200-201 Question 74

Community Discussion

Written by other learners. Comments can disagree with the marked answer — check the official documentation when in doubt.

• Chose B2

  source: https://contenthub.netacad.com/legacy/CyberOps/1.1/en/index.html#6.1.1.1 Vulnerability and Attack Surface – A weakness in a system or its design that could be exploited by a threat. An attack surface is the total sum of the vulnerabilities in a given system that is accessible to an attacker. The attack surface describes different points where an attacker could get into a system, and where they could get data out of the system. For example, your operating system and web browser could both need security patches. They are each vulnerable to attacks. Together, they create an attack surface the threat actor can exploit.

• 2

  The best answer is "B. the sum of all paths for data into and out of the environment." An attack surface refers to the sum of all paths through which an attacker can gain access to a system or environment to carry out an attack. This includes not only the hardware and software components of the system but also the interfaces, networks, and protocols that allow data to enter and leave the system. A vulnerability, on the other hand, is an exploitable weakness or flaw in a system or its design that can be used by an attacker to compromise the system's security and gain unauthorized access. Vulnerabilities can exist in hardware, software, network configurations, or even in human behavior. In summary, while a vulnerability is a specific weakness or flaw that can be exploited by an attacker, an attack surface is the sum of all possible avenues an attacker can use to gain access to a system or environment and carry out an attack.

• Chose B2

  B. Attack surface: The sum of all paths, entry points, and vulnerabilities through which an attacker can access an environment, system, or application.