept that governs access by subjects to objects, thus the reference monitor is the best answer. While the security kernel is similar in nature, it is what actually enforces the concepts outlined in the reference monitor.
In operating systems architecture a reference monitor concept defines a set of design requirements on a reference validation mechanism, which enforces an access control policy over subjects' (e.g., processes and users) ability to perform operations (e.g., read and write) on objects (e.g., files and sockets) on a system. The properties of a reference monitor are:
The reference validation mechanism must always be invoked (complete mediation). Without this
property, it is possible for an attacker to bypass the mechanism and violate the security policy. The reference validation mechanism must be tamperproof (tamperproof). Without this property, an attacker can undermine the mechanism itself so that the security policy is not correctly enforced. The reference validation mechanism must be small enough to be subject to analysis and tests, the completeness of which can be assured (verifiable). Without this property, the mechanism might be flawed in such a way that the policy is not enforced.
For example, Windows 3.x and 9x operating systems were not built with a reference monitor, whereas the Windows NT line, which also includes Windows 2000 and Windows XP, was designed to contain a reference monitor, although it is not clear that its properties (tamperproof, etc.) have ever been independently verified, or what level of computer security it was intended to provide.
The claim is that a reference validation mechanism that satisfies the reference monitor concept will correctly enforce a system's access control policy, as it must be invoked to mediate all security- sensitive operations, must not be tampered, and has undergone complete analysis and testing to verify correctness. The abstract model of a reference monitor has been widely applied to any type of system that needs to enforce access control, and is considered to express the necessary and sufficient properties for any system making this security claim.
According to Ross Anderson, the reference monitor concept was introduced by James Anderson in an influential 1972 paper.
Systems evaluated at B3 and above by the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria (TCSEC) must enforce the reference monitor concept.
The reference monitor, as defined in AIO V5 (Harris) is: "an access control concept that refers to an abstract machine that mediates all access to objects by subjects."
The security kernel, as defined in AIO V5 (Harris) is: "the hardware, firmware, and software elements of a trusted computing based (TCB) that implement the reference monitor concept. The kernel must mediate all access between subjects and objects, be protected from modification, and be verifiable as correct."
The trusted computing based (TCB), as defined in AIO V5 (Harris) is: "all of the protection mechanisms within a computer system (software, hardware, and firmware) that are responsible for enforcing a security policy."
The security domain, "builds upon the definition of domain (a set of resources available to a subject) by adding the fact that resources withing this logical structure (domain) are working under the same security policy and managed by the same group."
The following answers are incorrect:
"The security kernel" is incorrect. One of the places a reference monitor could be implemented is in the security kernel but this is not the best answer.
"The trusted computing base" is incorrect. The reference monitor is an important concept in the TCB but this is not the best answer.
"The security domain is incorrect." The reference monitor is an important concept in the security domain but this is not the best answer.


Reference:

Official ISC2 Guide to the CBK, page 324
AIO Version 3, pp. 272 - 274
AIOv4 Security Architecture and Design (pages 327 - 328) AIOv5 Security Architecture and Design (pages 330 - 331)
Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_monitor






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