CompTIA Security+ Architecture & Design Practice Questions

Question 1

What is the PRIMARY purpose of RAID 1?

Accepted Answer

To provide fault tolerance through mirroring

Answer

To improve performance

Answer

To stripe data across multiple disks without parity

Answer

To combine multiple disks into one large volume

Question 2

Which control would BEST mitigate tailgating attacks?

Accepted Answer

Mantraps

Answer

Firewall rules

Answer

Antivirus software

Answer

Disk encryption

Question 3

What is the PRIMARY purpose of NAC (Network Access Control)?

Accepted Answer

To enforce security policies on devices before granting network access

Answer

To monitor network performance

Answer

To balance traffic across multiple servers

Answer

To encrypt all wireless communications

Question 4

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a firewall?

Accepted Answer

To filter network traffic based on rules

Answer

To prevent malware infections

Answer

To encrypt all communications

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 5

Which control would BEST protect against DDoS attacks?

Accepted Answer

Cloud-based mitigation services

Answer

Antivirus software

Answer

Full disk encryption

Answer

Password complexity requirements

Question 6

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a Faraday cage?

Accepted Answer

To block electromagnetic signals

Answer

To encrypt wireless communications

Answer

To filter network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 7

What is the PRIMARY purpose of TPM (Trusted Platform Module)?

Accepted Answer

To provide hardware-based security functions

Answer

To accelerate graphics processing

Answer

To increase network bandwidth

Answer

To compress storage requirements

Question 8

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a bastion host?

Accepted Answer

To serve as a hardened point of entry into a secure network

Answer

To store backup data

Answer

To encrypt all network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 9

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a jump box?

Accepted Answer

To provide controlled access to secure zones

Answer

To increase network speed

Answer

To encrypt all network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 10

What is the PRIMARY purpose of an air gap?

Accepted Answer

To physically isolate secure systems

Answer

To increase network speed

Answer

To encrypt network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 11

Which control would BEST protect against shoulder surfing?

Accepted Answer

Privacy filters

Answer

Disk encryption

Answer

MAC filtering

Answer

Antivirus software

Question 12

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a Faraday bag?

Accepted Answer

To prevent wireless signal emission from devices

Answer

To increase wireless signal strength

Answer

To encrypt wireless communications

Answer

To authenticate wireless devices

Question 13

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a proxy server?

Accepted Answer

To mediate and control network requests

Answer

To increase network speed

Answer

To encrypt all network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 14

Which control would BEST protect against tailgating?

Accepted Answer

Mantraps

Answer

Firewall rules

Answer

Disk encryption

Answer

Antivirus software

Question 15

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a VPN concentrator?

Accepted Answer

To terminate multiple VPN connections

Answer

To increase network speed

Answer

To encrypt all network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 16

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a next-generation firewall?

Accepted Answer

To provide application-aware filtering

Answer

To increase network speed

Answer

To encrypt all network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 17

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a demilitarized zone (DMZ)?

Accepted Answer

To isolate publicly accessible services

Answer

To increase network speed

Answer

To encrypt all network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 18

What is the PRIMARY purpose of a web application firewall?

Accepted Answer

To filter HTTP/HTTPS traffic

Answer

To increase network speed

Answer

To encrypt all network traffic

Answer

To authenticate users

Question 19

Which of the following is a primary benefit of implementing defense in depth as a security strategy?

Accepted Answer

It provides multiple layers of security controls, so if one fails, others may still protect assets.

Answer

It simplifies security management by using a single powerful control.

Answer

It focuses solely on perimeter security to block all external threats.

Answer

It guarantees that no security breaches will ever occur.

Question 20

Which security concept involves verifying a user's identity before granting access to resources, and then continuously monitoring their activity?

Accepted Answer

Zero Trust

Answer

Single Sign-On (SSO)

Answer

Federated Identity

Answer

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Question 21

What is the primary purpose of an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) compared to an Intrusion Detection System (IDS)?

Accepted Answer

An IPS can actively block or prevent malicious traffic, while an IDS primarily detects and alerts.

Answer

An IPS only logs suspicious activity, while an IDS actively blocks it.

Answer

An IPS focuses on host-based threats, while an IDS focuses on network-based threats.

Answer

An IPS uses signature-based detection, while an IDS uses anomaly-based detection.

Question 22

Which of the following is a common vulnerability associated with improperly configured S3 buckets in cloud environments?

Accepted Answer

Unintended public access leading to data exposure

Answer

SQL injection attacks

Answer

Denial-of-service due to traffic overload

Answer

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities

Question 23

Which of the following is a security concern specifically related to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices?

Accepted Answer

Default or hardcoded credentials and lack of patching.

Answer

Use of strong, unique passwords for administration.

Answer

Regular firmware updates provided by vendors.

Answer

Implementation of end-to-end encryption for communication.

Question 24

Which security solution acts as an intermediary between on-premises infrastructure and cloud applications to enforce security policies?

Accepted Answer

Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)

Answer

Next-generation firewall (NGFW)

Answer

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Answer

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Question 25

Which mobile security strategy involves separating corporate data from personal data on a BYOD device?

Accepted Answer

Containerization

Answer

Geofencing

Answer

Rooting

Answer

Sideloading

Question 26

Which data center design feature optimizes cooling by managing airflow to prevent the mixing of cool intake air and hot exhaust air?

Accepted Answer

Hot and cold aisles

Answer

Faraday cage

Answer

Fire suppression system

Answer

Mantrap

Question 27

What is the term for a hardware-based root of trust that ensures a system boots using only software that is trusted by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)?

Accepted Answer

Secure Boot

Answer

Full Disk Encryption

Answer

BIOS Password

Answer

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

Question 28

Which security architecture model converges networking and security as a service capabilities (like CASB, FWaaS, and ZTNA) into a unified cloud-native service?

Accepted Answer

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)

Answer

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management)

Answer

SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response)

Answer

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Question 29

Which application security testing method analyzes source code for vulnerabilities without executing the program?

Accepted Answer

SAST (Static Application Security Testing)

Answer

DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing)

Answer

Fuzzing

Answer

Penetration Testing

Question 30

What computing model processes data near the source of data generation (e.g., IoT sensors) rather than in a centralized cloud, to reduce latency?

Accepted Answer

Edge computing

Answer

Serverless computing

Answer

Mainframe computing

Answer

Grid computing

Question 31

Which security architecture places public-facing servers between external and internal firewalls?

Accepted Answer

DMZ

Answer

Flat LAN

Answer

Localhost

Answer

Honeynet only

Question 32

Which security model requires verification regardless of network location?

Accepted Answer

Zero Trust

Answer

Trust but never verify

Answer

Open perimeter

Answer

Single flat VLAN

Question 33

Which cloud model gives the customer the most responsibility for operating system security?

Accepted Answer

IaaS

Answer

SaaS

Answer

Managed email only

Answer

Public DNS

Question 34

Which security principle assumes breach and limits lateral movement through segmentation and verification?

Accepted Answer

Zero Trust

Answer

Single perimeter trust

Answer

Open guest network

Answer

Password reuse

Question 35

Which cloud security issue occurs when a storage bucket allows public read access unintentionally?

Accepted Answer

Misconfiguration

Answer

Hash collision

Answer

RF interference

Answer

Memory leak only

CompTIA Security+ Practice Questions: Architecture & Design

Q1. What is the PRIMARY purpose of RAID 1?

Q2. Which control would BEST mitigate tailgating attacks?

Q3. What is the PRIMARY purpose of NAC (Network Access Control)?

Q4. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a firewall?

Q5. Which control would BEST protect against DDoS attacks?

Q6. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a Faraday cage?

Q7. What is the PRIMARY purpose of TPM (Trusted Platform Module)?

Q8. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a bastion host?

Q9. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a jump box?

Q10. What is the PRIMARY purpose of an air gap?

Q11. Which control would BEST protect against shoulder surfing?

Q12. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a Faraday bag?

Q13. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a proxy server?

Q14. Which control would BEST protect against tailgating?

Q15. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a VPN concentrator?

Q16. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a next-generation firewall?

Q17. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a demilitarized zone (DMZ)?

Q18. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a web application firewall?

Q19. Which of the following is a primary benefit of implementing defense in depth as a security strategy?

Q20. Which security concept involves verifying a user's identity before granting access to resources, and then continuously monitoring their activity?

Q21. What is the primary purpose of an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) compared to an Intrusion Detection System (IDS)?

Q22. Which of the following is a common vulnerability associated with improperly configured S3 buckets in cloud environments?

Q23. Which of the following is a security concern specifically related to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices?

Q24. Which security solution acts as an intermediary between on-premises infrastructure and cloud applications to enforce security policies?

Q25. Which mobile security strategy involves separating corporate data from personal data on a BYOD device?

Q26. Which data center design feature optimizes cooling by managing airflow to prevent the mixing of cool intake air and hot exhaust air?

Q27. What is the term for a hardware-based root of trust that ensures a system boots using only software that is trusted by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)?

Q28. Which security architecture model converges networking and security as a service capabilities (like CASB, FWaaS, and ZTNA) into a unified cloud-native service?

Q29. Which application security testing method analyzes source code for vulnerabilities without executing the program?

Q30. What computing model processes data near the source of data generation (e.g., IoT sensors) rather than in a centralized cloud, to reduce latency?

Q31. Which security architecture places public-facing servers between external and internal firewalls?

Q32. Which security model requires verification regardless of network location?

Q33. Which cloud model gives the customer the most responsibility for operating system security?

Q34. Which security principle assumes breach and limits lateral movement through segmentation and verification?

Q35. Which cloud security issue occurs when a storage bucket allows public read access unintentionally?

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