Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam

What security practice ensures data integrity by taking a snapshot at a specific time?

1. Integrity checks

2. Secure cookies

3. Data encryption

4. Access controls

The correct answer is: Integrity checks

The practice that ensures data integrity by taking a snapshot at a specific time is integrity checks. Integrity checks involve creating a record of data at a particular moment, which allows for later verification that the data has not been altered or tampered with. This process is crucial in maintaining the authenticity and trustworthiness of data, as it helps to detect any unauthorized changes. When conducting integrity checks, organizations can use methods such as hashing to create a unique digest of the data at the time the snapshot is taken. Later on, this hash can be compared against the current state of the data to ascertain whether any modifications have occurred. If the hashes match, it indicates that the data remains intact and unchanged; if they differ, it signals that something has affected the data, prompting further investigation. The other options, while they play important roles in cybersecurity, do not focus specifically on the concept of capturing a data snapshot for the purpose of ensuring integrity at a certain time. Secure cookies help maintain session security; data encryption protects data confidentiality; and access controls manage who can view or modify data, but none of these practices specifically relate to the act of taking a snapshot for integrity verification.