foundations of cybersecurity coursera weekly challenge 1 answers
Test your knowledge: Introduction to cybersecurity
Practice Assignment
1. Fill in the blank: Cybersecurity is the practice of ensuring _____ by protecting networks, devices, people, and data from unauthorized access or criminal exploitation.
- Customer trust, increased revenue, and advancement
- Compliance standards, instructions, and access
- Confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information
- Continuity, invulnerability, and attainment of business goals
Explanation:
Cybersecurity aims to uphold the CIA triad:
- Confidentiality: Ensuring only authorized access to information.
- Integrity: Maintaining accuracy and reliability of data.
- Availability: Ensuring data and resources are accessible when needed.
2. What are the primary responsibilities of an entry-level security analyst? Select three answers.
- Create compliance laws
- Protect information
- Search for weaknesses
- Monitor systems
Explanation:
An entry-level security analyst is responsible for:
- Protecting information by enforcing security protocols.
- Searching for weaknesses to identify vulnerabilities in systems.
- Monitoring systems for suspicious activity and potential breaches.
Creating compliance laws is a role typically associated with legal or regulatory professionals.
3. Fill in the blank: Performing _____ enables security professionals to review an organization's security records, activities, and related documents.
- penetration tests
- software developments
- ethical hacking
- security audits
Explanation:
A security audit is a systematic review of an organization’s security policies, practices, and controls to ensure they meet regulatory and operational standards. It helps identify gaps and improve security measures.
4. In what ways do security teams bring value to an organization? Select two answers.
- Protecting against external and internal threats
- Reducing business productivity
- Achieving regulatory compliance
- Increasing operational expenses
Explanation:
Security teams provide value by:
- Ensuring the organization complies with regulations, avoiding fines and legal issues.
- Safeguarding the organization from threats that could result in data breaches, financial losses, or reputational harm.
Increasing operational expenses and reducing productivity are negative impacts and not aligned with the value security teams provide.
Test your knowledge: Core skills for cybersecurity professionals
Practice Assignment
5. Which of the following proficiencies are transferable skills, likely to be applicable in almost any field? Select all that apply.
- Written and verbal communication
- Problem-solving
- Analysis
- Programming
Explanation:
- Problem-solving is critical in addressing challenges across industries.
- Written and verbal communication ensures clear articulation of ideas and collaboration.
- Analysis helps in evaluating data or situations to make informed decisions.
Programming is more of a technical skill and not broadly applicable to all fields.
6. Which of the following proficiencies are technical skills that are needed to become an entry-level security analyst? Select all that apply.
- Regulation writing
- Software development
- Data analysis
- Programming
Explanation:
- Data analysis is essential for identifying patterns in security logs and detecting anomalies.
- Programming helps in creating scripts or tools for automating security tasks and analyzing threats.
Collaboration and regulation writing are important but are not classified as technical skills specific to a security analyst role.
7. Fill in the blank: _____ identify, analyze, and preserve criminal evidence within networks, computers, and electronic devices.
- Business intelligence professionals
- Digital forensic investigators
- Security operations center analysts
- Ethical hackers
Explanation:
Digital forensic investigators specialize in uncovering and preserving evidence related to cybercrimes. They work on analyzing electronic devices and ensuring the evidence is admissible in legal proceedings.
8. What are examples of sensitive personally identifiable information (SPII) that cybersecurity professionals need to protect? Select two answers.
- Bank account numbers
- Email addresses
- Medical records
- Last names
Explanation:
Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (SPII) includes highly confidential data such as:
- Medical records: Contains personal health information that must be protected under laws like HIPAA.
- Bank account numbers: Critical financial data that could lead to fraud if compromised.
Email addresses and last names are considered general PII but not SPII.
Weekly challenge 1
9. Fill in the blank: Cybersecurity aims to protect networks, devices, people, and data from _____ or criminal exploitation.
- changing business priorities
- unauthorized access
- poor financial management
- market shifts
Explanation: It ensures security against malicious actors.
10. Which of the following tasks are typically responsibilities of entry-level security analysts? Select all that apply.
- Installing prevention software
- Creating organizational policies
- Conducting periodic security audits
- Protecting computer and network systems
Explanation: These tasks involve maintaining system integrity and preventing security breaches.
11. An employee receives an email that they believe to be legitimate. They click on a compromised link within the email. What type of internal threat does this scenario describe?
- Abusive
- Intentional
- Accidental
- Operational
Explanation: This type of threat arises unintentionally, often due to a lack of awareness or training.
12. Fill in the blank: Identity theft is the act of stealing _____ to commit fraud while impersonating a victim.
- trade secrets
- hardware
- personal information
- business records
Explanation: Examples include using stolen data for financial fraud or other illegal activities.
13. What are some key benefits associated with an organization meeting regulatory compliance? Select two answers.
- Avoiding fines
- Recruiting employees
- Upholding ethical obligations
- Increasing productivity
Explanation: Compliance reduces legal risks and aligns with ethical business practices.
14. An individual is in their first job as an entry-level security professional. They apply the problem-solving proficiencies that they learned in past roles to their current security career. What does this scenario describe?
- Having expertise with a specific procedure
- Understanding business standards
- Taking on-the-job training
- Using transferable skills
Explanation: Problem-solving from previous roles can effectively apply to cybersecurity challenges.
15. Fill in the blank: Security information and _____ management (SIEM) tools enable security professionals to identify and analyze threats, risks, and vulnerabilities.
- employer
- event
- emergency
- enterprise
Explanation: SIEM tools collect and analyze security data to detect and respond to threats.
16. What do security professionals typically do with SIEM tools?
- Identify threat actors and their locations
- Locate and preserve criminal evidence
- Educate others about potential security threats, risks, and vulnerabilities
- Identify and analyze security threats, risks, and vulnerabilities
Explanation: SIEM tools provide actionable insights into potential risks and malicious activity.
17. Which of the following statements accurately describe personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive personally identifiable information (SPII)? Select all that apply.
- An example of SPII is someone’s financial information.
- The theft of PII is often more damaging than the theft of SPII.
- Both PII and SPII are vulnerable to identity theft.
- An example of PII is someone’s date of birth.
Explanation: SPII is a subset of PII, but both types require protection from misuse.
18. Fill in the blank: Cybersecurity aims to protect networks, devices, people, and data from _____ or unauthorized access.
- poor financial management
- market shifts
- criminal exploitation
- changing business priorities
Explanation: Cybersecurity addresses threats like hacking and fraud that exploit vulnerabilities.
19. Which of the following entities may be an internal threat to an organization? Select three answers.
- Trusted partners
- Vendors
- Employees
- Customers
Explanation: Insiders with access to sensitive systems can pose significant risks.
20. An individual has their personal information stolen. They discover that someone is using that information to impersonate them and commit fraud. What does this scenario describe?
- Data breach
- Secured customer data
- Network infiltration
- Identity theft
Explanation: Identity theft involves using someone else’s personal information for malicious purposes.
21. Fill in the blank: An organization that is in regulatory compliance is likely to _____ fines.
- rectify
- avoid
- encounter
- incur
Explanation: Following legal requirements prevents costly penalties and promotes trust.
22. An individual is in their first job as an entry-level security professional. They take training to learn more about the specific tools, procedures, and policies that are involved in their career. What does this scenario describe?
- Gaining new technical skills
- Improving management capabilities
- Understanding different perspectives
- Transferring capabilities from one career to another
Explanation: This highlights ongoing learning to master role-specific tools and technologies.
23. Which of the following statements accurately describe personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive personally identifiable information (SPII)? Select all that apply.
- An example of PII is someone’s phone number.
- An example of SPII is someone’s biometric data.
- Only SPII is vulnerable to identity theft.
- PII is any information used to infer an individual’s identity.
Explanation:
- PII includes any information that can identify a person (like a phone number).
- SPII is more sensitive, like biometric data, which can have serious consequences if compromised.
24. Fill in the blank: The purpose of _____ is to protect networks, devices, people, and data from unauthorized access or criminal exploitation.
- cybersecurity
- change-management
- planning
- business continuity
Explanation: Cybersecurity’s primary goal is to defend against unauthorized access and prevent malicious actions.
25. A security professional collaborates with information technology teams to deploy an application that helps identify risks and vulnerabilities. What does this scenario describe?
- Upgrading network capacity
- Installing detection software
- Conducting a security audit
- Ethical hacking
Explanation: The scenario describes the deployment of software that identifies security risks and vulnerabilities within a system. This type of software helps detect potential threats and weaknesses in the network or system.
26. Someone outside of an organization attempts to gain access to its private information. What type of threat does this scenario describe?
- Internal
- External
- Ethical
- Accidental
Explanation: An external threat comes from individuals or groups outside the organization trying to gain unauthorized access to its information or systems. These could include hackers or cybercriminals.
27. What is identity theft?
- Failing to maintain and secure user, customer, and vendor data
- Trying to gain access to an organization’s private networks
- Stealing personal information to commit fraud while impersonating a victim
- A data breach that affects an entire organization
Answer: Stealing personal information to commit fraud while impersonating a victim
Explanation: Identity theft involves stealing an individual’s personal information, such as social security numbers, credit card details, or other sensitive data, to commit fraudulent activities under the victim’s name.
28. A security professional receives an alert about an unknown user accessing a system within their organization. They attempt to identify, analyze, and preserve the associated criminal evidence. What security task does this scenario describe?
- Resolving error messages
- Programming with code
- Software upgrades
- Computer forensics
Explanation: Computer forensics is the process of investigating and preserving digital evidence following a security breach or suspicious activity, often in the context of legal actions.
29. What is regulatory compliance?
- Sites and services that require complex passwords to access
- Laws and guidelines that require implementation of security standards
- Expenses and fines associated with vulnerabilities
- Threats and risks from employees and external vendors
Explanation: Regulatory compliance refers to the need for organizations to adhere to specific laws, standards, and regulations regarding cybersecurity to ensure that they are operating securely and protecting sensitive information.
30. Fill in the blank: Security information and event _____ (SIEM) tools enable security professionals to identify and analyze threats, risks, and vulnerabilities.
- monitoring
- mitigation
- maturity
- management
Explanation: Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools help security professionals monitor, analyze, and manage security events, providing them with a comprehensive view of potential threats, risks, and vulnerabilities.