Security+ Certification/Objectives

1.0 General Security Concepts

1.1 Compare and contrast various types of security controls

Security control
Control categories
- Technical
- Managerial
- Operational
- Physical

Control types
- Preventive
- Deterrent
- Detective
- Corrective
- Compensating
- Directive

1.2 Summarize fundamental security concepts

Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA)
Non-repudiation
Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)
- Authenticating people
- Authenticating systems
- Authorization models
Gap analysis
Zero Trust
- Control Plane
  - Adaptive identity
  - Threat scope reduction
  - Policy-driven access control
  - Policy Administrator
  - Policy Engine
- Data Plane
  - Implicit trust zones
  - Subject/System
  - Policy Enforcement Point

Physical security
- Bollards
- Access control vestibule
- Fencing
- Video surveillance
- Security guard
- Access badge
- Lighting
- Sensors
  - List of sensors
  - Infrared
  - Pressure
  - Microwave
  - Ultrasonic
Deception and disruption technology
- Honeypot
- Honeynet
- Honeyfile
- Honeytoken

1.3 Explain the importance of change management processes and the impact to security.

Business processes impacting security operation
- Approval process
- Ownership
- Stakeholders
- Impact analysis
- Test results
- Backout plan
- Maintenance window
- Standard operating procedure

Technical implications
- Allow lists/deny lists
- Restricted activities
- Downtime
- Service restart
- Application restart
- Legacy applications
- Dependencies
Documentation
- Updating diagrams
- Updating policies/procedures
Version control

1.4 Explain the importance of using appropriate cryptographic solutions.

Public key infrastructure (PKI)
- Public key
- Private key
- Key escrow
Encryption
- Level
  - Full-disk
  - Partition
  - File
  - Volume
  - Database
  - Record
- Transport/communication
- Asymmetric
- Symmetric
- Key exchange
- Algorithms
- Key length

Tools
- Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
- Hardware security module (HSM)
- Key management system
- Secure enclave
Obfuscation
- Steganography
- Tokenization
- Data masking
Hashing
Salting
Digital signatures
Key stretching
Blockchain
Open public ledger
Certificates
- Certificate authorities
- Certificate revocation lists (CRLs)
- Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP)
- Self-signed
- Third-party
- Root of trust
- Certificate signing request (CSR) generation
- Wildcard

2.0 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations

2.1 Compare and contrast common threat actors and motivations.

Threat actors
- Nation-state
- Unskilled attacker
- Hacktivist
- Insider threat
- Organized crime
- Shadow IT
Attributes of actors
- Internal/external
- Resources/funding
- Level of sophistication/capability

Motivations
- Data exfiltration
- Espionage
- Service disruption
- Blackmail
- Financial gain
- Philosophical/political beliefs
- Ethical
- Revenge
- Disruption/chaos
- War

2.2 Explain common threat vectors and attack surfaces.

Message-based
- Email
- Short Message Service (SMS)
- Instant messaging (IM)
Image-based
File-based
Voice call
Removable device
Vulnerable software
- Client-based vs. agentless
Unsupported systems and applications
Unsecure networks
- Wireless
- Wired
- Bluetooth
Open service ports

Default credentials
Supply chain
- Managed service providers (MSPs)
- Vendors
- Suppliers
Human vectors/social engineering
- Phishing
- Vishing
- Smishing
- Misinformation/disinformation
- Impersonation
- Business email compromise
- Pretexting
- Watering hole
- Brand impersonation
- Typosquatting

2.3 Explain various types of vulnerabilities.

Application
- Memory injection
- Buffer overflow
- Race conditions
  - Time-of-check (TOC)
  - Time-of-use (TOU)
- Malicious update
Operating system (OS)-based
Web-based
- Structured Query Language injection (SQLi)
- Cross-site scripting (XSS)
Hardware
- Firmware
- End-of-life
- Legacy

Virtualization
- Virtual machine (VM) escape
- Resource reuse
Cloud-specific
Supply chain
- Service provider
- Hardware provider
- Software provider
Cryptographic
Misconfiguration
Mobile device
- Side loading
- Jailbreaking
Zero-day

2.4 Given a scenario, analyze indicators of malicious activity.

Malware attacks
- Ransomware
- Trojan
- Worm
- Spyware
- Bloatware
- Virus
- Keylogger
- Logic bomb
- Rootkit
Physical attacks
- Brute force
- Radio frequency identification (RFID) cloning
- Environmental
Network attacks
- Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)
  - Amplified
  - Reflected
- Domain Name System (DNS) attacks
- Wireless
- On-path
- Credential replay
- Malicious code

Application attacks
- Injection
- Buffer overflow
- Replay
- Privilege escalation
- Forgery
- Directory traversal
Cryptographic attacks
- Downgrade
- Collision
- Birthday
Password attacks
- Spraying
- Brute force
Indicators
- Account lockout
- Concurrent session usage
- Blocked content
- Impossible travel
- Resource consumption
- Resource inaccessibility
- Out-of-cycle logging
- Published/documented
- Missing logs

2.5 Explain the purpose of mitigation techniques used to secure the enterprise.

Segmentation
Access control
- Access control list (ACL)
- Permissions
Application allow list
Isolation
Patching
Encryption
Monitoring
Least privilege

Configuration enforcement
Decommissioning
Hardening techniques
- Encryption
- Installation of endpoint protection
- Host-based firewall
- Host-based intrusion prevention system (HIPS)
- Disabling ports/protocols
- Default password changes
- Removal of unnecessary software

3.0 Security Architecture

3.1 Compare and contrast security implications of different architecture models.

Architecture and infrastructure concepts
- Cloud
  - Responsibility matrix
  - Hybrid considerations
  - Third-party vendors
- Infrastructure as code (IaC)
- Serverless
- Microservices
- Network infrastructure
  - Physical isolation
    - Air-gapped
  - Logical segmentation
  - Software-defined networking (SDN)
- On-premises
- Centralized vs. decentralized
- Containerization
- Virtualization
- IoT
- Industrial control systems (ICS)/ supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
- Real-time operating system (RTOS)
- Embedded systems
- High availability

Considerations
- Availability
- Resilience
- Cost
- Responsiveness
- Scalability
- Ease of deployment
- Risk transference
- Ease of recovery
- Patch availability
- Inability to patch
- Power
- Compute

3.2 Given a scenario, apply security principles to secure enterprise infrastructure.

Infrastructure considerations
- Device placement
- Security zones
- Attack surface
- Connectivity
- Failure modes
  - Fail-open
  - Fail-closed
- Device attribute
  - Active vs. passive
  - Inline vs. tap/monitor
- Network appliances
  - Jump server
  - Proxy server
  - Intrusion prevention system (IPS)/intrusion detection system (IDS)
  - Load balancer
  - Sensors
- Port security
  - 802.1X
  - Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
- Firewall types
  - Web application firewall (WAF)
  - Unified threat management (UTM)
  - Next-generation firewall (NGFW)
  - Layer 4/Layer 7

Secure communication/access
- Virtual private network (VPN)
- Remote access
- Tunneling
  - Transport Layer Security (TLS)
  - Internet protocol security (IPSec)
- Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN)
- Secure access service edge (SASE)
Selection of effective controls

3.3 Compare and contrast concepts and strategies to protect data.

Data types
- Regulated
- Trade secret
- Intellectual property
- Legal information
- Financial information
- Human- and non-human-readable
Data classifications
- Sensitive
- Confidential
- Public
- Restricted
- Private
- Critical

General data considerations
- Data states
  - Data at rest
  - Data in transit
  - Data in use
- Data sovereignty
- Geolocation
Methods to secure data
- Geographic restrictions
- Encryption
- Hashing
- Masking
- Tokenization
- Obfuscation
- Segmentation
- Permission restrictions

3.4 Explain the importance of resilience and recovery in security architecture.

High availability
- Load balancing vs. clustering
Site considerations
- Hot
- Cold
- Warm
- Geographic dispersion
Platform diversity
Multi-cloud systems
Continuity of operations
Capacity planning
- People
- Technology
- Infrastructure

Testing
- Tabletop exercises
- Fail over
- Simulation
- Parallel processing
Backups
- Onsite/offsite
- Frequency
- Encryption
- Snapshots
- Recovery
- Replication
- Journaling
Power
- Generators
- Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

4.0 Security Operations

4.1 Given a scenario, apply common security techniques to computing resources.

Secure baselines
- Establish
- Deploy
- Maintain
Hardening targets
- Mobile devices
- Workstations
- Switches
- Routers
- Cloud infrastructure
- Servers
- ICS/SCADA
- Embedded systems
- RTOS
- IoT devices
Wireless devices
- Installation considerations
  - Site surveys
  - Heat maps

Mobile solutions
- Mobile device management (MDM)
- Deployment models
  - Bring your own device (BYOD)
  - Corporate-owned, personally enabled (COPE)
  - Choose your own device (CYOD)
- Connection methods
  - Cellular
  - Wi-Fi
  - Bluetooth
Wireless security settings
- Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3)
- AAA/Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)
- Cryptographic protocols
- Authentication protocols
Application security
- Input validation
- Secure cookies
- Static code analysis
- Code signing
Sandboxing
Monitoring

4.2 Explain the security implications of proper hardware, software, and data asset management.

Acquisition/procurement process
Assignment/accounting
- Ownership
- Classification
Monitoring/asset tracking
- Inventory
- Enumeration

Disposal/decommissioning
- Sanitization
- Destruction
- Certification
- Data retention

4.3 Explain various activities associated with vulnerability management.

Identification methods
- Vulnerability scan
- Application security
  - Static analysis
  - Dynamic analysis
  - Package monitoring
- Threat feed
  - Open-source intelligence (OSINT)
  - Proprietary/third-party
  - Information-sharing organization
  - Dark web
- Penetration testing
- Responsible disclosure program
  - Bug bounty program
- System/process audit

Analysis
- Confirmation
  - False positive
  - False negative
- Prioritize
- Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS)
- Common Vulnerability Enumeration (CVE)
- Vulnerability classification
- Exposure factor
- Environmental variables
- Industry/organizational impact
- Risk tolerance
Vulnerability response and remediation
- Patching
- Insurance
- Segmentation
- Compensating controls
- Exceptions and exemptions
Validation of remediation
- Rescanning
- Audit
- Verification
Reporting

4.4 Explain security alerting and monitoring concepts and tools.

Monitoring computing resources
- Systems
- Applications
- Infrastructure
Activities
- Log aggregation
- Alerting
- Scanning
- Reporting
- Archiving
- Alert response and remediation/validation
  - Quarantine
  - Alert tuning

Tools
- Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)
- Benchmarks
- Agents/agentless
- Security information and event management (SIEM)
- Antivirus
- Data loss prevention (DLP)
- Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps
- NetFlow
- Vulnerability scanners

4.5 Given a scenario, modify enterprise capabilities to enhance security.

Firewall
- Rules
- Access lists
- Ports/protocols
- Screened subnets
IDS/IPS
- Trends
- Signatures
Web filter
- Agent-based
- Centralized proxy
- Universal Resource Locator (URL) scanning
- Content categorization
- Block rules
- Reputation
Operating system security
- Group Policy
- SELinux

Implementation of secure protocols
- Protocol selection
- Port selection
- Transport method
DNS filtering
Email security
- Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting and Conformance (DMARC)
- DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)
- Sender Policy Framework (SPF)
- Gateway
File integrity monitoring
DLP
Network access control (NAC)
Endpoint detection and response (EDR)/extended detection and response (XDR)
User behavior analytics

4.6 Given a scenario, implement and maintain identity and access management.

Provisioning/de-provisioning user accounts
Permission assignments and implications
Identity proofing
Federation
Single sign-on (SSO)
- Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
- Open authorization (OAuth)
- Security Assertions Markup Language (SAML)
Interoperability
Attestation
Access controls
- Mandatory
- Discretionary
- Role-based
- Rule-based
- Attribute-based
- Time-of-day restrictions
- Least privilege

Multifactor authentication
- Implementations
  - Biometrics
  - Hard/soft authentication tokens
  - Security keys
- Factors
  - Something you know
  - Something you have
  - Something you are
  - Somewhere you are
Password concepts
- Password best practices
  - Length
  - Complexity
  - Reuse
  - Expiration
  - Age
- Password managers
- Passwordless
Privileged access management tools
- Just-in-time permissions
- Password vaulting
- Ephemeral credentials

4.7 Explain the importance of automation and orchestration related to secure operations.

Use cases of automation and scripting
- User provisioning
- Resource provisioning
- Guard rails
- Security groups
- Ticket creation
- Escalation
- Enabling/disabling services and access
- Continuous integration and testing
- Integrations and Application programming interfaces (APIs)

Benefits
- Efficiency/time saving
- Enforcing baselines
- Standard infrastructure configurations
- Scaling in a secure manner
- Employee retention
- Reaction time
- Workforce multiplier
Other considerations
- Complexity
- Cost
- Single point of failure
- Technical debt
- Ongoing supportability

4.8 Explain appropriate incident response activities.

Process
- Preparation
- Detection
- Analysis
- Containment
- Eradication
- Recovery
- Lessons learned
Training
Testing
- Tabletop exercise
- Simulation

Root cause analysis
Threat hunting
Digital forensics
- Legal hold
- Chain of custody
- Acquisition
- Reporting
- Preservation
- E-discovery

4.9 Given a scenario, use data sources to support an investigation

Log data
- Firewall logs
- Application logs
- Endpoint logs
- OS-specific security logs
- IPS/IDS logs
- Network logs
- Metadata

Data sources
- Vulnerability scans
- Automated reports
- Dashboards
- Packet captures

5.0 Security Program Management and Oversight

5.1 Summarize elements of effective security governance.

Guidelines
Policies
- Acceptable use policy (AUP)
- Information security policies
- Business continuity
- Disaster recovery
- Incident response
- Software development lifecycle (SDLC)
- Change management
Standards
- Password
- Access control
- Physical security
- Encryption
Procedures
- Change management
- Onboarding/offboarding
- Playbooks

External considerations
- Regulatory
- Legal
- Industry
- Local/regional
- National
- Global
Monitoring and revision
Types of governance structures
- Boards
- Committees
- Government entities
- Centralized/decentralized
Roles and responsibilities for systems and data
- Owners
- Controllers
- Processors
- Custodians/stewards

5.2 Explain elements of the risk management process

Risk identification
Risk assessment
- Ad hoc
- Recurring
- One-time
- Continuous
Risk analysis
- Qualitative
- Quantitative
- Single loss expectancy (SLE)
- Annualized loss expectancy (ALE)
- Annualized rate of occurrence (ARO)
- Probability
- Likelihood
- Exposure factor
- Impact
Risk register
- Key risk indicators
- Risk owners
- Risk threshold

Risk tolerance
Risk appetite
- Expansionary
- Conservative
- Neutral
Risk management strategies
- Transfer
- Accept
  - Exemption
  - Exception
- Avoid
- Mitigate
Risk reporting
Business impact analysis
- Recovery time objective (RTO)
- Recovery point objective (RPO)
- Mean time to repair (MTTR)
- Mean time between failures (MTBF)

5.3 Explain the processes associated with third-party risk assessment and management.

Vendor assessment
- Penetration testing
- Right-to-audit clause
- Evidence of internal audits
- Independent assessments
- Supply chain analysis
Vendor selection
- Due diligence
- Conflict of interest

Agreement types
- Service-level agreement (SLA)
- Memorandum of agreement (MOA)
- Memorandum of understanding (MOU)
- Master service agreement (MSA)
- Work order (WO)/statement of work (SOW)
- Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
- Business partners agreement (BPA)
Vendor monitoring
Questionnaires
Rules of engagement

5.4 Summarize elements of effective security compliance.

Compliance reporting
- Internal
- External
Consequences of non-compliance
- Fines
- Sanctions
- Reputational damage
- Loss of license
- Contractual impacts
Compliance monitoring
- Due diligence/care
- Attestation and acknowledgement
- Internal and external
- Automation

Privacy
- Legal implications
  - Local/regional
  - National
  - Global
- Data subject
- Controller vs. processor
- Ownership
- Data inventory and retention
- Right to be forgotten

5.5 Explain types and purposes of audits and assessments.

Attestation
Internal
- Compliance
- Audit committee
- Self-assessments
External
- Regulatory
- Examinations
- Assessment
- Independent third-party audit

Penetration testing
- Physical
- Offensive
- Defensive
- Integrated
- Known environment
- Partially known environment
- Unknown environment
- Reconnaissance
  - Passive
  - Active

5.6 Given a scenario, implement security awareness practices.

Phishing
- Campaigns
- Recognizing a phishing attempt
- Responding to reported suspicious messages
Anomalous behavior recognition
- Risky
- Unexpected
- Unintentional

User guidance and training
- Policy/handbooks
- Situational awareness
- Insider threat
- Password management
- Removable media and cables
- Social engineering
- Operational security
- Hybrid/remote work environments
Reporting and monitoring
- Initial
- Recurring
Development
Execution