Exam CISSP topic 1 question 72 discussion

B is correct. "A significant issue regarding SDN security is that virtualizing every aspect of the network infrastructure increases your attack footprint. " https://www.networkworld.com/article/3245173/secure-your-sdn-controller.html

SDN security concerns A significant issue regarding SDN security is that virtualizing every aspect of the network infrastructure increases your attack footprint. The SDN controller is typically the primary target for attackers because it is the central point for decisions in a network and a central point of failure. Attackers can try to get control of the network by breaking into a controller or pretending to be one. Once a central controller is compromised, an attacker can gain complete control over your network. This would be considered an extreme scenario, but it could be possible as SDN usage continues to grow. There are new types of denial-of-service attacks that try to exploit potential scaling limits of an SDN infrastructure by locating specific automatic processes that use a significant amount of CPU cycles.

A security concern when considering implementing software-defined networking (SDN) is (B) it increases the attack footprint. SDN introduces a centralized controller that manages the network infrastructure and allows for dynamic and programmable network configurations. While SDN offers advantages in terms of flexibility and automation, it also expands the attack surface of the network. With SDN, there is a single point of control that, if compromised, can have a significant impact on the entire network. The centralized nature of SDN makes it an attractive target for attackers. If they can gain unauthorized access to the SDN controller or exploit vulnerabilities in the controller software, they may be able to manipulate network configurations, redirect traffic, or launch attacks on other network components.

B is correct. It increases the attack footprint because it utilizes SDN controller and other Network Element devices to create virtual networks increasing points of attack comparing to traditional network.

By process of elimination, only correct answer is B. One of the most significant security risk factors is the possibility of a compromised SDN controller attack at the control plane layer. Due to the centralization design of the SDN, the SDN controller becomes the brain of the SDN architecture. Attackers can focus on compromising the SDN controller in an attempt to manipulate the entire network. https://www.isaca.org/resources/isaca-journal/issues/2016/volume-4/benefits-and-the-security-risk-of-software-defined-networking#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20SDN%20is%20exposed,at%20the%20control%20plane%20layer

CISSP gude, s. 526 "SDN offers a new network design that is directly programmable from a central location, is flexible, is vendor neutral, and is open standards based."

correct