Exam SY0-701 topic 1 question 435 discussion

Improper use and management of cryptographic certificates often lead to misconfiguration vulnerabilities. These can include: Incorrectly configured certificate chains: Missing intermediate certificates or incorrect certificate ordering can lead to validation errors. Using certificates for the wrong purpose: For example, using a server certificate for client authentication. Improper certificate revocation: Failing to revoke compromised certificates can lead to serious security breaches. Certificate expiration: Failing to renew certificates before they expire can disrupt services and compromise security.

Improper use and management of cryptographic certificates often fall under the category of misconfiguration. This can include: Using expired certificates. Failing to validate certificate chains. Mismanaging certificate issuance (e.g., using self-signed certificates where public CA-signed certificates are needed). Not implementing certificate revocation checks. These issues arise due to incorrect setup or oversight in configuring secure cryptographic practices. Why Not the Others? B. Resource reuse: This typically involves reusing sensitive resources (e.g., memory or files) in insecure ways, leading to vulnerabilities. It is not directly related to certificate mismanagement. C. Insecure key storage: Insecure storage refers to failing to properly protect private keys or cryptographic material, which is related but distinct from certificate misconfiguration. D. Weak cipher suites: Weak cipher suites refer to using outdated or insecure encryption algorithms (e.g., MD5, RC4) but do not directly result from improper certificate use or management.

Insecure key storage

C. Insecure key storage is the best answer because it specifically refers to the improper handling or storing of cryptographic keys (e.g., private keys), which can lead to serious security vulnerabilities if they are exposed or not properly protected. This is directly related to the management of cryptographic certificates. On the other hand, A. Misconfiguration is a broader term that refers to general incorrect settings or configurations in systems, and while it can involve certificates, it doesn't specifically address the key storage issue, which is the core concern in this question.