The seventh edition of CompTIA Security+ Study Guide offers invaluable preparation for Exam SY0-501. Written by a team of expert authors, the book covers 100% of the exam objectives with clear and concise explanations. Discover how to handle threats, attacks, and vulnerabilities using industry-standard tools and technologies, while gaining and understanding the role of architecture and design. Spanning topics from everyday tasks like identity and access management to complex subjects such as risk management and cryptography, this study guide helps you consolidate your knowledge base in preparation for the Security+ exam. Illustrative examples show how these processes play out in real-world scenarios, allowing you to immediately translate essential concepts to on-the-job application.
Coverage of 100% of all exam objectives in this Study Guide means you’ll be ready for:
- Managing Risk
- Designing and Diagnosing Networks
- Understanding Devices and Infrastructure
- Identify and Access Management
- Protecting Wireless Networks
- Securing the Cloud
- Data, Privacy, and Security Practices
- Cryptography and PKI
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Interactive learning environment
Take your exam prep to the next level with Sybex’s superior interactive online study tools.3333px;">
- Interactive test bank with 2 bonus exams and 12 chapter tests. Practice questions help you identify areas where further review is needed. 325 questions total!
- 100 Electronic Flashcards to reinforce learning and last-minute prep before the exam.
- Comprehensive glossary in PDF format gives you instant access to the key terms so you are fully prepared.
ABOUT THE PRACTICE LABS SECURITY+ LABS
So you can practice with hands-on learning in a real environment, Sybex has bundled Practice Labs virtual labs that run from your browser. The registration code is included with the book and gives you 6 months unlimited access to Practice Labs CompTIA Security+ Exam SY0-501 Labs with 25 unique lab modules to practice your skills.
Table of Contents
Introduction xxiv
Assessment Test xli
Chapter 1 Managing Risk 1
Risk Terminology 3
Threat Assessment 6
Risk Assessment 6
Computing Risk Assessment 7
Assessing Privacy 12
Acting on Your Risk Assessment 12
Risks Associated with Cloud Computing 15
Risks Associated with Virtualization 16
Developing Policies, Standards, and Guidelines 17
Implementing Policies 17
Understanding Control Types and False Positives/Negatives 26
Risk Management Best Practices 28
Change Management 38
Summary 38
Exam Essentials 38
Review Questions 40
Chapter 2 Monitoring and Diagnosing Networks 45
Monitoring and Diagnosing Networks Terminology 47
Frameworks, Best Practices, and Configuration Guides 48
Industry-Standard Frameworks and Reference Architectures 48
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 51
Benchmarks/Secure Configuration Guides 54
Secure Network Architecture Concepts 57
Zones 57
Tunneling/VPN 63
Placing Security Devices 64
SDN 67
IDS vs. IPS 67
Secure Systems Design 68
Hardware and Firmware Security 68
Operating Systems 69
Peripherals 73
Secure Staging Deployment Concepts 73
Summary 74
Exam Essentials 74
Review Questions 76
Chapter 3 Understanding Devices and Infrastructure 79
Infrastructure Terminology 81
Designing with Security in Mind 84
Firewalls 84
VPNs and VPN Concentrators 89
Intrusion Detection Systems 91
Router 104
Switch 106
Proxy 107
Load Balancer 108
Access Point 108
SIEM 111
DLP 111
Network Access Control (NAC) 112
Mail Gateway 112
Bridge 113
SSL/TLS Accelerators 113
SSL Decryptors 113
Media Gateway 114
Hardware Security Module 114
Summary 115
Exam Essentials 115
Review Questions 116
Chapter 4 Identity and Access Management 121
Using Tools to Assess Your Network 125
Protocol Analyzer 125
Network Scanners 127
Password Cracker 130
Vulnerability Scanners 131
Command-Line Tools 135
Additional Tools 142
Troubleshooting Common Security Issues 143
Access Issues 144
Configuration Issues 145
Security Technologies 147
Intrusion Detection Systems 147
Antimalware 148
Firewalls and Related Devices 149
Other Systems 150
Identity and Access Management Concepts 151
Identification vs. Authentication 151
Authentication (Single Factor) and Authorization 152
Multifactor Authentication 153
Biometrics 153
Federations 154
Potential Authentication and Access Problems 154
LDAP 155
PAP, SPAP, and CHAP 155
Kerberos 156
Working with RADIUS 157
TACACS, TACACS+, XTACACS 158
OATH 158
One-Time Passwords 158
SAML 159
Install and Configure Identity and Access Services 159
Mandatory Access Control 159
Discretionary Access Control 160
Role-Based Access Control 160
Rule-Based Access Control 160
ABAC 161
Smartcards 161
Tokens 162
File and Database Security 163
Summary 163
Exam Essentials 164
Review Questions 165
Chapter 5 Wireless Network Threats 169
Wireless Threat Terminology 170
Wireless Vulnerabilities to Know 171
Replay 172
Rogue APs and Evil Twins 174
Jamming 174
WPS 175
Bluejacking 175
Bluesnarfing 175
NFC and RFID 176
Disassociation 176
Wireless Commonsense 176
Wireless Attack Analogy 176
Summary 177
Exam Essentials 178
Review Questions 179
Chapter 6 Securing the Cloud 183
Cloud-Related Terminology 184
Working with Cloud Computing 186
Software as a Service (SaaS) 186
Platform as a Service (PaaS) 186
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) 188
Private Cloud 189
Public Cloud 189
Community Cloud 189
Hybrid Cloud 190
Working with Virtualization 190
Understanding Hypervisors 190
Understanding Containers and Application Cells 192
VDI/VDE 192
On-Premise vs. Hosted vs. Cloud 192
VM Escape Protection 193
VM Sprawl Avoidance 193
Security and the Cloud 194
Cloud Access Security Brokers 195
Cloud Storage 195
Security as a Service 195
Summary 196
Exam Essentials 196
Review Questions 197
Chapter 7 Host, Data, and Application Security 201
Threat Actors and Attributes 204
Script Kiddies 205
Hacktivist 206
Organized Crime 207
Nation-States/APT 207
Insiders 207
Competitors 207
Use of Open Source Intelligence 208
Types of Vulnerabilities 211
Configuration Issues 211
User Issues 212
Zero-Day Exploits 212
Other Issues 214
Embedded Systems Security 214
Application Vulnerabilities 216
Input Vulnerabilities 216
Memory Vulnerabilities 217
Secure Programming 217
Programming Models 218
Software Testing 218
Specific Types of Testing 219
Secure Coding Standards 220
Application Configuration Baselining 221
Operating System Patch Management 221
Application Patch Management 222
Other Application Security Issues 222
Databases and Technologies 222
Database Security 225
Secure Configurations 225
Code Issues 225
Summary 226
Exam Essentials 226
Review Questions 227
Chapter 8 Cryptography 231
An Overview of Cryptography 234
Historical Cryptography 234
Modern Cryptography 238
Working with Symmetric Algorithms 239
Working with Asymmetric Algorithms 243
Cryptography Concepts 246
Hashing Algorithms 247
Rainbow Tables and Salt 249
Key Stretching 249
Cryptanalysis Methods 250
Wi-Fi Encryption 252
Using Cryptographic Systems 254
Confidentiality and Strength 254
Integrity 254
When to Encrypt 255
Digital Signatures 256
Authentication 257
Nonrepudiation 257
Key Features 258
Understanding Cryptography Standards and Protocols 258
The Origins of Encryption Standards 259
Public Key Infrastructure X.509/Public Key Cryptography Standards 261
X.509 262
Public Key Infrastructure 264
Pretty Good Privacy 264
SSL and TLS 266
Using Public Key Infrastructure 269
Hardware-Based Encryption Devices 269
Data Encryption 269
Authentication 270
Summary 271
Exam Essentials 271
Review Questions 273
Chapter 9 Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities 277
Threat and Attack Terminology 278
Living in a World of Viruses 282
Symptoms of a Virus Infection 282
How Viruses Work 283
Types of Viruses 284
Managing Spam to Avoid Viruses 286
Antivirus Software 287
Malware and Crypto-Malware 288
Understanding Various Types of Application/Service Attacks 296
Identifying Denial-of-Service and Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks 296
Man-in-the-Middle Attacks 298
Buffer Overflow 299
Injection 299
Cross-Site Scripting and Request Forgery 302
Privilege Escalation 303
ARP Poisoning 304
Amplification 304
DNS Poisoning 304
Domain Hijacking 304
Man-in-the-Browser 305
Zero-Day Exploits 305
Replay Attacks 305
Pass the Hash 306
Hijacking and Related Attacks 306
Driver Manipulation 307
MAC and IP Spoofing Attacks 308
Summary 309
Exam Essentials 309
Review Questions 311
Chapter 10 Social Engineering and Other Foes 315
Social Engineering and Physical Security Terminology 316
Understanding Social Engineering 318
Types of Social Engineering Attacks 319
What Motivates an Attack? 325
The Principles Behind Social Engineering 326
Social Engineering Attack Examples 327
Understanding Physical Security 330
Lighting 331
Signs 331
Fencing, Gates, and Cages 332
Security Guards 333
Alarms 333
Safe 334
Secure Cabinets and Enclosures 334
Protected Distribution 335
Protected Cabling 336
Airgap 336
Mantrap 336
Faraday Cage 337
Lock Types 337
Biometrics 338
Barricades/Bollards 339
Tokens/Cards 339
Environmental Controls 339
Cable Locks 345
Screen Filters 346
Cameras 346
Motion Detection 347
Logs 347
Infrared Detection 348
Key Management 348
Various Control Types 348
An Analogy of Control Types 349
Data Security and Privacy Practices 350
Data Destruction and Media Sanitation 350
Data Sensitivity Labeling and Handling 352
Data Roles 355
Data Retention 355
Legal and Compliance 356
Summary 356
Exam Essentials 356
Review Questions 358
Chapter 11 Security Administration 363
Connection Types 365
Cellular 365
Bluetooth 365
Wi-Fi 366
Infrared 368
SATCOM 369
Mobile Devices 369
BYOD Issues 371
Enforcement 373
Account Management Concepts 374
Account Types 375
General Concepts 376
Summary 378
Exam Essentials 378
Review Questions 379
Chapter 12 Disaster Recovery and Incident Response 383
Disaster and Incident Related Terminology 385
Penetration Testing 387
What Should You Test? 387
Vulnerability Scanning 388
Issues Associated with Business Continuity 389
Types of Storage Mechanisms 390
Crafting a Disaster-Recovery Plan 392
Incident Response Procedures 403
Understanding Incident Response 404
Tabletop Exercises 412
Summary 412
Exam Essentials 413
Review Questions 414
Appendix Answers to Review Questions 419
Chapter 1: Managing Risk 420
Chapter 2: Monitoring and Diagnosing Networks 421
Chapter 3: Understanding Devices and Infrastructure 422
Chapter 4: Identity and Access Management 423
Chapter 5: Wireless Network Threats 425
Chapter 6: Securing the Cloud 426
Chapter 7: Host, Data, and Application Security 427
Chapter 8: Cryptography 428
Chapter 9: Threats, Attacks, and Vulnerabilities 429
Chapter 10: Social Engineering and Other Foes 430
Chapter 11: Security Administration 431
Chapter 12: Disaster Recovery and Incident Response 432
Index 435
