Cybersecurity: Salami Attack Explained Answers 1. What is a common characteristic of a salami attack? A. Immediate detection by intrusion detection systems B. Changes made exclusively by software bugs C. Gradual changes made to data over time D. Rapid and large scale data changes Answer: Gradual changes made to data over time (C) Salami attacks involve making small, incremental alterations that go unnoticed over time. 2. Which of the following best describes an insider threat in the context of data manipulation? A. Employees gradually altering company records for personal gain B. Outsiders hacking into the system for theft C. Low-level employees stealing data during a transfer D. Automated systems reporting erroneous data Answer: Employees gradually altering company records for personal gain (A) Insider threats often involve individuals with legitimate access making subtle changes for their own benefit. 3. How does data volume affect the risk of salami attacks? A. Data volume has no impact on salami attacks. B. Smaller datasets are more difficult to manipulate. C. Larger datasets can conceal gradual manipulations more effectively. D. Only structured data is susceptible to manipulation regardless of volume. Answer: Larger datasets can conceal gradual manipulations more effectively. (C) Larger datasets can make it easier for subtle changes to go unnoticed, increasing vulnerability to salami attacks. 4. Which of the following actions is a way to enhance the detection of data manipulation? A. Allowing unrestricted access to sensitive data B. Focusing solely on system downtime measures C. Minimizing the involvement of IT security in audits D. Increasing the frequency of data audits Answer: Increasing the frequency of data audits (D) Regular audits help in reviewing data integrity, hence improving the chances of detecting subtle manipulations. 5. What aspect of an attacker can influence the effectiveness of a salami attack? A. The physical distance of the attacker from the data source B. The attackers' motivation for immediate results C. The type of software used in large corporations D. The sophistication level and technical capabilities of the attacker Answer: The sophistication level and technical capabilities of the attacker (D) The technical skills of the attacker significantly affect how subtle and nuanced their manipulations can be. 6. What is the primary method through which a salami attack causes harm? A. By infecting systems with malware that causes immediate disruption B. By creating significant and noticeable data breaches C. By deleting large amounts of data at once D. By making many small, inconspicuous changes to data Answer: By making many small, inconspicuous changes to data (D) Salami attacks focus on incremental changes that often go undetected, causing cumulative harm over time. 7. Which technique involves breaking down large datasets into smaller, manipulated pieces? A. Data deletion B. Data duplication C. Data alteration D. Data fragmentation Answer: Data fragmentation (D) Data fragmentation is a key method in salami attacks that makes detection more challenging. 8. What motivation is commonly associated with salami attacks? A. Manipulating financial records for gradual embezzlement B. Increasing system performance C. Providing free access to sensitive information D. Strengthening data security protocols Answer: Manipulating financial records for gradual embezzlement (A) Financial gain, especially through deceitful manipulation of records, is a primary motivation for conducting salami attacks. 9. Which of the following is a detection difficulty associated with salami attacks? A. Transparency in data manipulation activities B. Changes that are easily detected by audit controls C. Significant changes that trigger immediate alerts D. The individuality of small changes may be insignificant Answer: The individuality of small changes may be insignificant (D) The small and seemingly insignificant alterations make it difficult for audit controls to detect salami attacks. 10. What is a recommended strategy to mitigate the risk of salami attacks? A. Eliminating all data access completely B. Only allowing manual data inputs C. Regularly changing passwords every month D. Implementing strong access controls and monitoring systems Answer: Implementing strong access controls and monitoring systems (D) Strong access controls and monitoring are critical to effectively prevent and detect salami attacks. 11. In the context of salami attacks, what does data insertion imply? A. Propagating existing data to new locations B. Introducing new data points to alter the dataset structure C. Locking data to prevent any unauthorized changes D. Removing unused data from a system Answer: Introducing new data points to alter the dataset structure (B) Data insertion involves adding crafted data points that subtly change the existing dataset. 12. Why is it challenging to aggregate the effects of small changes in a salami attack? A. Small changes avoid detection and remain undetected over time B. All changes occur at the same time, making them obvious C. They only affect one isolated part of the system D. Each change greatly alters the overall dataset Answer: Small changes avoid detection and remain undetected over time (A) The undetectable nature of accumulated small changes makes it difficult to recognize their overall impact. 13. Which of the following best describes data alteration in the context of salami attacks? A. Incremental manipulations within acceptable tolerance ranges B. Large-scale modifications that are easily caught in audits C. Complete removal of data records from a system D. Creating backups to prevent data loss Answer: Incremental manipulations within acceptable tolerance ranges (A) Data alteration refers to small changes to data fields that remain within recognized limits, making them hard to detect.