350-201 Question 73
Select 3A financial organization has recently deployed a new web server in its DMZ for customer transactions. The cybersecurity team is tasked to harden the server by disabling unnecessary services to reduce the attack surface. Upon reviewing the server configuration, the following services are enabled: Telnet, FTP, SSH, HTTPS, and SNMP. Which services should be disabled to enhance security without impacting the server’s intended functionality?
- A
Telnet
- B
FTP
- C
SSH
- D
HTTPS
- E
SNMP
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, B, E
Explanation
To reduce the attack surface, unnecessary or insecure services such as Telnet, FTP, and SNMP should be disabled. Telnet and FTP transmit data in plaintext, making them vulnerable to interception, and SNMP can be exploited if misconfigured. SSH and HTTPS are secure protocols needed for system management and secure web communications, so they should remain enabled.
- A. Correct.
Telnet transmits data, including credentials, in plaintext, making it highly insecure. SSH should be used as a secure alternative.
- B. Correct.
FTP also transmits data in plaintext, including files and credentials. Secure alternatives such as SFTP or FTPS should be used instead.
- C. Incorrect.
SSH is a secure protocol for managing systems and should remain enabled unless explicitly unnecessary.
- D. Incorrect.
HTTPS is critical for secure web communications and should not be disabled in this case.
- E. Correct.
SNMP, if not required for server monitoring, should be disabled as it can be exploited if misconfigured or left with default credentials.