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B.Tech Cyber Security Network Security — practice questions

Explore 40 free Network Security questions in B.Tech Cyber Security Cybersecurity. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Network Security questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–30 of 40.

A FIREWALL primarilyRead the answer and worked solution →IDS vs IPS:Read the answer and worked solution →A VPN (Virtual Private Network) primarily providesRead the answer and worked solution →PORT SCANNING is a technique toRead the answer and worked solution →Which port is the default for SSH (Secure Shell)?Read the answer and worked solution →A SYN FLOOD attack works byRead the answer and worked solution →A MAN-IN-THE-MIDDLE (MITM) attack happens whenRead the answer and worked solution →DNSSEC adds which security property to DNS?Read the answer and worked solution →DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) differs from DoS in thatRead the answer and worked solution →A ZERO-TRUST network architecture is based on the principleRead the answer and worked solution →WPA3 isRead the answer and worked solution →ARP SPOOFING (or ARP poisoning) lets an attacker on a LANRead the answer and worked solution →A WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL (WAF) sits at which layer of the network?Read the answer and worked solution →A SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) system primarilyRead the answer and worked solution →Addresses at the network layer are referred to as:Read the answer and worked solution →TCP and UDP are commonly used protocols at which layer?Read the answer and worked solution →Which is the fundamental network layer protocol for TCP/IP?Read the answer and worked solution →At one time, most firewalls were deployed at network:Read the answer and worked solution →In its most basic form, a packet filtering firewall operates at which layer?Read the answer and worked solution →Firewall software should be patched when vendors provide updates addressing:Read the answer and worked solution →Traffic not expressly permitted by the firewall policy should generally be:Read the answer and worked solution →Firewalls that examine more layers can perform examinations that are more:Read the answer and worked solution →Network address translation is described as actually being which technology?Read the answer and worked solution →Stateful inspection works by adding greater awareness of which layer?Read the answer and worked solution →Firewall rulesets should be as specific as possible with regard to the:Read the answer and worked solution →Firewall performance can often be improved by doing what to rulesets?Read the answer and worked solution →What does a stateful firewall check a packet against first?Read the answer and worked solution →State table entries typically include port numbers, IP addresses and:Read the answer and worked solution →When a firewall provides NAT services, it often includes NAT information in its:Read the answer and worked solution →Why do application proxy gateways spend more time on each packet?Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

A FIREWALL primarily

  1. speeds up the internet
  2. indexes web pages
  3. compresses video streams
  4. filters traffic by rules
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Correct answer: D. filters traffic by rules

1. FIREWALL: a network security device or software that ENFORCES a security policy on incoming/outgoing traffic. 2. RULES typically based on: source/dest IP, port, protocol, application, time of day, user identity. 3. TYPES: • STATEFUL: tracks connections allows return traffic for outbound connections automatically. • PROXY: terminates the connection, opens a new one to the destination (inspecting in between). • NEXT-GENERATION (NGFW): adds DPI (deep packet inspection), IDS/IPS integration, app awareness. 4. NOT a complete defense: blocks unauthorised traffic but can't protect against malicious traffic on allowed ports. _Source: NIST SP 800-12 (Firewalls overview)._

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IDS vs IPS:

  1. IDS prevents attacks; IPS only detects
  2. IDS alerts; IPS detects + blocks
  3. Both are encryption protocols
  4. Both manage user passwords
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Correct answer: B. IDS alerts; IPS detects + blocks

1. IDS (Intrusion Detection System): passively MONITORS traffic and raises ALERTS when suspicious patterns are seen. Doesn't block. 2. IPS (Intrusion Prevention System): inline device that can DROP, RESET, or QUARANTINE traffic that matches malicious signatures. 3. DEPLOYMENT: • IDS: out-of-band (on a SPAN/mirror port) — no risk of false positives blocking legit traffic. • IPS: in-line — must be very accurate to avoid breaking legitimate sessions. 4. DETECTION methods: SIGNATURE-based (known attack patterns), ANOMALY-based (deviation from baseline), HYBRID. 5. Snort, Suricata, Zeek are common open-source examples. _Source: NIST SP 800-94 (Intrusion Detection and Prevention) — referenced from CSF DE.CM._

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A VPN (Virtual Private Network) primarily provides

  1. free Wi-Fi at airport terminals
  2. censorship of certain websites
  3. faster downloads always for users
  4. encrypted tunnel over an untrusted net
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Correct answer: D. encrypted tunnel over an untrusted net

1. VPN: creates an encrypted tunnel between two endpoints (client-to-site or site-to-site). 2. PROVIDES: • CONFIDENTIALITY: traffic is encrypted in transit. • AUTHENTICATION: both endpoints prove identity. • INTEGRITY: detects tampering. 3. USE CASES: secure remote access, bypassing geo-restrictions, hiding traffic from local network (e.g. public Wi-Fi). 4. PROTOCOLS: IPsec, OpenVPN, WireGuard (modern, minimal codebase), L2TP+IPsec. 5. CAVEAT: a VPN only shifts trust to the VPN provider — they can see decrypted endpoints. Use it for what it protects against, not as a privacy panacea. _Source: RFC 4301 (IPsec architecture) + general NIST guidance._

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