Perform Architectural Risk Assessment and Design Reviews CSSLP Practice Questions (Page 1)

Questions 1–5

1. 1foundation · easy

   What is the primary purpose of an architectural risk assessment in secure software design?

   • ATo identify and evaluate potential security risks in the software architecture before implementation
   • BTo verify that the final software product meets all functional requirements
   • CTo ensure that the software is free from all known vulnerabilities
   • DTo document the software's compliance with coding standards
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
2. 2expert · hard

   A company is designing a new online payment system that will handle credit card transactions. The architecture includes a web front end, a payment service, and a database. The team is performing an architectural risk assessment and is examining the data flow between the payment service and the database. They notice that the payment service uses a shared database account with full administrative privileges. What is the most significant architectural risk associated with this design?

   • AThe database will be exposed to the internet.
   • BThe payment service will not be able to connect to the database.
   • CThe database will not be able to handle the transaction load.
   • DA compromise of the payment service could lead to unauthorized access to the entire database.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
4. 3application · medium

   A software development team is about to start a major redesign of a legacy application. The security lead wants to conduct a security-focused design review before the implementation begins. What is the primary purpose of this design review?

   • ATo verify that the code follows secure coding standards.
   • BTo identify security issues in the architecture and design early, when they are less expensive to fix.
   • CTo ensure that the project is completed on time and within budget.
   • DTo test the application for vulnerabilities before release.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
5. 4application · medium

   A manufacturing company is designing a new IoT platform that collects sensor data from factory equipment and sends it to a cloud-based analytics service. The architecture uses MQTT for communication between devices and the cloud. The risk assessment identifies that the MQTT broker does not require authentication, allowing any device to publish or subscribe to topics. Which mitigation strategy is most appropriate for this risk?

   • AImplement mutual TLS authentication between devices and the MQTT broker.
   • BMove the MQTT broker to a different network segment to reduce exposure.
   • CUse a different messaging protocol that is more secure by default.
   • DEncrypt the MQTT payloads using a shared symmetric key.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first
6. 5expert · hard

   A security architect is conducting a threat model for a new healthcare application that integrates with a third-party lab results system. The architecture includes a web portal, an API, and a database. The team is using STRIDE and has identified a threat where an attacker could modify lab results in transit between the API and the third-party system. Which STRIDE category does this threat belong to, and what is the most appropriate mitigation?

   • ADenial of Service; use rate limiting to limit requests.
   • BInformation Disclosure; use encryption to protect confidentiality.
   • CSpoofing; use mutual TLS to authenticate both parties.
   • DTampering; use message-level digital signatures to ensure integrity.
   Reveal Solution Discussion Select an answer first