CompTIA Updated N10-009 Exam Questions and Answers by freddy

This is a classic example of social engineering, where an attacker manipulates individuals into giving up confidential information, such as credentials, by pretending to be someone trustworthy (like help desk staff).

B. Tailgating involves physical access without authentication.

C. Shoulder surfing is spying over someone ' s shoulder to steal info.

D. Smishing is phishing via SMS.

E. Evil twin involves a rogue Wi-Fi access point impersonating a legitimate one.

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CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Official Objectives: 4.2 – Identify common security threats and vulnerabilities.

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•A. Isolate smart devices to their own network segment: Network segmentation using VLANs or separate SSIDs ensures that smart devices (like speakers) are not on the same network as guests, preventing unauthorized control.

•E. Change the default credentials: Many IoT devices (e.g., smart speakers) come with default usernames and passwords. If these are not changed, unauthorized users can easily take control.

•Why not the other options?

•B. Configure IPS: IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) detects threats but cannot block specific guest actions on an IoT device.

•C. Install a new AP: A new access point does not solve the unauthorized control issue.

•D. Set up a syslog server: Helps with logging, but does not prevent unauthorized access.

•F. Configure GRE: Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) is used for VPN tunneling, which is irrelevant in this case.

The best answer is B. 255.255.252.0 , which is a /22 mask. A Class B network starts with a default mask of 255.255.0.0 or /16 . The question says the administrator wants four equal subnets , which means borrowing 2 bits from the host portion, since 2 borrowed bits gives 2² = 4 subnets . That moves the mask from /16 to /18 if subnetting is based only on splitting the Class B into four equal parts.

However, the answer choices point toward the host requirement as the deciding factor. Each subnet needs to support about 1,000 hosts . A /22 leaves 10 host bits , which gives 2¹⁰ = 1024 total addresses , or 1022 usable hosts after subtracting the network and broadcast addresses. That fits the requirement. Among the options provided, 255.255.252.0 is the only mask that supports around 1,000 hosts per subnet.

The smaller masks, /24 and /25 , do not allow enough hosts. The default Class B mask, /16 , does not subnet the network at all. Based on the available choices and the host-capacity requirement, 255.255.252.0 is the correct exam answer.

The correct answer is D. Administratively down . The question states that another technician had already turned off unused switchports as part of hardening. When a port is intentionally disabled by configuration, its status is described as administratively down . In other words, the switchport is not broken and has not failed on its own; it has simply been shut down by an administrator.

This is a common security practice. Unused ports are often disabled so unauthorized devices cannot be plugged in and gain access to the network. If a legitimate device later needs that port, the administrator must re-enable it before the link can come up.

The other answer choices do not line up as well with the scenario. Error disabled usually points to a protective shutdown caused by a violation or fault, such as port security or BPDU guard. Idle is not the standard description for a manually shut switchport in this context. Suspended can appear with certain switch features, but it is not the normal label for a port deliberately turned off as part of hardening.

The phrase “turned off unused switchports” is the key detail. That clearly indicates a manual administrative shutdown, so administratively down is the best answer.