100-160 Question 54
Select 4A company’s network administrator notices unusual activity on the network, such as unauthorized access attempts from external IP addresses. To mitigate this issue, the administrator decides to implement basic network security controls. Which of the following actions should the administrator prioritize?
- A
Enable a firewall to filter incoming and outgoing traffic.
- B
Configure strong passwords for all user accounts on the network.
- C
Disable unused ports and services on network devices.
- D
Allow unrestricted access to external IP addresses for easier troubleshooting.
- E
Set up a guest network for visitors separate from the corporate network.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B, C, E
Explanation
To strengthen basic network security, the administrator should focus on implementing measures that reduce vulnerabilities, such as enabling a firewall, enforcing strong passwords, disabling unused ports, and isolating guest traffic. Allowing unrestricted access to external IPs, however, poses a significant security risk and contradicts best practices.
- A. Correct.
Enabling a firewall is a fundamental step in controlling and monitoring network traffic, preventing unauthorized access.
- B. Correct.
Strong passwords reduce the likelihood of brute force attacks and unauthorized access to user accounts.
- C. Correct.
Disabling unused ports and services reduces the potential attack surface for malicious actors.
- D. Incorrect.
Allowing unrestricted access to external IP addresses increases the risk of unauthorized access and is not a recommended security practice.
- E. Correct.
Setting up a separate guest network isolates visitor traffic from the corporate network, reducing the risk of internal network compromise.