Question 1
At Northbridge University, during a scheduled security controls review, the security team is examining academic systems and research access. The finding is: A public-facing service is saturated by thousands of coordinated requests from many networks and legitimate users cannot connect. Which action BEST addresses this specific security issue?
Explanation
Correct Answer
Apply upstream DDoS mitigation and rate-based controls while preserving authorized client access. This directly addresses the documented failure: A public-facing service is saturated by thousands of coordinated requests from many networks and legitimate users cannot connect. For the Northbridge University environment, the measurable success condition is: Attack traffic is absorbed upstream and measured legitimate request success recovers. This control targets the specific failure rather than merely changing an unrelated security setting.
Incorrect Answers
Revoke exposed sessions and credentials, investigate phishing delivery, and enforce phishing-resistant sign-in. That action fits another problem: A user receives a message directing them to a lookalike identity portal and enters corporate credentials. It does not directly remediate the current finding at Northbridge University: A public-facing service is saturated by thousands of coordinated requests from many networks and legitimate users cannot connect. The relevant corrective control for this case is: Apply upstream DDoS mitigation and rate-based controls while preserving authorized client access.
Isolate the endpoint, remove the malicious executable using approved response controls, and examine persistence. That action fits another problem: A workstation begins executing a disguised program that installs an unauthorized remote access component. It does not directly remediate the current finding at Northbridge University: A public-facing service is saturated by thousands of coordinated requests from many networks and legitimate users cannot connect. The relevant corrective control for this case is: Apply upstream DDoS mitigation and rate-based controls while preserving authorized client access.
Disable the compromised token, investigate its scope, and rotate affected credentials before restoring least-privilege access. That action fits another problem: Cloud audit records show an API token used from an unexpected geography to enumerate confidential objects. It does not directly remediate the current finding at Northbridge University: A public-facing service is saturated by thousands of coordinated requests from many networks and legitimate users cannot connect. The relevant corrective control for this case is: Apply upstream DDoS mitigation and rate-based controls while preserving authorized client access.