Cybersecurity Fundamentals: 2026/2027
Prep Pack
Independent Study Guide & Practice Exam
1. Which security model, becoming the global standard in 2026, assumes that no entity
inside or outside the network should be trusted by default?
A) Perimeter-Based Security
B) Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
C) Trust-but-Verify Model
D) Open Network Policy
Correct Answer: B) Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
2. What is the primary purpose of "Multi-Factor Authentication" (MFA) in 2027 security
protocols?
A) To make logging in faster
B) To provide multiple layers of defense by requiring two or more forms of verification
C) To allow multiple users to use the same password
D) To encrypt the user's hard drive
Correct Answer: B) To provide multiple layers of defense by requiring two or more forms
of verification
3. In 2026, "Phishing" attacks that use AI-generated voice or video to mimic executives
are called:
A) Smishing
B) Vishing and Deepfake Social Engineering
C) Spamming
D) SQL Injection
Correct Answer: B) Vishing and Deepfake Social Engineering
,4. What does the "CIA Triad" in cybersecurity stand for?
A) Central Intelligence Agency
B) Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability
C) Control, Identification, and Access
D) Cloud, Internet, and Applications
Correct Answer: B) Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability
5. Which type of malware encrypts a victim's files and demands payment for the
decryption key?
A) Spyware
B) Ransomware
C) Adware
) Rootkit
Correct Answer: B) Ransomware
6. What is "Social Engineering"?
A) Building a social media profile for a company
B) Manipulating people into giving up confidential information
C) Improving the speed of a team's communication
D) Designing a network for social events
Correct Answer: B) Manipulating people into giving up confidential information
7. In 2027, "Post-Quantum Cryptography" (PQC) is developed to protect data against:
A) Very fast classical computers
B) Future quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption
C) Power outages
D) Simple password guessing
Correct Answer: B) Future quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption
, 8. What is a "Zero-Day Vulnerability"?
A) A bug that was fixed zero days ago
B) A software flaw that is unknown to the vendor and has no available patch
C) A password that expires in zero days
D) A network with zero users
Correct Answer: B) A software flaw that is unknown to the vendor and has no available
patch
9. "Least Privilege" is a principle that suggests:
A) Giving everyone administrative rights
B) Users should be granted only the minimum levels of access necessary to perform their jobs
C) Using the cheapest security software
D) Having as few passwords as possible
Correct Answer: B) Users should be granted only the minimum levels of access necessary
to perform their jobs
10. What is the main goal of a "DDoS Attack"?
A) To steal credit card numbers
B) To overwhelm a service or website with traffic until it becomes unavailable
C) To change the content of a database
D) To read private emails
Correct Answer: B) To overwhelm a service or website with traffic until it becomes
unavailable
11. Which 2026 technology uses AI to detect and respond to threats in real-time across
the entire network?
A) Antivirus 1.0
B) Extended Detection and Response (XDR)
C) Manual Firewall
Prep Pack
Independent Study Guide & Practice Exam
1. Which security model, becoming the global standard in 2026, assumes that no entity
inside or outside the network should be trusted by default?
A) Perimeter-Based Security
B) Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
C) Trust-but-Verify Model
D) Open Network Policy
Correct Answer: B) Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)
2. What is the primary purpose of "Multi-Factor Authentication" (MFA) in 2027 security
protocols?
A) To make logging in faster
B) To provide multiple layers of defense by requiring two or more forms of verification
C) To allow multiple users to use the same password
D) To encrypt the user's hard drive
Correct Answer: B) To provide multiple layers of defense by requiring two or more forms
of verification
3. In 2026, "Phishing" attacks that use AI-generated voice or video to mimic executives
are called:
A) Smishing
B) Vishing and Deepfake Social Engineering
C) Spamming
D) SQL Injection
Correct Answer: B) Vishing and Deepfake Social Engineering
,4. What does the "CIA Triad" in cybersecurity stand for?
A) Central Intelligence Agency
B) Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability
C) Control, Identification, and Access
D) Cloud, Internet, and Applications
Correct Answer: B) Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability
5. Which type of malware encrypts a victim's files and demands payment for the
decryption key?
A) Spyware
B) Ransomware
C) Adware
) Rootkit
Correct Answer: B) Ransomware
6. What is "Social Engineering"?
A) Building a social media profile for a company
B) Manipulating people into giving up confidential information
C) Improving the speed of a team's communication
D) Designing a network for social events
Correct Answer: B) Manipulating people into giving up confidential information
7. In 2027, "Post-Quantum Cryptography" (PQC) is developed to protect data against:
A) Very fast classical computers
B) Future quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption
C) Power outages
D) Simple password guessing
Correct Answer: B) Future quantum computers capable of breaking current encryption
, 8. What is a "Zero-Day Vulnerability"?
A) A bug that was fixed zero days ago
B) A software flaw that is unknown to the vendor and has no available patch
C) A password that expires in zero days
D) A network with zero users
Correct Answer: B) A software flaw that is unknown to the vendor and has no available
patch
9. "Least Privilege" is a principle that suggests:
A) Giving everyone administrative rights
B) Users should be granted only the minimum levels of access necessary to perform their jobs
C) Using the cheapest security software
D) Having as few passwords as possible
Correct Answer: B) Users should be granted only the minimum levels of access necessary
to perform their jobs
10. What is the main goal of a "DDoS Attack"?
A) To steal credit card numbers
B) To overwhelm a service or website with traffic until it becomes unavailable
C) To change the content of a database
D) To read private emails
Correct Answer: B) To overwhelm a service or website with traffic until it becomes
unavailable
11. Which 2026 technology uses AI to detect and respond to threats in real-time across
the entire network?
A) Antivirus 1.0
B) Extended Detection and Response (XDR)
C) Manual Firewall
