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Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

Cyber AB CCA Exam Questions

Page 9 of 25

161.

An Assessment Team is reviewing the network diagram provided by an OSC. The diagram will help the team understand how the OSC has set up assets across its network and determine whether it has implemented network separation and enclaves to protect its CUI. During the review, the team notices that the network diagram does not clearly delineate the boundaries between the enterprise and CUI environments, raising concerns about the assessment scope. What should the Assessment Team do in this situation?

  • Inform the Lead Assessor, who will request additional information and clarification from the OSC to better understand the separation and enclave implementation

  • Proceed with the assessment based on the information provided in the SSP and adjust the scope during the assessment

  • Proceed with the assessment based on the information provided in the network diagram

  • Recommend that the OSC engage a network security specialist to revise the network diagram

Correct answer: Inform the Lead Assessor, who will request additional information and clarification from the OSC to better understand the separation and enclave implementation

The Lead Assessor should ensure the assessment scope is accurately defined, as it directly impacts the evaluation of the OSC's compliance with CMMC requirements. The OSC presents the CMMC Assessment Scope to the Lead Assessor, who then proceeds to verify its accuracy and integrity. In support of understanding and interpreting the CMMC Assessment Scope, the OSC must also provide the Lead Assessor with supporting documentation, such as network schematic diagrams, the System Security Plan (SSP), policies, and organizational charts.

In this scenario, the network diagram does not clearly delineate the separation and enclave implementation, which is essential to understand the boundaries of the assessment. The Lead Assessor should request additional information and clarification from the OSC to better understand the separation and enclave implementation. The Lead Assessor is required to validate the OSC’s CMMC Assessment Scope. Any disagreements or differences of opinion concerning the CMMC Assessment Scope must be resolved before the actual Assessment may commence. This approach helps ensure the assessment is conducted within the correct context and provides a more accurate evaluation of the OSC's CMMC compliance.

162.

One of the most important roles in a CMMC Assessment is a CQAP. They have diverse but specific roles to perform during an assessment. A CQAP can help a Lead Assessor and the Assessment Team in the following various ways during the assessment process, EXCEPT?

  • Validating the adequacy and sufficiency of the evidence.

  • Verifying pre-assessment documentation to ensure its accuracy and completeness.�

  • Verifying that the POA&M Close-Out documentation is accurate and complete.

  • Verifying the accuracy and completeness of the Assessment Results Package.

The responsibilities of a CQAP focus on ensuring the accuracy and completeness of various documentation and artifacts throughout the assessment process, including pre-assessment documents, the assessment results package, and any POA&M close-out documentation. However, validating the adequacy and sufficiency of the evidence collected during the assessment is not the responsibility of the CQAP. This task falls under the purview of the Lead Assessor and the Assessment Team members, who are responsible for evaluating the gathered evidence against the CMMC practices and determining whether it is sufficient to support the assessment findings.

163.

In assessing the security boundaries, you determine that an OSC processes, stores, and transmits CUI and FCI within the same assessment scope. To what maturity Level will you at a minimum assess and certify the OSC?

  • CMMC Level 2

  • The OSC must separate the scope for assets that process, store or transmit CUI from those that handle FCI.

  • You should refer the OSC to Cyber AB

  • CMMC Level 1

If the contractor processes, stores, or transmits FCI and CUI within the same assessment scope, the contractor can obtain a single certification. Because the contractor processes, stores, or transmits CUI, CMMC Level 2 is the minimum certification level needed. To achieve this the OSC must define the CMMC Assessment Scope to only those assets that process, store, or transmit FCI and CUI, or provide security protections for such assets.

164.

A software development company wins a DoD contract requiring CMMC Level 2. The Company is small and has one main office. However, it outsources some data storage requirements to a cloud service provider (CSP). What type of organization would the cloud service provider be considered in the CMMC assessment scope?

  • A Supporting Unit

  • An Enclave

  • The Host Unit

  • The HQ Organization

A supporting unit refers to people, procedures, and technology external to the HQ organization that support the Host Unit. The cloud service provider fits this definition as it supports the software development company and is outsourced; hence, it is external.

165.

After a security audit, a contractor documents specific vulnerabilities and deficiencies in an audit report. After examining its POA&M, you realize it has a clearly defined policy on addressing these deficiencies and by when. However, after interviewing the contractor?s security and compliance team, you learn that while an audit is regularly conducted, the remediating measures are not always taken, and when taken, they are not always practical. The security and compliance team informs you they have tried reaching the system administrator to explain the repercussions of this without success. Based on the scenario, how would you rate the contractor?s implementation of CA.L2-3.12.2-Plan of Action?

  • Not Met

  • Met

  • Not Applicable

  • Partially Met

Since a core aspect of developing and implementing an effective plan of action to correct deficiencies is falling short, the overall practice cannot be considered fully met based on the evidence provided. The contractor has documented plans and policies but is failing in the execution of these plans. The fact that remediation efforts are inconsistent and not always practical suggests that the contractor is not fully meeting the requirements of CA.L2-3.12.2-Plan of Action. The lack of effective follow-up and resolution of the issues further supports a rating that indicates the contractor's implementation is inadequate. Here's the rationale: Policy and Documentation: The contractor has a clearly defined policy on addressing deficiencies and deadlines documented in the Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M). This is a positive aspect, indicating that the contractor has formal processes in place for identifying and planning the remediation of security vulnerabilities. Execution and Practicality: Despite having a POA&M and a regular audit process, the contractor is failing to effectively execute the remediation measures. The scenario indicates that the necessary actions are either not being taken, or when they are, they are not practical or effective. This suggests a significant gap between the policy (what should happen) and practice (what is actually happening). Communication and Follow-Up: The security and compliance team has identified the issues and attempted to address them by communicating with the system administrator, but these efforts have not been successful. This indicates a breakdown in communication or a lack of accountability within the organization, further undermining the effectiveness of the POA&M. Overall Assessment: The core requirement of CA.L2-3.12.2 is to establish and maintain plans of action to correct deficiencies and reduce or eliminate vulnerabilities in organizational systems. The contractor has established these plans but has not maintained them effectively, as the deficiencies are not being practically or consistently addressed.

166.

As a CCA on a C3PAO Assessment Team, you have determined that the assessment scope provided by an OSC indicates plans to subcontract some elements of their contract to DelTech Inc. The OSC plans to bid on a DoD contract to develop guidance and targeting software. However, the software needs testing after installing a new surface-to-air defense system. Unfortunately, the OSC lacks the means to test the software, which is where DelTech comes in. As a CCA, what must you do in this scenario?

  • Confirm that the OSC has flowdown requirements in their subcontact with DelTech Inc. and that DelTech is CMMC Certified at a level commensurate with the risk of information they will handle

  • Continue assessing the OSC's implementation of the CMMC practices

  • Assess DelTech Inc.'s CMMC compliance status

  • Inform the OSC that they cannot subcontract

Correct answer: Confirm that the OSC has flowdown requirements in their subcontact with DelTech Inc. and that DelTech is CMMC Certified at a level commensurate with the risk of information they will handle

Since DelTech Inc. is acting as a subcontractor to the OSC for testing the software on a defense system, they would be considered an ESP providing direct contract support. Therefore, as a CCA on the C3PAO Assessment Team, you must confirm that DelTech Inc. has a valid CMMC Certification at a level commensurate with the risk of information they will handle.

167.

During a CMMC assessment for an OSC, the CCA needs to assess their implementation of CMMC practice MP.L2-3.8.4-Media Markings, which requires proper marking and labeling of CUI. The interview with the information security personnel reveals a well-defined policy, but you need concrete evidence to verify its effectiveness. Which of the following would provide sufficient evidence to assess a contractor's implementation of CMMC practice MP.L2-3.8.4-Media Markings?

  • Reviewing a sample of media containing CUI for proper markings and labelling

  • Interviewing personnel responsible for information security.

  • Observing the physical security controls in designated controlled areas.

  • Examining the organization's system security plan.

While interviewing personnel responsible for information security or examining the organization's SSP may give some insights, reviewing the sample media containing CUI for proper markings and labelling would meet both adequacy and sufficiency metrics to assess the OSC's implementation of CMMC practice MP.L2-3.8.4-Media Markings.

168.

An engineering company works on DoD contracts that involve handling CUI. They use hardcopy media such as printed paper, microfilms, and digital media, including flash drives, SSDs, DVDs, and internal and external hard drives. During a CMMC assessment, you discover the engineering company has defined procedures addressing media storage and access governed by an access control policy. All media containing CUI is marked and stored in biometrically locked cabinets. To store CUI on digital media, an authorized user must be identified using their biometrics or authenticated using an integrated MFA solution. To access non-digital media, the user must be on a defined list of authorized personnel and sign three forms. You also learn that the contractor maintains a comprehensive inventory of all CUI media. The scenario describes a multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution being used to access digital media containing CUI. However, the access control procedures for non-digital media require authorized personnel to sign three separate forms. While both methods aim to verify user identity, which of the following is the MOST significant security concern associated with the reliance on a paper-based form process?

  • The forms are susceptible to forgery, resulting in unauthorized access.

  • It can be time-consuming to complete the forms for frequent access.

  • The paper forms cannot be easily integrated with other security systems.

  • It requires users to memorize more information for access.

Paper-based forms can be forged or tampered with, potentially allowing unauthorized individuals to gain access to sensitive CUI media. This vulnerability is more concerning than the time-consuming nature of the process, lack of integration with other security systems, or the need to memorize information, as it directly impacts the integrity of access control. MFA provides a more robust security control by requiring additional verification factors beyond just knowledge (e.g., something you have, something you are).

169.

You are the Lead Assessor assigned by your C3PAO to conduct a CMMC Assessment for a small manufacturing company, Precision Parts Inc. (PPI). During the initial coordination call with PPI's management team, you learn that PPI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a larger corporation, Acme Manufacturing Holdings (AMH). PPI operates as an independent business unit within AMH and has its own IT infrastructure and cybersecurity policies. You need to determine the appropriate corporate entity to be assessed as the "Organization Seeking Certification" (OSC). During the coordination call, you learn that PPI has recently acquired a smaller company that will be integrated into its operations. How might this acquisition impact the CMMC Assessment scope?

  • The acquired company's assets and operations may need to be evaluated for inclusion in the Assessment scope

  • The acquired company would be excluded from the CMMC Assessment scope

  • The acquired company would be automatically included in the CMMC Assessment scope

  • The acquisition would prevent PPI from being the OSC

When determining the CMMC Assessment Scope, assets and operations that are part of the OSC need to be included. Since PPI has recently acquired a smaller company that will be integrated into its operations, the assets and operations of this acquired company may potentially need to be evaluated and included in PPI's CMMC Assessment Scope as the OSC.

170.

An OSC uses a cloud-based database for storing customer information. Employees access this database through a secure application on their company laptops. The database itself resides on servers managed by the Cloud Service Provider (CSP). When employees use the application to access customer data, what type of location are they reaching?

  • A logical location on the CSP's servers

  • The physical location of the company laptops

  • A specific room within the CSP's facility

  • A secure area within the OSC's data center

Correct answer: A logical location on the CSP's servers

When employees access the cloud-based database through the secure application on their company laptops, they are not accessing a physical location within the OSC's infrastructure. Instead, they are reaching a logical location on the servers managed by the CSP. The database resides on the CSP's servers, which are a separate logical entity from the OSC's own network and infrastructure.

171.

You are a CCA reviewing the security measures for a defense contractor seeking CMMC Level 2 compliance. CMMC practice PE.L2-3.10.6-Alternative Work Sites requires the organization to safeguard CUI at alternate work sites, like employee home offices. You are examining their list of safeguards and the system security plan to assess their compliance. When assessing a contractor's implementation of CMMC practice PE.L2-3.10.6-Alternative Work Sites, which of the following would be the least effective method for gathering information?

  • Interviewing personnel with information security responsibilities

  • Testing the actual security controls employed at alternate work sites

  • Examining procedures addressing alternate work sites for personnel

  • Reviewing assessments of safeguards at alternate work sites

While interviews can provide valuable insights, they rely on the personnel's knowledge and recollection, which may not be fully reliable, comprehensive or up-to-date regarding the specific controls and monitoring for alternate work sites. Reviewing assessments of safeguards at alternate work sites would provide direct evidence of the security posture and implemented controls at those sites. On the other hand, reviewing documented procedures is crucial to verifying the existence and requirements for alternate work site controls. Hands-on testing would be the most reliable method to validate the implementation and effectiveness of the required controls.

172.

During your review of an OSC?s system security control, you focus on CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.9-Connections Termination. The OSC uses a custom web application for authorized personnel to access CUI remotely. Users log in with usernames and passwords. The application is hosted on a dedicated server within the company?s internal network. The server operating system utilizes default settings for connection timeouts. Network security is managed through a central firewall, but no specific rules are configured for terminating inactive connections associated with the CUI access application. Additionally, there is no documented policy or procedure outlining a defined period of inactivity for terminating remote access connections. Interviews with IT personnel reveal that they rely solely on users to remember to log out of the application after completing their work. The scenario describes using a central firewall for network security. How could the firewall be configured to help achieve the objectives of CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.9-Connections Termination, for the remote access application?

  • Creating firewall rules to identify and terminate connections associated with the CUI access application that have been inactive for a predefined period.

  • Encrypting all traffic between the user device and the server to protect CUI in transit.

  • Implementing intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to identify and block suspicious activity on the server.

  • Blocking all incoming traffic to the server hosting the CUI access application, except from authorized IP addresses.

Firewalls can be configured with specific rules to manage connections and enforce timeouts. In this scenario, the OSC can create firewall rules to identify connections associated with the CUI access application and terminate them after a predefined period of inactivity, thus aligning with CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.9-Connections Termination.

173.

Prior to starting an assessment, an OSC must develop a data flow diagram. This diagram can then be used as a tool to help establish the context and boundaries of the CMMC assessment activities. What is critical to capture while developing the data flow diagram?

  • Business processes, subprocesses, and assets and systems used to support the process

  • A list of all employees and their job functions

  • The organization's network topology and hardware configurations

  • The physical layout of the organization's office spaces

Correct answer: Business processes, subprocesses, and assets and systems used to support the process

Developing the data flow diagram requires capturing the details of the organization's business processes, subprocesses, and associated assets and systems used to support those processes. This information is critical to establishing the appropriate context and boundaries for the CMMC assessment as it reveals the flow of data and the key components involved in the OSC's operations.

174.

When assessing a contractor?s implementation of CMMC practices, you examine its System Security Plan (SSP) to identify its documented measures for audit reduction and reporting. They have a dedicated section in their SSP addressing the Audit and Accountability requirements. You proceed to interview their information security personnel, who informed you that the contractor has a dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC) and uses Splunk to reduce and report audit logs. What assessment method would you use in evaluating CMMC practice AU.L2-3.3.6-Reduction & Reporting?

  • Testing

  • Evaluating

  • Examining

  • Interviewing

NIST SP 800-171A defines the "Test" assessment method as exercising assessment objects under specific conditions to compare actual and expected behaviors and evaluating security control effectiveness. The "Examine" method involves reviewing and analyzing to determine if security controls are implemented and operating correctly. To evaluate Splunk's audit reduction and report generation capabilities, particularly for CMMC practice AU.L2-3.3.6-Reduction & Reporting, the "Test" assessment method is the best method to use in this scenario and is preferred over "Examine." Testing Splunk under various conditions with sample logs allows for a hands-on evaluation of log processing, reduction, and reporting, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of security control effectiveness by comparing actual outputs with expected outcomes. This approach provides a more thorough understanding of the system's capabilities than merely examining configurations or outputs.

175.

As a CCA, understanding the guiding principles of the CoPC can help you when you face situations in which you are asked to compromise your values and integrity. Which of the following is NOT a guiding principle of the CoPC?

  • Availability

  • Confidentiality

  • Proper use of methods

  • Professionalism

Correct answer: Availability

The Code of Professional Conduct is defined by principles of objectivity, confidentiality, proper use of methods, and information integrity. All credentialed and registered persons, entities, and industry working groups are expected to uphold these principles in all activities related to carrying out their roles in the CMMC ecosystem. Availability is not one of these guiding principles.

176.

When assessing an OSC, you learn they have implemented several measures to protect the authenticity of their communications. All information marked CUI is encrypted using a FIPS-validated cryptographic module to ensure its confidentiality. In discussions with the system administrators, you find they use certificate-based authentication to verify the identities of communicating parties. The authenticity of digital files is verified using SHA-256 hashes. The OSC also produces logs of communication sessions to track and verify activity as evidence of compliance with SC requirements. How would you score the contractor?s implementation of CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.15-Communications Authenticity based on this scenario?

  • Met

  • Not Met

  • Not Applicable

  • Partially Met

CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.15-Communications Authenticity focuses on ensuring that a trust relationship is established between communication parties, which directly relates to communication authenticity. The scenario describes measures such as encryption for CUI confidentiality, certificate-based authentication to verify the identities of communicating parties, and SHA-256 hashing to verify file integrity?all of which strengthen authenticity. Based on these implemented measures supporting authenticity, the OSC deserves a 'MET' score on the SPRS.

177.

One of the key areas the CCA wants to observe is how an OSC handles media sanitization, as required by the CMMC control MP.L2-3.8.4-Media Markings. The OSC arranges for the CCA to witness the organization's personnel performing a mock media sanitization process on a decommissioned hard drive. During the demonstration, the CCA carefully observes the steps taken by the OSC?s team, verifying that they follow the documented procedures and effectively sanitize the media as per the CMMC requirements. The CCA notes that the team executes the process seamlessly and without any issues. What is the outcome if a test or demonstration successfully demonstrates how a CMMC practice is implemented?

  • It results in a "MET" rating for that practice.

  • It is noted as "NOT MET" for that CMMC practice.

  • It requires further investigation by the Lead Assessor.

  • It leads to immediate certification approval for the OSC.

A successful test or demonstration that demonstrates how a CMMC practice is implemented indicates compliance with the standard. As such, the practice will be marked as 'MET,' signifying that the organization has effectively implemented the required security measures. This outcome validates the organization's efforts in adhering to CMMC requirements and contributes to its overall certification readiness.

178.

Evidence is a critical aspect of an assessment. It attests that an OSC has implemented what they have documented. However, the CCA has various activities related to evidence depending on the phase they are in during a CMMC Assessment. Which of the following activities related to evidence is not true?

  • In Phase 4, detailed reports of the evidence reviewed are created, and the evidence from the Limited Practice Deficiency Correction program is assessed and (re)scored.

  • In Phase 1, the OSC provides a preliminary list of artifacts to be used as evidence.

  • In Phase 2, the evidence is collected and assessed using assessment methods, resulting in preliminary and final scoring and results.

  • In Phase 1, evidence is evaluated against adequacy and sufficiency requirements.

Reviewing and creating detailed reports of the evidence by the assessment team and the OSC Assessment Official happens in the third phase of the CMMC Assessment Process. It is also in Phase 3 that the evidence from the Limited Practice Deficiency Correction (LPDC) program is assessed and re-scored.

179.

During a CMMC assessment, you need to verify how a defense contractor protects sensitive data on storage devices. CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.16-Data at Rest, specifically focuses on this requirement. What is the main requirement of CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.16-Data at Rest?

  • Ensuring CUI confidentiality while at rest.

  • Control and monitor the use of VoIP technologies.

  • Protect the confidentially of CUI at backup storage locations.

  • Implementing access control measures for CUI storage devices.

CMMC practice SC.L2-3.13.16-Data at Rest, focuses on protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) at rest within the organization's information systems. It ensures that unauthorized individuals cannot access or view CUI.

180.

You are assessing an OSC that develops applications handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). As part of the assessment, you review their vulnerability scanning process. According to their risk assessment policy, the OSC conducts system vulnerability scans every three months. However, they also utilize a centralized, automated vulnerability scanning tool that performs daily scans. Upon discovering any vulnerabilities, the OSC?s team applies patches and rescan their systems. Their environment includes backend database servers, web applications with custom Java code, virtual machine hosts running containerized applications, network firewalls, routers, switches, and developer workstations. During the assessment, you find that their scanning solution integrates the latest vulnerability feeds from the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), Open Vulnerability and Assessment Language (OVAL), and vendor sources. The tool generates reports using Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) metrics, and even remotely connected developer laptops are included in the scans. However, upon reviewing the vulnerability reports, you observe that the same high/critical vulnerabilities persist month after month without evidence of remediation. Furthermore, there is no record of source code scanning for their custom applications, and virtual machine hosts running the containerized applications are not included in the scans. To fully remediate the finding about containers being missed by vulnerability scans, which additional step would be required?

  • Ensure that the vulnerability scanning tool is configured to include virtual machine hosts and containerized environments in its scans, and rebuilding/redeploying containers.

  • Deploy a separate specialized container scanning solution

  • Implement runtime application self-protection (RASP) for containerized applications

  • Engage a third-party penetration testing firm to assess the containerized environment

To fully remediate the finding that vulnerability scans are missing containers, two steps are required. First, the existing vulnerability scanning solution needs to be reconfigured to ensure virtual machine hosts and containerized environments in its scans. This involves updating the scanning tool?s configuration or employing a specialized scanning tool that can assess both the host systems and the containers they run. However, this alone does not address potentially vulnerable containers already deployed. Therefore, the second step of rebuilding all containers from trusted base images after being scanned and then redeploying them is also needed. Both steps are required for full remediation and would allow the OSC to detect and address vulnerabilities within the containers and their underlying infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the entire environment.

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