100-160 Question 148
Select 3A financial services company experiences a cyberattack that exploits an unpatched vulnerability in one of its Windows servers. As a cybersecurity technician, you recommend implementing a proactive update strategy. Which steps should you prioritize to minimize the risk of similar attacks in the future?
- A
Enable automatic Windows updates on all company devices.
- B
Regularly review and apply firmware updates for critical hardware.
- C
Rely solely on antivirus software to detect and block potential exploits.
- D
Schedule periodic manual checks for application and driver updates.
- E
Delay patch installations until verifying they are entirely risk-free.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B, D
Explanation
A proactive update strategy should include enabling automatic updates for operating systems, applying firmware updates, and manually checking for application and driver updates. These steps collectively address vulnerabilities across different components of the IT environment, minimizing the risk of cyberattacks. Relying solely on antivirus software or delaying patches leaves systems vulnerable to exploitation.
- A. Correct.
Enabling automatic Windows updates ensures that critical security patches are applied promptly, reducing the risk of exploitation from known vulnerabilities.
- B. Correct.
Firmware updates often include security fixes for hardware vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit, making them an essential part of the update strategy.
- C. Incorrect.
Antivirus software is important but cannot fully protect against exploits that take advantage of unpatched vulnerabilities, so relying on it alone is insufficient.
- D. Correct.
Manually checking and applying updates for applications and drivers helps address vulnerabilities that may not be covered by automated systems.
- E. Incorrect.
Delaying patches increases the risk of exploitation. While testing patches is important, unnecessary delays leave systems exposed to known vulnerabilities.