Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity Practice Exam

What security process reduces the likelihood of a DoS attack in a company with known vulnerabilities?

1. Detection

2. Mitigation

3. Prevention

4. Response

The correct answer is: Mitigation

Mitigation is a critical process in the security landscape, especially when dealing with known vulnerabilities that could be exploited in a Denial of Service (DoS) attack. The primary goal of mitigation is to implement strategies and measures that reduce the effect of an attack or prevent the attack vectors from being successfully exploited. This could involve various actions such as strengthening network defenses, configuring firewalls properly, applying security patches to known vulnerabilities, and improving system redundancies. By focusing on mitigation strategies, an organization can effectively lower the risk of a DoS attack, especially when vulnerabilities have already been identified. This might include rate limiting on incoming requests, deploying anti-DoS hardware, or using content delivery networks (CDNs) that can absorb excess traffic. Mitigation is about preparing and fortifying the network against potential attacks and ensuring that any impact is minimized should an attack occur. Other processes like detection enable organizations to identify if an attack is happening, but they do not directly reduce the likelihood of an attack. Prevention implies taking steps to avoid attacks entirely, which is aspirational but may not be fully achievable in all scenarios—especially in the presence of known vulnerabilities. Response involves dealing with the aftermath of an attack rather than reducing the likelihood of one occurring in the