Study ISC2 CC network threats and attacks: DDoS, virus, worm, Trojan, MITM, side-channel, IDS, HIDS, NIDS, IPS, firewalls, and antivirus.
Network attack questions test recognition plus response. The strongest answer usually identifies the attack pattern and chooses whether prevention, detection, containment, or recovery is needed.
| Threat | Basic signal |
|---|---|
| DDoS | service overwhelmed by traffic or requests |
| Virus | malware that attaches to files/programs and spreads with user/system action |
| Worm | self-propagating malware |
| Trojan | malicious function hidden inside something that appears legitimate |
| MITM | attacker intercepts or manipulates communications |
| Side-channel | attacker infers secrets from indirect signals such as timing or power behavior |
| Control | Role |
|---|---|
| IDS | detects suspicious activity |
| HIDS | detects on hosts |
| NIDS | detects on networks |
| IPS | can block or prevent suspicious activity |
| Firewall | filters traffic by rule |
| Antivirus / antimalware | detects or blocks known/suspicious malware |
| Scan | identifies vulnerabilities or exposures |
The current outline notes AI-powered monitoring and automated threats. At CC level, remember: AI-assisted alerts still need human validation, escalation, and evidence.