When is a virtual machine susceptible to attacks while a physical server in the same state would not be?
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.D.
A virtual machine is ultimately an image file residing a file system.
Because of this, even when a virtual machine is "powered off," it is still susceptible to attacks and modification.
A physical server that is powered off would not be susceptible to attacks.
The correct answer to this question is (C) When it is not patched.
A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based emulation of a physical server, and it is vulnerable to the same types of attacks as physical servers. However, there are some scenarios in which a VM may be more susceptible to attacks than a physical server.
One of these scenarios is when the VM is not properly patched. Just like physical servers, VMs require regular software updates to fix known security vulnerabilities and ensure that the system is protected against new threats. If a VM is not patched, it may be vulnerable to attacks that have already been patched on the physical server.
Another factor that could make a VM more vulnerable to attacks is if it is misconfigured. For example, if the VM is configured to allow unauthorized access or if it has unnecessary network ports open, it may be more susceptible to attacks than a physical server that has been properly configured.
While a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) can provide additional layers of security to both physical and virtual machines, they cannot completely eliminate the risk of attacks. WAFs are designed to protect web applications from common attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting, but they may not be effective against more advanced attacks. IPSs can help detect and prevent network-based attacks, but they may not be able to protect against attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in the software running on the VM.
Finally, when a virtual machine is powered off, it is not susceptible to attacks since it is not running. However, when the VM is powered on, it is vulnerable to attacks just like a physical server.
In summary, the most significant factor that makes a virtual machine more susceptible to attacks than a physical server is its lack of software updates or patching. It is critical to ensure that all virtual machines are properly patched and configured to minimize the risk of attacks.