The CompTIA 220-901 exam is one of two exams requires to obtain the CompTIA A+ (900 series). This exam will cover operating systems like Windows, Macintosh OSX and Linux as well as topics like security, software troubleshooting and operational procedures.
1) Which of the following passwords is the MOST secure according to industry best practices?
A good password can be defined in many different ways - however at a minimum it should contain letters, numbers, special characters and be at least 8 characters long.
This question is filed under objective 3, Security
Password strength is a measure of the effectiveness of a password against guessing or brute-force attacks In its usual form, it estimates how many trials an attacker who does not have direct access to the password would need, on average, to guess it correctly The strength of a password is a function of length, complexity, and unpredictabilityUsing strong passwords lowers overall risk of a security breach, but strong passwords do not replace the need for other effective security controls The effectiveness of a password of a given strength is strongly determined by the design and implementation of the factors (knowledge, ownership, inherence)… Read More
2) Which of the following is a command line tool that will translate between a domain name and an IP Address?
NSLOOKUP will return the IP Address of a domain name by querying a computers assigned DNS Servers for the information. NSLOOKUP is well known as a Windows command but can be used on some Unix based systems as well.
This question is filed under objective 1, Windows Operating Systems
3) Which of the following is true about the difference between a worm and a virus?
Both worms and viruses have the ability to spread themselves and they both have malicious intent. They differ in that a worm is a standalone program while a virus has to attach itself to a host program.
This question is filed under objective 3, Security
A computer worm is a standalone malware computer program that replicates itself in order to spread to other computers Often, it uses a computer network to spread itself, relying on security failures on the target computer to access it Worms almost always cause at least some harm to the network, even if only by consuming bandwidth, whereas viruses almost always corrupt or modify files on a targeted computer Many worms are designed only to spread, and do not attempt to change the systems they pass through However, as the Morris worm and Mydoom showed, even these "payload-free" worms can cause major disruption by increasing network traffic and other unintended effects… Read More
4) A user is installing Windows 7 on a PC with a RAID card. The user has verified all of the cables are connected correctly, but the installation media does not detect any hard drives. Which of the following should the user do to help detect the hard drives?
Often when installing Windows onto an external RAID array, a driver is required for Windows to detect the hard drives.
This question is filed under objective 1, Windows Operating Systems
In computing, a device driver is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is attached to a computer A driver provides a software interface to hardware devices, enabling operating systems and other computer programs to access hardware functions without needing to know precise details about the hardware being used A driver communicates with the device through the computer bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects When a calling program invokes a routine in the driver, the driver issues commands to the device Once the device sends data back to the driver, the driver may invoke routines in the original calling program… Read More
5) You are creating a support ticket for a customer. While they are explaining their PC's symptoms you believe you already know the solution. What should you do?
You should always do your best to not interrupt a customer. Additionally, you should still create the trouble ticket for logging purposes.
This question is filed under objective 5, Operational Procedures
6) When is it acceptable to a IT business to make copies of customer's confidential data?
As an IT, you have access to personal data. You should always get customer permission before copying or changing it.
This question is filed under objective 3, Security
Client confidentiality is the principle that an institution or individual should not reveal information about their clients to a third party without the consent of the client or a clear legal reason This concept is commonly provided for in law in most countries and can also be referred to as social systems of confidentialityThe access to a client's data as provided by the institution in question is usually limited to law enforcement agencies and requires some legal procedures to be accomplished prior to such action (eg: court order issued, etc) This applies to bank account information or medical record… Read More
7) The practice of following an authorized person through an entrance without using a badge or token to defeat security is called:
Tailgaiting is when an unauthorized person "tails" an authorized person through a secured entryway without the authorized person's knowledge.
This question is filed under objective 3, Security
In security, piggybacking, similar to tailgating, refers to when a person tags along with another person who is authorized to gain entry into a restricted area, or pass a certain checkpoint It can be either electronic or physical The act may be legal or illegal, authorized or unauthorized, depending on the circumstances However, the term more often has the connotation of being an illegal or unauthorized actTo describe the act of an unauthorized person who follows someone to a restricted area without the consent of the authorized person, the term tailgating is also used "Tailgating" implies no consent (similar to a car tailgating another vehicle on a road), while "piggybacking" usually implies consent of the authorized person… Read More
8) A user is experiencing slow performance with their computer. A technician suspects the computer has a virus and runs antivirus software. A virus is found and removed, but the performance issue is not resolved. Which of the following should the technician perform next?
Although the technician was able to locate and remove a virus, that virus was not the cause of the user's issues. The technician should continue to troubleshoot the computer.
This question is filed under objective 5, Operational Procedures
Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind… Read More
9) Of which of the following Windows System Power States saves the contents of memory to a file on the PC's hard drive?
Sleep, Hibernation, and Stand By are the only true System Power States. Of the three, only hibernation provides no power to memory, and saves memory contents to the hard drive to be loaded back into memory when the computer wakes up.
This question is filed under objective 1, Windows Operating Systems
Hibernation (or suspend to disk) in computing is powering down a computer while retaining its state Upon hibernation, the computer saves the contents of its random access memory (RAM) to a hard disk or other non-volatile storage Upon resumption, the computer is exactly as it was before entering hibernation … Read More
10) In a Linux operating system environment, what command will display the current directory to the user?
The pwd (Print Working Directory) command will display the user's current directory. The ls command will display the contents of the current directory.
This question is filed under objective 2, Other Operating Systems & Technologies
11) You are a desktop technician for a graphic design company. The company issues Apple computers running OSX 10.9 to all employees. Recently you have been asked to find a solution that will allow employees to use Windows applications on their computers. Which of the following is a potential solution?
Boot Camp is a Mac OSX application that allows users to install Windows based operating systems. Boot Camp
This question is filed under objective 2, Other Operating Systems & Technologies
Boot Camp Assistant is a multi boot utility included with Apple Inc's macOS (previously OS X) that assists users in installing Microsoft Windows operating systems on Intel-based Macintosh computers The utility guides users through non-destructive disk partitioning (including resizing of an existing HFS+ partition, if necessary) of their hard disk drive or solid state drive and installation of Windows device drivers for the Apple hardware The utility also installs a Windows Control Panel applet for selecting the boot operating system Initially introduced as an unsupported beta for Mac OS X 104 Tiger, the utility was first introduced with Mac OS X 10… Read More
12) A user has called the help desk where you work stating they cannot find a file on their PC. After asking a few basic questions you have determined they are using Mac OSX. Which standard OSX application can help them locate their file?
Spotlight is an application built into Mac OSX to allow for quick searching of files, applications, system preferences and integration with some search engines.
This question is filed under objective 2, Other Operating Systems & Technologies
Spotlight is a system-wide desktop search feature of Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems Spotlight is a selection-based search system, which creates an index of all items and files on the system It is designed to allow the user to quickly locate a wide variety of items on the computer, including documents, pictures, music, applications, and System Preferences In addition, specific words in documents and in web pages in a web browser's history or bookmarks can be searched It also allows the user to narrow down searches with creation dates, modification dates, sizes, types and other attributes Spotlight also offers quick access to definitions from the built-in New Oxford American Dictionary and to calculator functionality… Read More
13) Which of the following is the default package manager for the Ubuntu Linux distribution?
APT (Advanced Packaging Tool) is the default package manager for the Ubuntu Linux distribution. A package manager is a system used to download, install, update and remove software applications.
This question is filed under objective 2, Other Operating Systems & Technologies
Advanced Package Tool, or APT, is a free-software user interface that works with core libraries to handle the installation and removal of software on Debian, Ubuntu, and related Linux distributions APT simplifies the process of managing software on Unix-like computer systems by automating the retrieval, configuration and installation of software packages, either from precompiled files or by compiling source code … Read More
14) Recently the company you work for began investigating the possibility of replacing their payroll system with a cloud based service provided by a third party company. Which type of service is this?
Software as a Service (SaaS) is an internet or cloud based application accessible by consumers or customers. Crucial Exams, Google Search and Twitter are all common examples of SaaS.
This question is filed under objective 2, Other Operating Systems & Technologies
Software as a service (SaaS ) is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted It is sometimes referred to as "on-demand software", and was formerly referred to as "software plus services" by MicrosoftSaaS applications are also known as Web-based software, on-demand software and hosted software The term "software as a service" (SaaS) is considered to be part of the nomenclature of cloud computing, along with infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), desktop as a service (DaaS), managed software as a service (MSaaS), mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), and information technology management as a service (ITMaaS)… Read More
15) Social engineering makes use primarily of which of the following techniques, to bypass common corporate security barriers?
Social Engineering is the process of manipulating another person or group of people to divulge information or perform actions relevant to a systems security.
This question is filed under objective 3, Security
Social engineering, in the context of information security, is the psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information This differs from social engineering within the social sciences, which does not concern the divulging of confidential information A type of confidence trick for the purpose of information gathering, fraud, or system access, it differs from a traditional "con" in that it is often one of many steps in a more complex fraud schemeIt has also been defined as "any act that influences a person to take an action that may or may not be in their best interests… Read More
16) An unauthorized user observing system security procedure such as typing in a password or pin code is known as:
Shoulder surfing is a common tactic to gain information by standing near a person as they talk on the phone, fill out a form, or type in their password.
This question is filed under objective 3, Security
In computer security, shoulder surfing is a type of social engineering technique used to obtain information such as personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords and other confidential data by looking over the victim's shoulder, either from keystrokes on a device or sensitive information being spoken and heard, also known as eavesdropping… Read More
17) A user reports that their PC does not work. Which of the following would be the BEST question for the technician to ask the user to get further information?
As a support technician you should always assume that a user has no knowledge of how computers and networks function. With this, it is always best to begin troubleshooting with the most basic questions to determine the issue.
This question is filed under objective 5, Operational Procedures
Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind… Read More
18) Alex, a technician, would like to map a network drive when he starts up his computer in the morning. Which of the following commands would he use to accomplish this task?
The NET command in Windows provides many options, including the NET USE command tool. The NET USE command will show and configure mapped network drives from a shared resource like a NAS or a storage server.
This question is filed under objective 1, Windows Operating Systems
19) A technician is trying to setup a non-domain user account on a workstation, but receives the following error message "Password does not meet the complexity requirements." Which of the following utilities should the technician use to identify the criteria?
Because this is a non-domain (local) user account the Local Security Policy is the cause of the issue. Accessing the policy to determine account requirements will solve the problem.
This question is filed under objective 1, Windows Operating Systems
Group Policy is a feature of the Microsoft Windows NT family of operating systems that controls the working environment of user accounts and computer accounts Group Policy provides centralized management and configuration of operating systems, applications, and users' settings in an Active Directory environment A set of Group Policy configurations is called a Group Policy Object (GPO) A version of Group Policy called Local Group Policy (LGPO or LocalGPO) allows Group Policy Object management without Active Directory on standalone computersActive Directory servers disseminate group policies by listing them in their LDAP directory under objects of class groupPolicyContainer These refer to fileserver paths (attribute gPCFileSysPath) that store… Read More
20) Which of the following commands may be used on a computer, running Windows 7, to stop a single process from the command line?
The TASKKILL command in Windows is used to manually stop a process from running. Example: TASKKILL /IM notepad.exe, will stop the notepad.exe process.
This question is filed under objective 1, Windows Operating Systems
In computing, kill is a command that is used in several popular operating systems to send signals to running processes … Read More
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