7: Explain Resiliency and Site Security Concepts

What is high availability (HA)?

A system design approach that keeps systems and services operational and accessible by minimizing downtime and eliminating single points of failure.

What is redundancy in a high-availability architecture?

Providing duplicate or additional components so that if one component fails, another can continue providing the required service.

What is a single point of failure (SPOF)?

A component whose failure can cause the entire system or service to become unavailable.

What is a backup?

A separate copy of data that can be used to restore the original data if it is lost, corrupted, deleted, or otherwise unavailable.

What is the difference between full, incremental, and differential backups?

• A full backup copies all selected data

• An incremental backup copies data changed since the last backup of any type

• A differential backup copies data changed since the last full backup.

What is the 3-2-1 backup strategy?

Maintain at least 3 copies of data, on 2 different types of storage/media, with at least 1 copy stored off-site.

Why are off-site backups important?

They help protect backup data from disasters or incidents that affect the primary location, such as fire, flooding, or other site-wide failures.

What is the acquisition/procurement process in asset management?

The process of obtaining hardware, software, and other organizational assets while ensuring they are properly evaluated, approved, and accounted for.

Why is asset assignment/accounting important?

It establishes who or what an asset is assigned to and maintains accountability for that asset throughout its lifecycle.

What is asset monitoring/tracking?

Maintaining visibility into an asset's location, status, ownership, and lifecycle so the organization knows what assets exist and how they are being used.

What is asset disposal/decommissioning?

The secure removal of an asset from service at the end of its lifecycle, including properly handling any organizational data stored on it.

Why must data be securely handled during asset disposal?

Simply removing an asset from service does not necessarily remove the data stored on it; improper disposal can expose sensitive information.

What is continuity of operations (COOP)?

A plan and set of procedures designed to maintain or restore critical organizational functions when normal operations are disrupted.

What is the difference between high availability and continuity of operations?

High availability focuses on minimizing service interruption through resilient system design, while continuity of operations focuses on maintaining or restoring critical business functions during a disruption.

What is a disaster recovery site?

A separate location that can support organizational operations or IT services when the primary site is unavailable.

What is a hot site?

A recovery site that is already equipped and configured to provide operational capabilities with minimal interruption.

What is a cold site?

A recovery location with basic facilities but requiring significant setup and equipment before normal operations can resume.

What is a warm site?

A recovery site that has some infrastructure and equipment available but requires additional configuration or preparation before full operations can resume.

What is deception technology?

A security technology that intentionally presents fake or misleading systems, services, data, or resources to attract, detect, or misdirect attackers.

What is a honeypot?

A deliberately deployed system or resource designed to appear legitimate and attract attackers so their activity can be detected or analyzed.

What is the purpose of deception and disruption technology?

To detect, misdirect, delay, or otherwise interfere with malicious activity by presenting attackers with deceptive targets or environments.

Why is power an important security architecture consideration?

Loss or instability of electrical power can cause systems and services to become unavailable, so resilient power infrastructure helps maintain availability.

What is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)?

A device that provides temporary backup power when normal electrical power is interrupted, allowing systems to remain operational or shut down safely.

What is a generator used for in a resilient power architecture?

A generator provides longer-term backup electrical power during an extended power outage after normal utility power is unavailable.

What is continuity testing?

Testing continuity and recovery plans to verify that an organization can actually maintain or restore critical operations during a disruption.

Why should continuity plans be tested?

A documented plan may contain errors or assumptions that are not discovered until an actual disruption occurs; testing identifies weaknesses before a real incident.