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Graded Quiz: Data Essentials and Vulnerabilities :Database Essentials and Vulnerabilities (IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate) Answers 2025

1. Question 1

ACID compliance ensures:

  • ❌ Support for unstructured data

  • Accuracy and consistency of data despite failures

  • ❌ High availability & scalability

  • ❌ Unlimited storage

Explanation:
ACID guarantees reliable, consistent, and fail-safe transactions.


2. Question 2

Advantage of NoSQL databases:

  • ❌ Support ACID like relational DBs

  • ❌ Strict fixed schema

  • ❌ Use SQL for querying

  • Handle large volumes of structured, semi-structured & unstructured data

Explanation:
NoSQL databases offer high scalability and flexibility for diverse data types.


3. Question 3

Purpose of a primary key:

  • ❌ Variable-length storage

  • ❌ Store text

  • Uniquely identify each row and prevent duplicates

  • ❌ Create table links

Explanation:
Primary keys ensure each row is uniquely identifiable.


4. Question 4

Who can grant/remove permissions?

  • A user with ADMIN privilege or the object owner

  • ❌ Any user

  • ❌ Public role

  • ❌ User with read access

Explanation:
Only privileged users or object owners control permissions.


5. Question 5

SQL command to define structure:

  • ❌ DML

  • ❌ DCL

  • DDL

  • ❌ DRL

Explanation:
DDL includes CREATE, ALTER, DROP → defines database structure.


6. Question 6

Difference between physical & logical backups:

  • ❌ Logical is faster

  • ❌ Physical = local only

  • Physical = actual data files; Logical = database structure & data (SQL dump)

  • ❌ Physical = last full backup only

Explanation:
Physical copies raw database files; logical exports schema + data.


7. Question 7

Securing trade secrets:

  • ❌ Update DBMS only

  • ❌ Store only in physical form

  • ❌ Accessible to all

  • Encrypt data + MFA + strong authentication

Explanation:
Sensitive data must be encrypted with strict access controls.


8. Question 8

Safeguarding bank customer data:

  • ❌ Basic version control

  • Encrypt data, implement access controls, perform audits

  • ❌ Open access

  • ❌ Store only physically

Explanation:
Security requires encryption + access control + monitoring.


9. Question 9

Protecting data at rest:

  • ❌ Secure communication

  • ❌ Integrity checks

  • ❌ Secure coding

  • Encrypting the data

Explanation:
Encryption protects data even if physical devices are stolen.


10. Question 10

Data sovereignty requirement:

  • ❌ Geolocation monitoring

  • ❌ Encrypt during processing

  • ❌ Encrypt during transmission

  • Comply with data protection laws where data is stored

Explanation:
Each country has unique data laws that organizations must follow.


11. Question 11

Benefit of encryption:

  • ❌ Replaces data with fictional data

  • Makes data unreadable to unauthorized users

  • ❌ Original cannot be retrieved (not true for encryption)

  • ❌ Produces fixed-size string (hashing does)

Explanation:
Encryption ensures confidentiality.


12. Question 12

Benefit of tokenization:

  • ❌ Divides data into segments

  • ❌ Makes data hard to understand

  • ❌ Fixed-size string (hashing)

  • Replaces sensitive data with non-exploitable tokens

Explanation:
Tokens have no usable value if stolen.


13. Question 13

Method for isolating sensitive data:

  • ❌ Tokenization

  • ❌ Obfuscation

  • ❌ Permissions

  • Segmentation

Explanation:
Segmentation restricts access to sensitive groups of data.


14. Question 14

Principle of least privilege:

  • ❌ Give admin rights to all

  • ❌ Grant access to all resources

  • Assign permissions only as needed for job roles

  • ❌ Share accounts

Explanation:
Users get only the minimum access required.


15. Question 15

Primary risk of OS command injection:

  • Full system compromise

  • ❌ DoS

  • ❌ Unauthorized file access

  • ❌ Encryption issues

Explanation:
OS command injection allows attackers to run arbitrary commands.


16. Question 16

Safe practice for handling filenames in apps:

  • ❌ Ignore sanitization

  • ❌ Run with high privileges

  • Use built-in library functions

  • ❌ Execute OS commands

Explanation:
Library functions avoid risky shell-based execution.


17. Question 17

Why avoid shell interpreters?

  • ❌ Reduce number of commands

  • ❌ Faster execution

  • ❌ Simplify parameters

  • To prevent command chaining & shell exploitation

Explanation:
Shell interpreters allow dangerous chaining like ;, &&, |.


18. Question 18

Prevent executable path attacks:

  • Use explicit paths for all executables

  • ❌ Allow user-specified paths

  • ❌ Use relative paths

  • ❌ Ignore path settings

Explanation:
Explicit paths prevent executing malicious files placed earlier in PATH.


19. Question 19

Why use functions that take string arrays?

  • ❌ Fewer parameters

  • They prevent command injection by separating parameters

  • ❌ More flexible

  • ❌ Faster

Explanation:
String arrays avoid shell parsing → safer.


20. Question 20

SQL injection method to bypass authentication:

  • ❌ Encrypt SQL

  • ❌ Additional parameters

  • ❌ Modify structure

  • Use a condition that always evaluates to TRUE

Example:
' OR 1=1 --

Explanation:
This forces authentication queries to always return a valid user.


🧾 Summary Table

Q Correct Answer Key Concept
1 Accuracy & consistency ACID
2 Handles all data types NoSQL advantage
3 Unique row identifier Primary key
4 Admin/owner grants perms DB permissions
5 DDL Create/define structure
6 Physical vs logical backups Backup types
7 Encryption + MFA Trade secret security
8 Encrypt + access control + audits Customer data protection
9 Encrypt data at rest Data security
10 Comply with local laws Data sovereignty
11 Unreadable to unauthorized users Encryption
12 Replace with tokens Tokenization
13 Segmentation Data isolation
14 Minimum required access Least privilege
15 Full system compromise OS injection
16 Use library functions Secure coding
17 Prevent command chaining Avoid shells
18 Use explicit paths Path safety
19 String array parameters Injection prevention
20 TRUE condition injection SQLi bypass