AP Cybersecurity
AP Cybersecurity / All lessons / Unit 4: Securing Devices
4Unit 4: Securing Devices
AP Cybersecurity topic 4.3

Protecting Devices

Hardening reduces a device's attack surface. Keep the OS and apps updated, remove software you do not need, turn on full-disk encryption, use antivirus or endpoint protection, enable host firewalls, set screen locks, and use standard accounts instead of administrator accounts for daily work.

Protecting Devices vocabulary

  • Hardening: Reducing vulnerabilities by changing settings and removing extras.
  • Patch: An update that fixes a vulnerability.
  • Full-disk encryption: Encrypting the whole drive so a stolen device's data stays unreadable.
  • Attack surface: All the points where an attacker could try to get in.

AP-style practice questions

Try each one, then open the answer. To save your progress, take this quiz in the interactive course.

Skill: Mitigate Risk

1. Which of the following best explains why installing operating system updates makes a laptop more secure?

  1. (A) Updates change the laptop's color scheme
  2. (B) Updates patch known vulnerabilities that adversaries could exploit
  3. (C) Updates delete all user files
  4. (D) Updates turn off the firewall
Show answer

(B) Updates patch known vulnerabilities that adversaries could exploit Patches close publicly known holes before adversaries use them.

Skill: Mitigate Risk 
Host firewall on a teacher laptop
Rule 1  Allow  Inbound   TCP 445 (file sharing)  ANY
Rule 2  Allow  Outbound  ANY                      ANY
Rule 3  Deny   Inbound   ANY                      ANY

2. The teacher never shares files from this laptop. Which change best reduces its attack surface?

  1. (A) Delete rule 3
  2. (B) Delete or disable rule 1
  3. (C) Change rule 2 to deny
  4. (D) Add a rule allowing all inbound traffic
Show answer

(B) Delete or disable rule 1 An unneeded inbound file-sharing port is an attack path. Closing it reduces exposure.

Skill: Mitigate Risk

3. How does anti-malware software that uses behavior monitoring protect a device?

  1. (A) It blocks programs that act suspiciously, such as encrypting many files quickly
  2. (B) It makes the device's internet connection faster
  3. (C) It replaces the need for passwords
  4. (D) It backs up the device to the cloud
Show answer

(A) It blocks programs that act suspiciously, such as encrypting many files quickly Behavior-based detection can stop new malware by what it does, not just what it looks like.

Skill: Mitigate Risk

4. Which of the following is a managerial control for device security?

  1. (A) A policy that school laptops must lock after 5 minutes of inactivity
  2. (B) A cable lock
  3. (C) Full-disk encryption software
  4. (D) A host-based firewall
Show answer

(A) A policy that school laptops must lock after 5 minutes of inactivity A written policy is a managerial control, even when technology enforces it.

Open 4.3 in the interactive course