Deck 3: Auditing Operating Systems and Networks

Question 1

The network paradox is that networks exist to provide user access to shared resources while one of its most important objectives is to control access.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

A worm is software program that replicates itself in areas of idle memory until the system fails.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The message authentication code is calculated by the sender and the receiver of a data transmission.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Disguising message packets to look as if they came from another user and to gain access to the host's network is called spooling.

Question 5

In a computerized environment, the audit trail log must be printed onto paper documents.

Question 6

Operating system controls are of interest to system professionals but should not concern accountants and auditors.

Question 7

IP spoofing is a form of masquerading to gain unauthorized access to a Web server.

Question 8

Electronic data interchange customers may be given access to the vendor's data files.

Question 9

A formal log-on procedure is the operating system's last line of defense against unauthorized access.

Question 10

The audit trail for electronic data interchange transactions is stored on magnetic media.

Question 11

Computer viruses usually spread throughout the system before being detected.

Question 12

Audit trails in computerized systems are comprised of two types of audit logs: detailed logs of individual keystrokes and event-oriented logs.

Question 13

A value added network can detect and reject transactions by unauthorized trading partners.

Question 14

Viruses rarely attach themselves to executable files.

Question 15

In a telecommunications environment, line errors can be detected by using an echo check.

Question 16

To preserve audit trails in a computerized environment, transaction logs are permanent records of transactions.

Question 17

A firewall is a hardware partition designed to protect networks from power surges.

Question 18

The most frequent victims of program viruses are microcomputers.

Question 19

The request-response technique should detect if a data communication transmission has been diverted.

Question 20

Electronic data interchange translation software interfaces with the sending firm and the value added network.

Question 21

Only two types of motivation drive DoS attacks: 1) to punish an organization with which the perpetrator had a grievance; and 2) to gain bragging rights for being able to do it.

Question 22

A digital signature is a digital copy of the sender's actual signature that cannot be forged.

Question 23

In a hierarchical topology, network nodes communicate with each other via a central host computer.

Question 24

Which of the following is considered an unintentional threat to the integrity of the operating system?

A) a hacker gaining access to the system because of a security flaw
B) a hardware flaw that causes the system to crash
C) a virus that formats the hard drive
D) the systems programmer accessing individual user files

Question 25

A smurf attack involves three participants: a zombie, an intermediary, and the victim.

Question 26

A factor that contributes to computer crime is the reluctance of many organizations to prosecute criminals for fear of negative publicity.

Question 27

All of the following will reduce the exposure to computer viruses except

A) install antivirus software
B) install factory-sealed application software
C) assign and control user passwords
D) install public-domain software from reputable bulletin boards

Question 28

A software program that allows access to a system without going through the normal logon procedures is called a

A) logic bomb
B) Trojan horse
C) worm
D) back door

Question 29

A ping is used to test the state of network congestion and determine whether a particular host computer is connected and available on the network.

Question 30

Because of network protocols, users of networks built by different manufacturers are able to communicate and share data.

Question 31

The bus topology connects the nodes in parallel.

Question 32

A network topology is the physical arrangement of the components of the network.

Question 33

Polling is one technique used to control data collisions.

Question 34

HTML tags are customized to delimit attributes, the content of which can be read and processed by computer applications.

Question 35

Hackers can disguise their message packets to look as if they came from an authorized user and gain access to the host's network using a technique called

A) spoofing.
B) spooling.
C) dual-homed.
D) screening.

Question 36

The more individuals that need to exchange encrypted data, the greater the chance that the key will become known to an intruder. To overcome this problem, private key encryption was devised.

Question 37

The operating system performs all of the following tasks except

A) translates third-generation languages into machine language
B) assigns memory to applications
C) authorizes user access
D) schedules job processing

Question 38

A software program that replicates itself in areas of idle memory until the system fails is called a

A) Trojan horse
B) worm
C) logic bomb
D) none of the above

Question 39

The rules that make it possible for users of networks to communicate are called protocols.

Question 40

The client-server model can only be applied to ring and star topologies.

Question 41

All of the following tests of controls will provide evidence that adequate computer virus control techniques are in place and functioning except

A) verifying that only authorized software is used on company computers
B) reviewing system maintenance records
C) confirming that antivirus software is in use
D) examining the password policy including a review of the authority table

Question 42

When auditors examine and test the call-back feature, they are testing which audit objective?

A) incompatible functions have been segregated
B) application programs are protected from unauthorized access
C) physical security measures are adequate to protect the organization from natural disaster
D) illegal access to the system is prevented and detected

Question 43

Passwords are secret codes that users enter to gain access to systems. Security can be compromised by all of the following except

A) failure to change passwords on a regular basis
B) using obscure passwords unknown to others
C) recording passwords in obvious places
D) selecting passwords that can be easily detected by computer criminals

Question 44

Which of the following is true?

A) Deep Packet Inspection uses a variety of analytical and statistical techniques to evaluate the contents of message packets.
B) An Intrusion prevention system works in parallel with a firewall at the perimeter of the network to act as a filer that removes malicious packets from the flow before they can affect servers and networks.
C) A distributed denial of service attack is so named because it is capable of attacking many victims simultaneously who are distributed across the internet.
D) None of the above are true statements.

Question 45

Audit objectives for communications controls include all of the following except

A) detection and correction of message loss due to equipment failure
B) prevention and detection of illegal access to communication channels
C) procedures that render intercepted messages useless
D) all of the above

Question 46

A system of computers that connects the internal users of an organization that is distributed over a wide geographic area is a(n)

A) LAN
B) decentralized network
C) multidrop network
D) Intranet

Question 47

Firewalls are

A) special materials used to insulate computer facilities
B) a system that enforces access control between two networks
C) special software used to screen Internet access
D) none of the above

Question 48

Which method will render useless data captured by unauthorized receivers?

A) echo check
B) parity bit
C) public key encryption
D) message sequencing

Question 49

In an electronic data interchange (EDI) environment, when the auditor compares the terms of the trading partner agreement against the access privileges stated in the database authority table, the auditor is testing which audit objective?

A) all EDI transactions are authorized
B) unauthorized trading partners cannot gain access to database records
C) authorized trading partners have access only to approved data
D) a complete audit trail is maintained

Question 50

To physically connect a workstation to a LAN requires a

A) file server
B) network interface card
C) multiplexer
D) bridge

Question 51

Many techniques exist to reduce the likelihood and effects of data communication hardware failure. One of these is

A) hardware access procedures
B) antivirus software
C) parity checks
D) data encryption

Question 52

In determining whether a system is adequately protected from attacks by computer viruses, all of the following policies are relevant except

A) the policy on the purchase of software only from reputable vendors
B) the policy that all software upgrades are checked for viruses before they are implemented
C) the policy that current versions of antivirus software should be available to all users
D) the policy that permits users to take files home to work on them

Question 53

All of the following are designed to control exposures from subversive threats except

A) firewalls
B) one-time passwords
C) field interrogation
D) data encryption

Question 54

All of the following techniques are used to validate electronic data interchange transactions except

A) value added networks can compare passwords to a valid customer file before message transmission
B) prior to converting the message, the translation software of the receiving company can compare the password against a validation file in the firm's database
C) the recipient's application software can validate the password prior to processing
D) the recipient's application software can validate the password after the transaction has been processed

Question 55

In an electronic data interchange environment, customers routinely

A) access the vendor's accounts receivable file with read/write authority
B) access the vendor's price list file with read/write authority
C) access the vendor's inventory file with read-only authority
D) access the vendor's open purchase order file with read-only authority

Question 56

In an electronic data interchange environment, the audit trail

A) is a printout of all incoming and outgoing transactions
B) is an electronic log of all transactions received, translated, and processed by the system
C) is a computer resource authority table
D) consists of pointers and indexes within the database

Question 57

Network protocols fulfill all of the following objectives except

A) facilitate physical connection between network devices
B) provide a basis for error checking and measuring network performance
C) promote compatibility among network devices
D) result in inflexible standards

Question 58

Which control will not reduce the likelihood of data loss due to a line error?

A) echo check
B) encryption
C) vertical parity bit
D) horizontal parity bit

Question 59

Which method is most likely to detect unauthorized access to the system?

A) message transaction log
B) data encryption standard
C) vertical parity check
D) request-response technique

Question 60

Which of the following deal with transaction legitimacy?

A) transaction authorization and validation
B) access controls
C) EDI audit trail
D) all of the above

Question 61

In a ring topology

A) the network consists of a central computer which manages all communications between nodes
B) has a host computer connected to several levels of subordinate computers
C) all nodes are of equal status; responsibility for managing communications is distributed among the nodes
D) information processing units rarely communicate with each other

Question 62

IP spoofing

A) combines the messages of multiple users into a "spoofing packet" where the IP addresses are interchanged and the messages are then distributes randomly among the targeted users.
B) is a form of masquerading to gain unauthorized access to a web server.
C) is used to establish temporary connections between network devices with different IP addresses for the duration of a communication session.
D) is a temporary phenomenon that disrupts transaction processing. It will resolve itself when the primary computer completes processing its transaction and releases the IP address needed by other users.

Question 63

A message that is made to look as though it is coming from a trusted source but is not is called

A) a denial of service attack
B) digital signature forging
C) Internet protocol spoofing
D) URL masquerading

Question 64

HTML

A) is the document format used to produce Web pages.
B) controls Web browsers that access the Web.
C) is used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet.
D) is used to transfer text files, programs, spreadsheets, and databases across the Internet.
E) is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level () format.

Question 65

In a star topology, when the central site fails

A) individual workstations can communicate with each other
B) individual workstations can function locally but cannot communicate with other workstations
C) individual workstations cannot function locally and cannot communicate with other workstations
D) the functions of the central site are taken over by a designated workstation

Question 66

Packet switching

A) combines the messages of multiple users into one packet for transmission. At the receiving end, the packet is disassembled into the individual messages and distributed to the intended users.
B) is a method for partitioning a database into packets for easy access where no identifiable primary user exists in the organization.
C) is used to establish temporary connections between network devices for the duration of a communication session.
D) is a denial of service technique that disassembles various incoming messages to targeted users into small packages and then reassembles them in random order to create a useless garbled message.

Question 67

FTP

A) is the document format used to produce Web pages.
B) controls Web browsers that access the Web.
C) is used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet
D) is used to transfer text files, programs, spreadsheets, and databases across the Internet.
E) is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level () format.

Question 68

A virtual private network:

A) is a password-controlled network for private users rather than the general public.
B) is a private network within a public network.
C) is an Internet facility that links user sites locally and around the world.
D) defines the path to a facility or file on the web.
E) none of the above is true.

Question 69

Which of the following statements is correct?

A) Packet switching combines the messages of multiple users into a "packet" for transmission. At the receiving end, the packet is disassembled into the individual messages and distributed to the intended users.
B) The decision to partition a database assumes that no identifiable primary user exists in the organization.
C) Packet switching is used to establish temporary connections between network devices for the duration of a communication session.
D) A deadlock is a temporary phenomenon that disrupts transaction processing. It will resolve itself when the primary computer completes processing its transaction and releases the data needed by other users.

Question 70

An IP Address:

A) defines the path to a facility or file on the web.
B) is the unique address that every computer node and host attached to the Internet must have.
C) is represented by a 64-bit data packet.
D) is the address of the protocol rules and standards that governing the design of internet hardware and software.

Question 71

Which of the following statements is correct? The client-server model

A) is best suited to the token-ring topology because the random-access method used by this model detects data collisions.
B) distributes both data and processing tasks to the server's node.
C) is most effective used with a bus topology.
D) is more efficient than the bus or ring topologies.

Question 72

A digital signature is

A) the encrypted mathematical value of the message sender's name
B) derived from the digest of a document that has been encrypted with the sender's private key
C) the computed digest of the sender's digital certificate
D) allows digital messages to be sent over analog telephone lines

Question 73

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack

A) is more intensive that a Dos attack because it emanates from single source
B) may take the form of either a SYN flood or smurf attack
C) is so named because it effects many victims simultaneously, which are distributed across the internet
D) turns the target victim's computers into zombies that are unable to access the Internet

Question 74

A star topology is appropriate

A) for a wide area network with a mainframe for a central computer
B) for centralized databases only
C) for environments where network nodes routinely communicate with each other
D) when the central database does not have to be concurrent with the nodes

Question 75

HTTP

A) is the document format used to produce Web pages.
B) controls Web browsers that access the Web.
C) is used to connect to Usenet groups on the Internet
D) is used to transfer text files, programs, spreadsheets, and databases across the Internet.
E) is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in higher-level () format.

Question 76

What are some typical problems with passwords?

Question 77

Which of the following statements is correct? TCP/IP

A) is the basic protocol that permits communication between Internet sites.
B) controls Web browsers that access the WWW.
C) is the file format used to produce Web pages.
D) is a low-level encryption scheme used to secure transmissions in HTTP format.

Question 78

A ping signal is used to initiate

A) URL masquerading
B) digital signature forging
C) Internet protocol spoofing
D) a smurf attack
E) none of the above is true

Question 79

What is a virus?

Question 80

List three methods of controlling unauthorized access to telecommunication messages.