Network Vulnerability Assessment: Identifying Potential Network Weaknesses

What a Network Vulnerability Assessment Identifies

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Question

What does a network vulnerability assessment intend to identify?

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Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

D.

A network vulnerability assessment intends to identify known vulnerabilities based on common misconfigurations and missing updates.

0-day vulnerabilities by definition are not previously known and therefore are undetectable.

Malicious software and spyware are normally addressed through antivirus and antispyware policies.

Security design flaws require a deeper level of analysis.

A network vulnerability assessment is a process of identifying vulnerabilities or weaknesses in a network infrastructure. The main goal of a vulnerability assessment is to identify security weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers. The vulnerabilities can be related to hardware, software, or configuration of the network.

The four options given as answers are all potential results that could be identified by a vulnerability assessment, but the most appropriate answer is D. Misconfiguration and missing updates.

Misconfiguration refers to errors in network configurations that could lead to security weaknesses, such as open ports or weak passwords. Missing updates refer to outdated software or firmware that can contain vulnerabilities that have been patched in later versions. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access or cause other types of damage.

0-day vulnerabilities, option A, are vulnerabilities that have not yet been discovered by software vendors or security researchers. While vulnerability assessments can sometimes identify 0-day vulnerabilities, this is not the primary goal of the assessment.

Option B, malicious software and spyware, refers to malware that has already infected the network. While a vulnerability assessment may identify some signs of malware infections, such as abnormal traffic or network behavior, the primary goal is to identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malware.

Option C, security design flaws, refers to errors in the design of the network infrastructure that can lead to security weaknesses. While a vulnerability assessment may identify some security design flaws, the primary goal is to identify specific vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers.

In summary, a network vulnerability assessment intends to identify misconfigurations and missing updates in a network infrastructure that can lead to security weaknesses and potential attacks.