Security+: Attacks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities Competency (Intermediate Level)

Topics covered

• compare cloud-based service provider malware attacks to on-premise attacks on the data center or enterprise edge
• compare cloud-based vs. on-premise vulnerabilities
• compare syslog and SIEM system techniques such as review reports, packet captures, data inputs, user behavior analysis (UBA) and sentiment analysis
• compare threat vectors as in direct access, wireless, e-mail, supply chain, social media, removable media, and cloud-based
• define additional vulnerability scanning tools and techniques like common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE), common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS), and configuration review
• define different phishing attacks including spear phishing and whaling
• define exploits where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters communications between two parties who assume they are communicating with each other
• define third-party risks including partner or vendor management, system integration, lack of vendor support, supply chain risk, and outsourced code development
• define types of scams, fraud, and hoaxes
• describe active reconnaissance techniques such as footprinting
• describe and compare cross-site scripting and cross-site request forgery, which are now the most common attacks against web services
• describe API attacks, the most common being against login credentials and authentication
• describe cryptographic attacks such as birthday, collision, and downgrade
• describe DDoS attacks against the network, applications, and operational technology
• describe different injection attacks against SQL, DLLs, LDAP, and XML
• describe dumpster diving, shoulder surfing, pharming, and other exploits
• describe improper patch management for firmware, operating systems, and applications
• describe password attacks such as spraying, dictionary, and brute force
• describe privilege escalation and elevation techniques that exploit poor least privilege policies
• describe secure sockets layer stripping against web servers and pass the hash attacks against older version of Windows operating systems, which are still common in IoT and embedded devices
• describe spam and its variants such as spim
• describe the characteristics of security orchestration, automation, response (SOAR) systems
• describe threat hunting concepts such as intelligence fusion, threat feeds, advisories, bulletins, and maneuvers
• describe threats and threat actors like privileged insiders, state actors, hacktivists, script kiddies, and criminal syndicates
• describe various common malware attacks like viruses and worms
• describe wireless attacks like evil twin, rogue access points, disassociation, and jamming
• describe zero-day vulnerabilities as in computer-software threats that are unknown to, or unaddressed by, those who should be interested in mitigating the vulnerability, including the vendor of the target software
• recognize legacy platforms and varied impacts like data leakage and loss, data breaches, data exfiltration, and identity theft
• survey fundamental methods for pen testing like lateral movement, privilege escalation, persistence, and pivoting
• survey weak configurations such as open permissions, unsecured root accounts, errors, weak encryption, and unsecure protocols