Free Certified in Cybersecurity Examination Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Certified in Cybersecurity Examination practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1Which security objective is most directly concerned with restricting who can read sensitive information?

   1. A. Availability of the information
   2. B. Confidentiality of the information
   3. C. Integrity of the information
   4. D. Authenticity of the information

   Answer: B

   Explanation: NIST defines confidentiality as "Preserving authorized restrictions on information access and disclosure." Restricting readers is an access and disclosure concern.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-12 Rev. 1: An Introduction to Information Security — §1.4, Important Terminology, pp. 2–3

2. 2Why should cybersecurity governance consider the organization's broader enterprise risk strategy?

   1. A. To incorporate cyber risk into enterprise decisions
   2. B. To remove all nontechnical business objectives
   3. C. To let a tool set the organization's risk appetite
   4. D. To replace every legal requirement with a metric

   Answer: A

   Explanation: NIST says governance activities are critical for "incorporating cybersecurity into an organization’s broader enterprise risk management (ERM) strategy." Cybersecurity risk is part of enterprise risk.

   Reference: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 — §2, Introduction to the CSF Core, p. 3

3. 3What should an organization define before allowing a category of system account?

   1. A. Whether the account type is permitted or prohibited
   2. B. Whether each requested user has completed training
   3. C. Whether inactive accounts have been removed
   4. D. Whether privileged activity has been logged

   Answer: A

   Explanation: NIST AC-2 says to "Define and document the types of accounts allowed and specifically prohibited for use within the system." Account type rules precede account creation.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations — AC-2, Account Management, pp. 19–20

4. 4In the TCP/IP model, what does an IP address identify?

   1. A. A network-layer address
   2. B. An application process
   3. C. A transport-layer port
   4. D. A link-layer MAC address

   Answer: A

   Explanation: "Addresses at the network layer are referred to as IP addresses." An IP address is the network-layer identifier.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-41 Rev. 1: Guidelines on Firewalls and Firewall Policy — Section 2, TCP/IP Layers

5. 5Why apply a human-readable security marking to information-bearing media?

   1. A. To indicate distribution limits and handling caveats
   2. B. To encrypt all data automatically
   3. C. To generate a new cryptographic key
   4. D. To erase the media before reuse

   Answer: A

   Explanation: "Mark system media indicating the distribution limitations, handling caveats, and applicable security markings (if any) of the information" A visible marking communicates handling and distribution constraints.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: Security and Privacy Controls — MP-3 Media Marking

6. 6A stored record is changed without authorization. Which security objective is directly affected by the change?

   1. A. Confidentiality of the record
   2. B. Availability of the record
   3. C. Integrity of the record
   4. D. Privacy of the record

   Answer: C

   Explanation: NIST describes integrity as "Guarding against improper information modification or destruction." An unauthorized edit is improper modification.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-12 Rev. 1: An Introduction to Information Security — §1.4, Important Terminology, pp. 2–3

7. 7Which CSF component organizes cybersecurity outcomes into Functions, Categories, and Subcategories?

   1. A. CSF Core
   2. B. Current Profile
   3. C. CSF Tier
   4. D. Informative Reference

   Answer: A

   Explanation: NIST states that "The CSF Core components are a hierarchy of Functions, Categories, and Subcategories." The Core is the organizing component.

   Reference: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 — §1, Cybersecurity Framework Overview, pp. 1–2

8. 8Who should be designated to oversee the management of system accounts?

   1. A. Account managers
   2. B. Account requesters
   3. C. Role owners
   4. D. System auditors

   Answer: A

   Explanation: NIST AC-2 includes the directive "Assign account managers." Named managers provide ownership for account lifecycle actions.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations — AC-2, Account Management, pp. 19–20

9. 9What does a TCP destination port number generally identify?

   1. A. The sender's network interface
   2. B. A service listening on the destination host
   3. C. The next router's physical address
   4. D. The sender's assigned IP network

   Answer: B

   Explanation: "a destination port number generally identifies a service listening on the destination host" A destination port selects a receiving service.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-41 Rev. 1: Guidelines on Firewalls and Firewall Policy — Section 2, TCP/IP Layers

10. 10Before releasing storage media for reuse, what action protects information that may remain on it?

    1. A. Sanitize or destroy the media
    2. B. Only rename the stored files
    3. C. Only disconnect the network cable
    4. D. Only change the user's screen lock

    Answer: A

    Explanation: "sanitize or destroy system media before disposal or release for reuse." The control addresses residual information before reuse.

    Reference: NIST SP 800-12 Rev. 1: An Introduction to Information Security — Section 10.11, Media Protection