Free Practice Questions for WGU Cybersecurity-Architecture-and-Engineering Exam

The correct order of project phases according to the Project Management Institute (PMI) and other standard project management methodologies is:

Initiation: This phase involves defining the project at a high level and getting approval to start.

Planning: In this phase, detailed planning is done to set the project's scope, objectives, and procedures.

Executing: This phase is where the project plan is put into action and the project deliverables are created.

Monitoring and Controlling: This phase involves tracking, reviewing, and regulating the project’s progress and performance, ensuring that everything aligns with the project plan.

Closing: This is the final phase, where the project is formally closed, and final deliverables are handed over.

References

Project Management Institute, "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)," PMI.

Harold Kerzner, "Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling," Wiley.

A floating-point data type is used for numerical calculations that require a decimal point, such as percentages. In this case, to calculate 90% of the retail price of an item, a floating-point data type is necessary because it can represent both the whole number and the fractional part of the number, allowing for precise calculations.

An input device is any hardware component that allows a user to enter data into a computer.

A scanner is an input device that converts physical documents into digital format.

The other options:

Printer is an output device.

Flash drive is a storage device.

CD can be both storage and media for input/output depending on the context but is not primarily used for direct data input.

Therefore, a scanner is the correct answer for an input device.

The goal in this scenario is tosecure the application against malware and advanced persistent threats (APTs). According to the WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488) course materials:

Firewall policiesare critical forcontrolling accessto applications and network resources.

By implementing astrict firewall policy, you limit access to only trusted and necessary sources, greatly reducing the attack surface available to malware or APT actors.

While antivirus software (Option C) can help detect malware,APT actors often use sophisticated methodsthat bypass traditional antivirus tools.

Encryption (Option A) protectsdata confidentialitybutdoes not preventmalware or APTs from attacking the application.

Strong password policies (Option B) helpwith account securitybutdo not directly addressmalware or APT threats.

Key extract from the WGU D488 Study Guide:

"A strict firewall policy is essential for preventing unauthorized access and mitigating advanced persistent threats. Limiting exposure through segmentation, access control lists, and traffic filtering protects critical assets from external and internal threats."

Machine-level languages, also known as assembly languages, are low-level programming languages that are closely related to machine code.

Definition: Machine-level languages consist of instructions that are directly executed by a computer's CPU.

Assemblers: An assembler is a tool that translates assembly language code into machine code.

Characteristics: Assembly languages are specific to a computer architecture and provide a way to write programs that can be executed by the hardware directly.

References

"Structured Computer Organization" by Andrew S. Tanenbaum

"Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective" by Randal E. Bryant and David R. O'Hallaron

The correct answer is A — Risk appetite.

As per the WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488) coursework, risk appetite defines the amount and type of risk an organization is willing to accept in pursuit of its objectives. It is a strategic-level metric used by executive leadership and boards to determine if the current level of risk exceeds what the organization is comfortable handling.

Risk evaluation plans (B) outline how risks are assessed, treatment plans (C) describe mitigation actions, and risk tolerance (D) is more operational, defining acceptable variation from the appetite but not the overall strategic limit.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"Risk appetite represents the amount of risk an organization is willing to pursue or retain and is established by senior leadership as part of governance activities."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Risk Management Concepts

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The correct answer is C — Competitor.

According to WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), competitors often attempt to steal intellectual property to gain a business advantage. Given the theft of valuable business assets (e-books and videos), the most likely actor is a competitor motivated by financial or market advantage, not ideology or random hacking.

An APT (A) is usually nation-state-sponsored and targets critical infrastructure. A novice hacker (B) might deface or cause damage but is less likely focused on IP theft. Hacktivists (D) are politically motivated, not financially.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"Competitors may engage in cyber espionage to steal intellectual property and gain market advantage, representing a significant threat to business assets."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Threat Actor Categories

Organizational culture can support ethical guidelines by establishing clear protocols and policies that promote the security and privacy of data. This includes:

Data protection policies: Guidelines on how data should be handled, stored, and protected.

Ethical behavior: Encouraging employees to adhere to ethical standards and practices.

Training and awareness: Regular training sessions to educate employees on security best practices and ethical behavior.

Incident response: Protocols for responding to data breaches and other security incidents.

A strong organizational culture that prioritizes data security and privacy helps ensure that ethical guidelines are consistently followed.

References

Michael E. Whitman and Herbert J. Mattord, "Principles of Information Security," Cengage Learning.

Rebecca Herold, "Managing an Information Security and Privacy Awareness and Training Program," CRC Press.

The correct answer is D — Host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS).

According to WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), a HIDS monitors individual servers or endpoints for suspicious activity and potential breaches. It provides real-time detection of unauthorized access and unusual behaviors on hosts.

HSM (A) protects cryptographic keys. Two-factor authentication (B) strengthens user authentication but does not monitor server activity. Antivirus tools (C) detect malware but are not designed to detect broader suspicious behaviors.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"Host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) monitor individual servers for unauthorized activities, unauthorized access attempts, and changes to critical system files."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Intrusion Detection Systems

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The correct answer is C — ChaCha.

According to WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488) materials, ChaCha is a stream cipher developed as a variant of Salsa20. It offers enhanced security, improved performance, and resistance to cryptographic attacks. It is often combined with Poly1305 forauthenticated encryption, commonly used in modern secure communications.

CTR (A) and CBC (B) are block cipher modes, not stream ciphers. ECB (D) is a block cipher mode and is insecure due to its lack of diffusion properties.

Reference Extract from Study Guide:

"ChaCha is a modern stream cipher, evolved from Salsa20, designed for speed and security, and often used alongside Poly1305 for authenticated encryption."

— WGU Cybersecurity Architecture and Engineering (KFO1 / D488), Encryption Technologies

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