ECCouncil 212-89 (EC-Council Certified Incident Handler) Practice Test 112

Question 1110

An evidence-led review starts with the following report: A smart thermostat gateway sends traffic to an unknown cloud endpoint after an unapproved firmware update. What investigation should establish the disputed activity and its timeline?

  1. Compare firmware version and signature with vendor release records and flow logs
  2. Correlate gateway crash logs, source flows and management parser errors
  3. Require signed firmware and approved update management for IoT assets
  4. Restrict the gateway's outbound paths without interrupting essential building control

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

An unexpected firmware build can change device behavior and external communication; the objective is to establish whether firmware integrity or destination was altered; the result can then guide the later protective decision.

Incorrect Answers

B:

Timing and input patterns can link traffic to service instability; this serves whether malicious management requests cause availability loss, whereas the requested result is evidence validation involving whether firmware integrity or destination was altered.

C:

Firmware provenance reduces supply-chain and unauthorized changes; the requirement concerns whether firmware integrity or destination was altered, so prevention is not incident verification.

D:

Network containment protects safety and availability; the goal is evidence validation for whether firmware integrity or destination was altered. Immediate protection does not substantiate findings.

Question 1111

The recurrence-prevention decision is based on this report: Hundreds of identical smart meters share the same embedded administrative secret. What measure strengthens readiness against the observed event?

  1. Restrict administrative network reachability while planning credential changes
  2. Inventory firmware identities and validate the shared credential design
  3. Enforce unique device credentials and isolated management networks
  4. Rotate credentials through supported provisioning or replace unfixable devices
  5. Require per-device credentials and secure provisioning contracts

Explanation

Correct Answer

E:

Fleet identity design prevents single-secret compromise; a periodic review of this safeguard can track the risk described by whether common embedded credentials amplify compromise.

Incorrect Answers

A:

Segment-level containment reduces fleet-wide abuse; the requirement concerns whether common embedded credentials amplify compromise, so one-time protection is not durable prevention.

B:

One leaked secret could enable access to many devices; the goal is recurrence prevention for whether common embedded credentials amplify compromise. An investigation is not recurrence prevention.

C:

IoT devices should not depend on factory defaults; it is meant to address whether weak device identity enabled unauthorized access, not recurrence prevention for whether common embedded credentials amplify compromise.

D:

Recovery needs unique trust per asset where possible; the case needs recurrence prevention addressing whether common embedded credentials amplify compromise; case recovery is not future-risk control.

Question 1112

A long-term control assessment uses this recent event: A mobile device enrolled for company access has developer debugging enabled and is connected to an untrusted kiosk. Which change provides measurable prevention rather than an emergency workaround?

  1. Enforce managed developer-setting restrictions on high-risk devices
  2. Require device integrity attestation for sensitive mobile access
  3. Inspect debugging state, trusted host authorizations and USB connection history
  4. Disable debugging and sever trust with the unapproved host
  5. Assess data access and re-enroll or rebuild the device if integrity is uncertain

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

Policy limits unauthorized debugging connections; the control owner can test whether this reduces repeat conditions affecting whether debugging exposes the managed device.

Incorrect Answers

B:

Conditional access limits compromised or unmanaged platforms; it is meant to address whether platform integrity meets access policy, not recurrence prevention for whether debugging exposes the managed device.

C:

An authorized debug bridge can expose device data or command control; the case needs recurrence prevention addressing whether debugging exposes the managed device; an investigation is not recurrence prevention.

D:

Containment closes a physical access channel; when judging whether debugging exposes the managed device, one-time protection is not durable prevention; this is instead initial containment or preservation.

E:

Recovery verifies that an external host did not alter the mobile environment; for whether debugging exposes the managed device, case recovery is not future-risk control; recurrence prevention remains necessary.

Question 1113

The team needs temporary protection and must retain evidence. The observed event is: A managed phone is reported stolen while corporate email remains synchronized and device state is uncertain. Investigators need both a defensible factual finding and a limited immediate safeguard. Which TWO actions jointly satisfy those requirements? (Choose TWO.)

  1. Reprovision on a verified supported device and review exposed sessions
  2. Enforce screen lock, encryption and rapid lost-device reporting
  3. Rotate relevant credentials and re-enroll a replacement under policy
  4. Issue an authorized remote lock or wipe as policy permits and revoke sessions
  5. Check MDM check-in status, disk encryption and recent mail sessions

Explanation

Correct Answers

D:

Identity and device controls complement each other for offline devices; within the combined response for whether a lost mobile device can access enterprise mail, this supplies initial containment or preservation: this is a first-response safeguard for whether a lost mobile device can access enterprise mail, not a substitute for full root-cause analysis.

E:

Remote management and account logs reveal remaining access risk; within the combined response for whether a lost mobile device can access enterprise mail, this supplies evidence validation: it makes the determination of whether a lost mobile device can access enterprise mail defensible and reviewable by the incident owner.

Incorrect Answers

A:

Trust restoration requires an approved system state; the activity targets whether platform integrity meets access policy; initial containment or preservation here concerns whether a lost mobile device can access enterprise mail.

B:

Baseline controls reduce physical-loss exposure; when judging whether a lost mobile device can access enterprise mail, prevention cannot replace immediate action; this is instead recurrence prevention.

C:

Restoring safe mobility requires verified device identity; for whether a lost mobile device can access enterprise mail, corrective follow-through follows initial protection; initial containment or preservation remains necessary.

Question 1114

During lessons learned, the security owner reviews this completed incident: A retail branch uses unmanaged point-of-sale terminals with no inventory or device-level response contacts. Which repeatable safeguard best prevents this failure mode in the future?

  1. Maintain endpoint inventory and risk-based monitoring for business appliances
  2. Build approved reimage and transaction-reconciliation procedures with the vendor
  3. Use offline-capable controls and reconnect compliance checks
  4. Reconcile branch asset lists, software support and management ownership

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

Visibility makes incident preparation possible; the assurance measure is designed around whether endpoint scope includes specialized business devices, rather than hiding the reported activity.

Incorrect Answers

B:

Recovery must preserve financial accuracy and supported configurations; when judging whether endpoint scope includes specialized business devices, case recovery is not future-risk control; this is instead trusted restoration.

C:

Remote endpoints need protection between central connections; the other incident centers on whether intermittent devices retain protective coverage, not this recurrence prevention question about whether endpoint scope includes specialized business devices.

D:

Untracked terminals hinder coordinated detection and vendor-assisted restoration; the requirement concerns whether endpoint scope includes specialized business devices, so an investigation is not recurrence prevention.

Question 1115

Following initial stabilization, the team must prove recovery for this case: An organization treats a mobile device alert as irrelevant because all central servers are fully patched. Which correction must be verified before the affected service or process is restored?

  1. Include managed mobile clients in detection and response coverage
  2. Build approved reimage and transaction-reconciliation procedures with the vendor
  3. Revalidate device trust and account sessions before restoring application access
  4. Restrict the suspect device's access to corporate resources

Explanation

Correct Answer

C:

Recovery must include client integrity and identity state; the owner can validate the correction against the evidence bearing on whether endpoints can bypass server-centric protection.

Incorrect Answers

A:

Protection must follow enterprise data to endpoints; the case needs trusted restoration addressing whether endpoints can bypass server-centric protection; future hardening is not current-state recovery.

B:

Recovery must preserve financial accuracy and supported configurations; this serves whether endpoint scope includes specialized business devices, whereas the requested result is trusted restoration involving whether endpoints can bypass server-centric protection.

D:

Endpoint containment stops further use of exposed sessions; the requirement concerns whether endpoints can bypass server-centric protection, so temporary protection does not complete correction.

Question 1116

A technical closure review begins after this incident: A warehouse IoT gateway is repeatedly rebooting after malformed management traffic from an unknown segment. After the immediate situation is stabilized, what addresses the enabling failure?

  1. Update supported firmware and validate stable gateway communication
  2. Restore vendor-verified firmware and validate operating parameters
  3. Filter unauthorized management traffic at the segment boundary
  4. Segment device management and patch vulnerable network services

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

Recovery should remove the exposed fault condition; the affected workflow should not be considered trusted until the issue of whether malicious management requests cause availability loss is resolved.

Incorrect Answers

B:

Recovery should use supported update mechanisms; the activity targets whether firmware integrity or destination was altered; trusted restoration here concerns whether malicious management requests cause availability loss.

C:

Containment avoids repeatedly rebooting the gateway as the only response; when judging whether malicious management requests cause availability loss, temporary protection does not complete correction; this is instead initial containment or preservation.

D:

Reduced reachability limits exploitation; for whether malicious management requests cause availability loss, future hardening is not current-state recovery; trusted restoration remains necessary.

Question 1117

The recovery owner is reviewing the underlying failure in this report: A mobile app installed from an unofficial store requests accessibility permissions and begins reading banking notifications. What action most directly repairs the affected access, evidence or system state?

  1. Disable the suspicious app and restrict sensitive mobile sessions
  2. Control app installation sources and monitor high-risk permission grants
  3. Remove the app through managed procedures and assess exposed accounts
  4. Re-establish trusted configuration and inspect for possible intercepted accounts

Explanation

Correct Answer

C:

Recovery includes the information the app may have observed; this goes beyond temporary protection and addresses the failure identified through whether abuse of accessibility services is occurring.

Incorrect Answers

A:

Containment prevents continued observation of protected notifications; the case needs trusted restoration addressing whether abuse of accessibility services is occurring; temporary protection does not complete correction.

B:

Permission governance reduces mobile spyware exposure; when judging whether abuse of accessibility services is occurring, future hardening is not current-state recovery; this is instead recurrence prevention.

D:

Recovery should treat redirected sensitive traffic as a possible disclosure; the relevant condition for that step is whether configuration profiles redirect or intercept traffic, which is not shown for whether abuse of accessibility services is occurring.

Question 1118

An evidence-led review starts with the following report: An endpoint reports repeated failed logons followed by one successful privileged login from an unfamiliar process. What investigation should establish the disputed activity and its timeline?

  1. Correlate logon success, process origin and subsequent privileged actions
  2. Detect failed-to-successful login sequences and enforce MFA
  3. Correlate process access telemetry, privileges and executable provenance
  4. Revoke the questionable session and restrict the affected account

Explanation

Correct Answer

A:

A successful authentication after failures can signal an active compromise; the objective is to establish whether password guessing became successful access; the result can then guide the later protective decision.

Incorrect Answers

B:

Contextual authentication analytics improves detection; for whether password guessing became successful access, prevention is not incident verification; evidence validation remains necessary.

C:

Unexpected access to the authentication process can indicate credential theft; it is meant to address whether credential dumping was attempted, not evidence validation for whether password guessing became successful access.

D:

Identity containment limits use of the newly gained access; the goal is evidence validation for whether password guessing became successful access. Immediate protection does not substantiate findings.

Question 1119

Active first response is underway for the following condition: An IoT sensor remains reachable over a legacy Telnet service used only during installation. The incident owner wants a corroborating check and a protective action before recovery begins. Which TWO choices fit these separate tasks? (Choose TWO.)

  1. Inspect listening services, authentication records and asset configuration
  2. Require secure-by-default device commissioning checklists
  3. Disable or firewall Telnet access through approved device controls
  4. Upgrade supported firmware and validate camera configuration after compromise review
  5. Update supported firmware and validate stable gateway communication
  6. Move maintenance to a supported secure management interface and audit access

Explanation

Correct Answers

A:

An unused plaintext management protocol increases attack surface; within the combined response for whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control, this supplies evidence validation: the objective is to establish whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control; the result can then guide the later protective decision.

C:

Service containment limits remote command entry; within the combined response for whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control, this supplies initial containment or preservation: the immediate response addresses whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control while the team preserves relevant case records.

Incorrect Answers

B:

Hardening at install time prevents dormant weaknesses; prevention cannot replace immediate action in the decision about whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control.

D:

Recovery must address both access and possible persistent settings; it is meant to address whether weak device identity enabled unauthorized access, not initial containment or preservation for whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control.

E:

Recovery should remove the exposed fault condition; the other incident centers on whether malicious management requests cause availability loss, not this initial containment or preservation question about whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control.

F:

Recovery removes the unsafe legacy path; the requirement concerns whether an unnecessary remote service exposes device control, so corrective follow-through follows initial protection.

Question 1120

The team requires traceable proof for an event described as follows: An industrial controller vendor prohibits untested security agents, but the SOC intends to install a standard endpoint scanner during an incident. What should be correlated to determine whether the case finding is justified?

  1. Maintain OT-specific tool approvals and isolated test environments
  2. Measure event volume, retention settings and off-host forwarding latency
  3. Confirm vendor support, process dependencies and authorized maintenance procedures
  4. Use passive telemetry and coordinate containment with OT engineers

Explanation

Correct Answer

C:

Unvalidated software can disrupt controllers and physical operations; it makes the determination of whether the equipment vendor approves the proposed scanner for this controller defensible and reviewable by the incident owner.

Incorrect Answers

A:

Preparation avoids dangerous production experiments; when judging whether the equipment vendor approves the proposed scanner for this controller, prevention is not incident verification; this is instead recurrence prevention.

B:

Noisy logs can crowd out security events before collection; that method could help with whether security telemetry capacity is adequate; the evidence validation decision here involves whether the equipment vendor approves the proposed scanner for this controller.

D:

Safety and operational continuity govern intervention choices; the goal is evidence validation for whether the equipment vendor approves the proposed scanner for this controller. Immediate protection does not substantiate findings.

EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (212-89) Practice Tests