Cybersecurity Short Questions

Q1. Brute force attacks rank amongst the most common types of attacks in the cybersecurity industry. This is due to the nature of the attacks being so simple to initiate; anyone with a Kali Linux installation and a bit more command line knowledge can initiate a brute force attack on any suspected target of which they know the origin or address. This brings up the question of the implicit moral standing of the Kali Linux distribution. While it is an excellent tool, there has been no concerted effort to ensure that the distribution is only given to those that need it for testing purposes or security hardening. With that said, explain your point of view in reference to whether or not you feel the free distribution of Kali Linux aligns with your moral reasoning. While much of the cybersecurity depends on the distribution for hardening their defenses, many in the criminal underground sects have taken advantage of this easily obtained hacking tool and committed many cybercrimes as a result. (~250 words)

Q2. Network defense can be a tricky item to deal with; there are threats that reside both internal and external to a given organization. Hence, while there are software tools to deal with those threats that are external (which usually use digitized methods of attacks), internal threats are much harder to see and detect and can come in the form of both personnel and programs alike. Therein it can be very difficult to prevent internal exploits. Present at least three solutions to this problem while discussing with your peers their ideas and stance on such issues. (~250 words)

Q3. Compare the seven-step Cyber Kill chain to the six-step and five-step cybersecurity life cycles. Determine what, if any, are the real differences. What is unique about each approach? Would they be considered prevention-centric or response-based strategies? Explain your rationale. (~300 words)

Q4. Discuss a scenario where hackers disrupted crucial information systems (i.e., financial market, electric grid, or defense system) that would justify the federal government shutting down the Internet. Discuss whether the federal government should have the authority to shut down the Internet in an emergency. Explain your rationale, providing supporting evidence. (~300 words)