Cybersecurity-Architecture-and-Engineering Exam Dumps - WGU Courses and Certificates Questions and Answers

A floating-point data type is used for numerical calculations that require a decimal point, such as percentages. In this case, to calculate 90% of the retail price of an item, a floating-point data type is necessary because it can represent both the whole number and the fractional part of the number, allowing for precise calculations.

The correct answer is D — Weak passwords.

According to WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), unauthorized SSH access from an unknown IP address often suggests that the attacker exploited weak or compromised passwords to gain access. Weak passwords are a common vulnerability for services exposed to the internet, especially SSH servers.

Exfiltration (A) refers to data theft after access, not initial unauthorized access. Unpatched software (B) might lead to other vulnerabilities but is not indicated here. Enumeration (C) is gathering information but not gaining login access directly.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"Weak or compromised passwords are a primary cause of unauthorized access, particularly for remote management interfaces such as SSH."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Authentication Security BestPractices

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Integration testingverifies the interactions and data flow between individual software components post-deployment. It is a crucial step in CI/CD pipelines, especially inmulti-tier architecturesystems like web applications.

NIST SP 800-160 Vol. 1 (Systems Security Engineering):

“Integration testing should verify that security functions behave correctly when subsystems or components are combined.”

This test type ensures system cohesion after components are deployed, unlikestatic/dynamic code analysiswhich focuses on code quality and vulnerabilities during earlier phases.

????WGU Course Alignment:

Domain:System Security Engineering

Topic:Validate secure systems through testing in CI/CD pipelines

Proprietary softwareis a type of software that is owned by an individual or a company.

It is usually sold commercially and comes with acommercial software license.

This type of license typically restricts the ways in which the software can be used, modified, and distributed.

Users must agree to the terms of the license, which often include restrictions on copying, sharing, and modifying the software.

Example:Microsoft Windows and Adobe Photoshop are proprietary software products.

ChaChais a modern, high-performancestream cipherderived from Salsa20, known for its resistance to timing attacks and its use inTLS 1.3 and mobile securitydue to its efficiency and security. When paired withPoly1305, it provides bothencryption and authentication.

RFC 8439 (ChaCha20 and Poly1305 for IETF Protocols):

“ChaCha20 is a secure cipher designed for high-speed software implementations. It is robust against side-channel and cryptanalytic attacks and is used in conjunction with Poly1305 for authenticated encryption.”

CBC, ECB, and CTR are block cipher modes, not stream ciphers.

????WGU Course Alignment:

Domain:Cryptography

Topic:Identify secure and modern stream ciphers for real-time encryption

End-of-life (EOL) systemspose a significant security risk because they no longer receive patches or security updates. Themost effective and proactive hardening techniquein this case is tocompletely remove those systems from the network.

NIST SP 800-128 (Guide for Security-Focused Configuration Management):

“Systems no longer supported by vendors must be removed, replaced, or isolated as they pose unacceptable risks.”

Other controls are useful for broader protection, but if a system is inherently vulnerable and cannot be patched,removal is the only surefire solution.

????WGU Course Alignment:

Domain:System Security Engineering

Topic:Implement system hardening strategies and manage legacy systems

The correct answer is D — Security information and event management (SIEM).

WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488) explains that a SIEM solution collects, correlates, and analyzes logs and events from multiple sources to detect unusual patterns of behavior across an organization’s infrastructure. SIEM systems are specifically designed for centralized monitoring and alerting on suspicious activities, which helps prevent future breaches.

VPN (A) secures communications but does not monitor behavior. SSH (B) is a secure protocol for remote access but not a monitoring tool. WAF (C) protects web applications but does not monitor user behavior across systems.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"Security information and event management (SIEM) platforms aggregate and analyze security data from across an enterprise, providing actionable insights into anomalous user activities and potential threats."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Security Monitoring and Event Management

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The correct answer is A — Expiration.

According to WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), password expiration policies require users to change their passwords after a certain period, ensuring that long-term credential exposure risk is minimized.

Length (B) defines minimum password size. Recovery (C) relates to resetting forgotten passwords. Complexity (D) enforces character requirements, not age.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"Password expiration policies require users to update passwords regularly, minimizing the risk of long-term credential exposure."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Password Security Best Practices

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The correct answer is A — Unsecured wireless access points.

WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488) explains that unauthorized logins to a WLAN often indicate poorly secured wireless access points, such as those lacking strong encryption (e.g., WPA2/WPA3), not using strong passwords, or having open accesswithout authentication. This vulnerability can allow attackers to access internal systems and sensitive data.

Up-to-date anti-malware software (B), a strong password policy (C), and regular security training (D) are good security practices but do not directly explain unauthorized WLAN access.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"Unauthorized wireless access often results from unsecured wireless configurations, including weak encryption, open networks, or default credentials, posing significant risks to organizational assets."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Wireless Security Concepts

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