IPA IP 2022 Question 64

Topic: Security

A question IPA Japan published in 令和4年度 ITパスポート試験 公開問題 問64, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.

Among A through D, which of the following lists all and only the appropriate items that can be achieved by installing a firewall?

AConstruction of a DMZ for installing a Web server and a mail server that are made public to the outsideBPrevention of unauthorized access from an external network to the organization’s internal networkCEntry of only the persons who are authorized for access, by installing it at the entrance of a server roomDDistribution of server load by dynamically allocating a large number of requests from an unspecified large number of clients to multiple servers

Explanation

A and B — a firewall filters traffic between networks, which both keeps outsiders out of the internal network and creates a DMZ.

A firewall sits between networks and passes or blocks each communication by rules on addresses, ports and direction.

  • •A: a firewall with three sides (Internet, DMZ, internal LAN) lets the outside reach only the public Web and mail servers in the DMZ, while the internal LAN stays closed. Building a DMZ is a firewall's job: appropriate
  • •B: blocking unauthorized access from the external network to the internal one is the firewall's basic purpose: appropriate
  • •C: letting only authorized people into a server room is physical entry control (an IC card or biometric lock on the door); a firewall controls network traffic, not people
  • •D: spreading many client requests dynamically over several servers is done by a load balancer

Answer (a)

Why not others:

  • •(b) — adds D, load distribution, which is a load balancer's function
  • •(c) — drops A and adds C, physical entry control
  • •(d) — C and D are the two items a firewall does not do

Key rule: A firewall controls communication between networks (outside, DMZ, inside); entry to rooms and load distribution need other devices.

Security · AI-written, may contain errors

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This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.