Challenges of Vulnerability Assessment ICSSCADA Practice Questions (Page 2)

Questions 6–10

1. 6application · medium

   A security consultant is hired to assess a railway signaling system. The system uses a proprietary protocol and the asset inventory is outdated. The consultant wants to discover all devices on the network. What is the most effective approach?

   • APerform a physical walkthrough to identify all devices.
   • BRun an active scan using a commercial scanner with the latest plugins.
   • CUse a passive network monitoring tool to observe traffic and identify devices.
   • DAsk the vendor for a list of all devices on the network.
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2. 7expert · hard

   A security team is assessing a pipeline control system that uses a mix of Modbus TCP and a proprietary protocol. They have a scanner that supports Modbus but not the proprietary protocol. The scanner reports no vulnerabilities on the proprietary devices. What is the most likely explanation?

   • AThe scanner is using passive techniques that do not require protocol support.
   • BThe proprietary devices are inherently secure because they are not using standard protocols.
   • CThe scanner is not communicating with the proprietary devices, so it is not actually assessing them.
   • DThe proprietary devices are not vulnerable because they are isolated from the network.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
4. 8application · medium

   A security analyst is using a vulnerability scanner that supports Modbus TCP. The scanner reports a critical vulnerability on a PLC, but the analyst suspects it is a false positive. What is the best way to confirm the vulnerability?

   • ACheck the scanner's log to see if the PLC responded to the scan.
   • BRun the scan again with more aggressive settings.
   • CAsk the vendor if the PLC is vulnerable.
   • DManually inspect the PLC's firmware version and compare it to the vendor's advisory.
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5. 9application · medium

   A water treatment facility uses a mix of modern PLCs and 20-year-old legacy RTUs communicating over a proprietary serial protocol. The security team wants to run a vulnerability scan to identify missing patches on all field devices. What is the most significant challenge they will face?

   • AThe scan will cause a temporary interruption to the water treatment process.
   • BThe facility lacks a network segmentation plan, so the scan will cross zones and affect safety systems.
   • CThe legacy RTUs and proprietary protocol are unlikely to be recognized by standard vulnerability scanners.
   • DThe scan will generate false positives because the legacy RTUs do not support the latest TLS versions.
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6. 10foundation · easy

   Why might a vulnerability assessment in an ICS/SCADA environment identify a vulnerability but not lead to an immediate patch?

   • AThe vulnerability is not real because scanners always produce false positives in ICS/SCADA
   • BThe vendor may not provide a patch for the specific legacy system, or the patch may require extensive testing to avoid process disruption
   • CPatching is not necessary because ICS/SCADA systems are not connected to the internet
   • DThe security team lacks the technical skills to apply patches
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