350-201 Question 56
Select 3Your organization is preparing to deploy a set of virtual machines to a cloud environment. To ensure security, you want to use hardened machine images. Which of the following steps should be taken during the hardening process to minimize vulnerabilities in these images?
- A
Remove unnecessary software and services from the machine image.
- B
Ensure the machine image includes default admin credentials for easy access.
- C
Apply the latest security patches and updates to the base image.
- D
Disable unused network ports and protocols in the machine image.
- E
Enable unrestricted outbound internet access to maximize connectivity.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, C, D
Explanation
Hardening machine images is a critical step to ensure secure deployment in cloud environments. Key hardening steps include removing unnecessary software and services, applying security updates, and disabling unused network ports and protocols. These actions reduce attack surfaces, mitigate known vulnerabilities, and enhance the overall security posture of the system. Avoid practices like including default admin credentials or enabling unrestricted internet access, as they introduce significant security risks.
- A. Correct.
Removing unnecessary software and services reduces potential attack surfaces and minimizes the risk of exploitation.
- B. Incorrect.
Including default admin credentials is a security risk as attackers often exploit default credentials. This step should not be taken.
- C. Correct.
Applying the latest security patches and updates ensures the image is protected against known vulnerabilities, which is a key hardening step.
- D. Correct.
Disabling unused network ports and protocols limits the exposure of the system to network-based attacks.
- E. Incorrect.
Enabling unrestricted outbound internet access can expose the machine to external threats and should be avoided unless explicitly required.