The Vulnerable State of the Security Appliance

An auditor is performing an assessment of a security appliance with an embedded OS that was vulnerable during the last two assessments.

Which of the following BEST explains the appliance's vulnerable state?

A.

The system was configured with weak default security settings.

B.

The device uses weak encryption ciphers.

C.

The vendor has not supplied a patch for the appliance.

D.

The appliance requires administrative credentials for the assessment.

C.

Option C is the best explanation for the appliance's vulnerable state. The vulnerability of the security appliance during the last two assessments implies that it has a known security flaw that can be exploited.

Option A suggests that the appliance was configured with weak default security settings. While this may be a contributing factor, it does not necessarily explain why the appliance was vulnerable during the last two assessments. Additionally, if this were the case, it would be a configuration issue that could be addressed through proper configuration management.

Option B suggests that the device uses weak encryption ciphers. Again, while this may be a contributing factor, it does not necessarily explain why the appliance was vulnerable during the last two assessments. Additionally, encryption ciphers are only one aspect of a security appliance's security posture.

Option D suggests that the appliance requires administrative credentials for the assessment. This does not explain the vulnerability of the appliance. Additionally, it is standard practice for auditors to have administrative credentials when performing security assessments.

Option C, on the other hand, suggests that the vendor has not supplied a patch for the appliance. This is the best explanation for the appliance's vulnerable state. If the appliance has a known vulnerability and the vendor has not provided a patch to address it, then the appliance will continue to be vulnerable to exploitation. This highlights the importance of regular vendor support and patch management to ensure the security of IT systems.