CompTIA Updated SY0-701 Exam Questions and Answers by bilal

Encryption is a reversible process that transforms cleartext data into ciphertext to protect confidentiality. It uses cryptographic keys to both encrypt and decrypt data, ensuring that only authorized parties can access the original data.

Hashing, on the other hand, is a one-way function that converts data into a fixed-length hash value or checksum. Hashing is primarily used to verify data integrity by detecting changes, since any modification in the input will produce a different hash output. Unlike encryption, hashing cannot be reversed to obtain the original data.

While encryption can protect data both at rest and in transit, hashing does not protect data confidentiality but supports integrity verification. Public-key exchange is a cryptographic mechanism within asymmetric encryption but is unrelated to hashing key usage.

This distinction is thoroughly explained in the Cryptography chapter of the SY0-701 syllabus【6:Chapter 7†CompTIA Security+ Study Guide】.

Running daily vulnerability scans on all corporate endpoints is primarily done to track the status of patching installations. These scans help identify any missing security patches orvulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. Keeping the endpoints up-to-date with the latest patches is critical for maintaining security.

Finding shadow IT cloud deployments and monitoring hardware inventory are better achieved through other tools.

Hunting for active attackers would typically involve more real-time threat detection methods than daily vulnerability scans​​.

To ensure that all systems requiring the patch are updated, the systems administrator must maintain an accurate asset inventory. This inventory lists all hardware and software assets within the organization, allowing the administrator to identify which systems are affected by the patch and ensuring that none are missed during the update process.

Network enumeration is used to discover devices on a network but doesn ' t track software that requires patching.

Data certification and procurement process are unrelated to tracking systems for patching purposes​​.

File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) is specifically designed to detect and prevent unauthorized changes to critical system files, configuration files, registry entries, binaries, and logs. According to CompTIA Security+ SY0-701, FIM creates a cryptographic baseline (usually via hashing) of protected system files. Any attempt to modify, add, or delete protected files immediately triggers an alert, enabling rapid detection of tampering—whether caused by malware, insider threats, or misconfigurations.

NIDS (A) monitors network traffic, not system-level modifications. DLP (B) prevents unauthorized data exfiltration, not system-file tampering. NAC (C) controls device access to the network but does not protect system files.

FIM is a core tool for ensuring system integrity in compliance frameworks such as PCI-DSS, which explicitly requires organizations to monitor critical system files. By preventing unauthorized changes to system-level data and alerting administrators to suspicious activity, FIM provides a strong defensive mechanism against malware, ransomware, and configuration drift.

Thus, FIM is the correct answer.