Free 220-1102 Practice Questions – 2026 Updated

Contactless electronic payments on Android devices, such as those made through Google Pay or Samsung Pay, primarily utilize Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. NFC is a short-range wireless protocol that allows two devices to establish communication when brought within a few centimeters of each other. For a payment to be processed, the NFC chip in the phone must be enabled to communicate with the NFC reader in the point-of-sale (POS) terminal. If this setting is disabled, the phone cannot transmit the necessary payment credentials, causing the transaction to fail.

A. Wi-Fi is used for connecting to the internet over a local wireless network, not for the direct tap-to-pay communication with a payment terminal.

B. Nearby Share is an Android feature for sharing files and links between devices; it is not used for processing point-of-sale financial transactions.

D. Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology for connecting peripherals like headphones, but it is not the standard protocol used for tap-to-pay systems.

1. Google Wallet Help Center. "Set up tap to pay." Google LLC. In the section "Step 1: Turn on NFC

" the documentation states

"To make tap-to-pay transactions

you need to have NFC (near field communication) turned on." This is official vendor documentation directly confirming the requirement.

2. Android Open Source Project. "Near Field Communication." In the overview section

the documentation describes the Android NFC framework and its modes of operation

including "Card emulation mode: The NFC device can act as an NFC card

to be accessed by an external NFC reader

such as an NFC point-of-sale terminal." This confirms NFC's role in emulating a payment card for transactions.

3. Madlmayr

G.

Langer

J.

& Scharinger

J. (2008). NFC Devices: Security and Privacy. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Availability

Reliability and Security (ARES '08). IEEE Computer Society

USA

642–647. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ARES.2008.143. This academic paper discusses the architecture of NFC-based systems

explicitly referencing its use in payment applications where a mobile device emulates a contactless smart card (Section 2

"NFC Architecture").

The change management process follows a structured lifecycle to minimize risk and disruption. After a change request is planned, tested, and analyzed for risk, it is presented to a change management review board (often called a Change Advisory Board or CAB) for approval. The board's approval is the formal authorization to proceed. Therefore, the immediate next step in the process is the scheduled implementation of the approved change. All prerequisite activities, such as risk analysis and testing, have already been completed and validated during the review phase.

A. Perform risk analysis: This is a critical step that must be completed before the change is submitted to the board for approval.

B. Assign a change coordinator: This role is typically assigned at the beginning of the change process to oversee the request from submission through completion.

D. Verify testing results: Test results are verified and presented to the review board before they grant approval to ensure the change is effective and stable.

1. University of California

Berkeley

Information Services and Technology. (n.d.). Change Management Process. Section 5.0

"Change Management Process Flow." The document outlines the standard workflow where the "Change Implementation" phase directly follows the "Change Approval" phase.

2. The University of Texas at Austin

Information Technology Services. (2021). ITS Change Management Process. The process flow diagram on page 5 explicitly shows that the step following "CAB Approval" is "Implement Change."

3. Purdue University

Information Technology. (n.d.). IT Change Management. In the "Process" section

the workflow states

"Once a change is approved

it is ready to be implemented by the assigned implementer(s)." This confirms implementation is the next action after approval.

The process of modifying an iOS device to install applications from outside the official App Store is known as jailbreaking. This action intentionally bypasses critical security features built into the operating system, such as application sandboxing and code signing. By removing these protections, the device becomes vulnerable to malware that can be installed through unofficial sources. Such malicious applications can gain unauthorized, high-level privileges to access sensitive hardware, including the camera and microphone, and operate them without the user's knowledge or consent, leading to the symptoms described.

A. A counterfeit Lightning cable primarily risks causing charging problems, data sync issues, or physical damage to the device; it does not alter the OS to permit unauthorized software installation.

B. Unenrolling from Mobile Device Management (MDM) removes an organization's control and policies from the device but does not compromise the core security architecture of the iOS operating system itself.

D. An out-of-date operating system can contain unpatched vulnerabilities, but the specific action described—modifying the device to sideload apps—is the direct cause, which is defined as jailbreaking.

1. Apple

Inc. (2023

July 26). Unauthorized modifications to iOS ("jailbreaking") can cause security vulnerabilities

instability

shortened battery life

and other issues. Apple Support

Article HT201954. Retrieved from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201954. The document states

"Jailbreaking" your iPhone...eliminates security layers designed to protect your personal information and your iOS device. With this security removed...hackers may steal your personal information

damage your device

attack your network

or introduce malware

spyware

or viruses."

2. Klieber

W. (2011

August 1). Three Security-Related Reasons to Not "Jailbreak" Your iPhone. Carnegie Mellon University

Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Blog. Retrieved from https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/blog/three-security-related-reasons-to-not-jailbreak-your-iphone/. The article explains that jailbreaking removes "sandboxing" protection

which "prevents applications from accessing data from other applications or from the operating system

" thereby allowing malicious code to access sensitive functions.

3. CompTIA. (2021). CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1102) Exam Objectives. Version 1.0

Section 2.6. The objective covers "security best practices for mobile devices

" where avoiding unauthorized sources for apps and not performing rooting/jailbreaking are fundamental principles to prevent malware and unauthorized access

which are the direct issues in the question.

The System Properties window in Windows 10 is the primary graphical user interface (GUI) for managing a computer's identity on a network. Within the "Computer Name" tab of this window, a technician can change the computer's name, switch from a workgroup to a domain, or change its domain membership. This is the standard manual procedure for joining a Windows workstation to an Active Directory domain when automated methods, such as a script, fail. The technician would navigate to this menu, click the "Change..." button, select the "Domain" option, and enter the corporate domain name.

A. User Accounts: This Control Panel applet is used for managing local user profiles, passwords, and account types, not for changing the computer's domain affiliation.

C. Windows Firewall: This utility is for configuring inbound and outbound network traffic rules and security settings, which is unrelated to domain join operations.

D. Network and Sharing: This center is used to configure network adapter settings, IP addressing, and file/printer sharing options, but not for joining the computer to a domain.

1. Microsoft Official Documentation: In the official support documentation for joining a Windows computer to a domain

the steps explicitly direct the user to the System Properties window. The path is detailed as: "Select Start > Settings > System > About. Under Device specifications > Related links

select Advanced system settings." This opens the System Properties dialog.

Source: Microsoft Support

"Join a Windows 10 computer to a domain

" Document ID: 10157

Section: "To join a computer to a domain."

2. University Courseware/IT Documentation: The University of Wisconsin-Madison's IT support documentation provides a step-by-step guide for this exact task. It instructs users to open the System Properties window and use the "Computer Name" tab to join the domain.

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Division of Information Technology (DoIT)

"Windows 10 - Join a Computer to a Domain

" KB Article ID: 5383

Steps 4-6.

3. University Courseware/IT Documentation: Carnegie Mellon University's Computing Services provides instructions for joining a Windows computer to their domain

which also specifies using the System Properties window.

Source: Carnegie Mellon University

Computing Services

"Join a Windows Computer to the Andrew Domain

" Section: "Join a Windows Computer

" Step 3.

Breaking inheritance only at the confidential folder stops department-wide ACLs from flowing in.

After the break, the technician assigns the team-only ACL to that folder and re-enables inheritance for its children, allowing every file and subfolder created under it to automatically inherit the new, restricted permissions while leaving the rest of the departmental tree untouched.

A. Requires setting/maintaining ACLs on every file; new files would revert to default permissions, defeating confidentiality.

B. Removes permissions from the entire department root, unintentionally affecting all other folders and users.

C. Same over-broad scope as B and adds needless manual ACL work on every item.

1. Microsoft Learn

“Disable permission inheritance and convert inherited permissions” – Steps 2-4 (Windows Server & Windows 10 File Security) https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/operating-system-security/permissions/default-file-permissions

2. Microsoft TechNet

“How Inheritance Affects ACLs”

Sec. “Breaking inheritance on a child folder”

paragraph 3 (last updated 2020).

3. National University of Singapore

CS2100 File Security Lecture Notes

slide 28 – 29: “Breaking vs. Propagating NTFS ACL inheritance.”

Linux is the most appropriate operating system for this scenario. Many Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu Server or Debian, are available at no cost and operate under open-source licenses (e.g., GNU General Public License), which eliminates complex licensing agreements and fees. Linux is renowned for its stability and efficiency, making it ideal for running on older hardware. It includes robust, native tools for creating file servers, such as Samba, which allows seamless file sharing with Windows, macOS, and other Linux clients. This combination of zero cost, simple licensing, hardware flexibility, and powerful server capabilities directly meets all the customer's stated requirements.

A. Chrome OS is a lightweight, cloud-focused operating system designed for web browsing and is not intended to function as a file server or be installed on generic desktop hardware.

C. macOS is a proprietary operating system that is legally restricted to installation on Apple hardware only. It is not inexpensive and its licensing forbids use on a generic PC.

D. Windows requires purchasing a license. A server version would also necessitate Client Access Licenses (CALs), introducing both significant cost and licensing complexity, which the customer wants to avoid.

1. The Linux Foundation. (n.d.). What is Linux? Linux.com. Retrieved from https://www.linux.com/what-is-linux/. This official source states

"Linux is also distributed under an open source license... you can run Linux on a wide variety of hardware... From wristwatches to supercomputers

it is everywhere." This supports the no-cost

simple licensing

and hardware flexibility aspects.

2. Ubuntu. (n.d.). Ubuntu Server for scale-out computing. Canonical. Retrieved from https://ubuntu.com/server. The official documentation for a major Linux distribution highlights its use as a server platform

stating it is "the world’s most popular open-source operating system." This confirms its suitability for the server role.

3. Microsoft. (2023

October 12). Client Access Licenses (CAL) & Management Licenses. Microsoft Learn. Retrieved from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/client-access-licenses. This official vendor documentation details the requirement for CALs for devices or users accessing a Windows Server

demonstrating the licensing complexity and cost the customer wishes to avoid.

4. Google. (n.d.). What is ChromeOS? ChromeOS. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/chromebook/chromeos/. Google's official page describes ChromeOS as a cloud-first operating system for specific devices (Chromebooks)

which is inconsistent with the requirements of a local file server on old hardware.

The question describes the initial steps of the CompTIA A+ seven-step malware removal best practice procedure. The technician has completed Step 2 (Quarantine the infected system) and Step 3 (Disable System Restore). The immediate next action is Step 4: Remediate the infected systems. This step begins with updating the anti-malware software definitions (if possible from a clean, external source) and then performing a full antivirus scan to detect and remove the malicious software. This makes performing an antivirus scan the correct subsequent action.

B. Run Windows updates. This is part of Step 5 in the malware removal process, which is performed only after the system has been successfully cleaned.

C. Reimage the system. This is a method of remediation used as a last resort if scanning and manual removal are unsuccessful or if the system integrity is too compromised.

D. Enable System Restore. This is Step 6, which is done after the system is confirmed to be clean, to create a new, uninfected restore point.

---

1. Academic Courseware: Docter

Q.

& Dulaney

E. (2022). CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide: Core 1 Exam 220-1101 and Core 2 Exam 220-1102 (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Reference: Chapter 21

"Security

" under the section "Best Practice Procedure for Malware Removal

" outlines the seven steps. Step 4

"Remediate the infected systems

" explicitly states to "run a scan with your antimalware software." This follows directly after Step 2 (Quarantine) and Step 3 (Disable System Restore).

2. Vendor Documentation: Microsoft Corporation. (2023). Remove malware from your Windows PC. Microsoft Support.

Reference: In the section "How do I remove malware like a virus?"

the primary recommended action after identifying a threat is to use security software like Microsoft Defender Antivirus to "scan for and remove threats." This aligns with performing a scan as the core remediation step.

3. University IT Publication: Indiana University. (2024

January 18). What are viruses

worms

and Trojan horses? University Information Technology Services Knowledge Base.

Reference: In the section "What to do if you suspect an infection

" the guide advises to "Run a full scan of your system with up-to-date antivirus software." This is presented as a primary action for remediation after initial containment measures.

In the context of change management and project management, the scope defines the specific boundaries of a change or project. It explicitly outlines all the work, deliverables, features, and resources that are included, as well as what is excluded. This detailed definition of boundaries and deliverables directly corresponds to the "extent" of the change, ensuring all stakeholders have a clear and common understanding of what the change entails from start to finish.

B. Purpose: This explains the reason or justification for the change, not its boundaries or extent.

C. Analysis: This is the process of examining the change's requirements and potential effects, not the definition of its extent.

D. Impact: This refers to the potential consequences or effects of the change on the organization, which is assessed after the scope is defined.

1. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Section 2.2.3

"Project Scope

" defines scope as the work required to deliver a product

service

or result with specified features and functions.

2. Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning Initiative. (n.d.). Project Management for Engineers. Module 3: Defining the Project

"Defining the Scope." This courseware states

"The project scope is a written statement that defines the work or tasks to be done or the products or services to be delivered by the project."

3. University of Washington

UW-IT. (n.d.). Change Management - Key Concepts. In its official documentation on IT change management

the scope is identified as a key component of a change request

detailing "what the change is" and "what is being changed

" which directly defines its extent.

The question asks for the best practice solution for implementing application security updates across an enterprise network. Automating the patching process is the industry standard for ensuring updates are deployed consistently, efficiently, and in a timely manner to all endpoints. This method minimizes the window of vulnerability that exists between the release of a patch and its application, significantly enhancing device security. Manual patching is prone to human error and is not scalable for an enterprise environment, making automation the superior solution.

B. Monitor the firewall configuration: This is a network security control measure, not a method for deploying application updates on individual endpoints.

C. Implement access control lists: ACLs are used to manage permissions and filter network traffic, which is unrelated to the process of installing software patches.

D. Document all changes: While change documentation is a critical part of IT governance and a best practice, it is a procedural step, not the technical solution for implementing the updates themselves.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2022). Guide to Enterprise Patch Management Technologies (Draft). NIST Special Publication 800-40r4. In Section 3.1

"Automated Patch Distribution

" the document states

"Automated patch distribution is a key component of enterprise patch management. It is the process of pushing patches down to clients automatically..." This highlights automation as a core technology for enterprise patching.

2. Microsoft. (2023). Automatically deploy software updates. Microsoft Learn | Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager Documentation. This official vendor documentation details the creation of automatic deployment rules (ADRs)

stating

"Use automatic deployment rules (ADR) to deploy required software updates... This deployment method is useful because you don't need to add new updates to the deployment as they're released." This exemplifies an automated solution for enterprise updates.

3. Alberts

C.

& Dorofee

A. (2004). Defining an Enterprise-Level Patch and Vulnerability Management Program. Carnegie Mellon University

Software Engineering Institute. CMU/SEI-2004-TN-036. Section 3.2

"Patch Deployment

" discusses the necessity of tools for patch deployment

noting that "automated tools are available to assist in this process

" which is essential for enterprise-scale operations.

The scenario describes a persistent malware symptom (a recurring message) that evades detection by a standard antivirus scan. This strongly suggests the presence of a rootkit or other advanced persistent threat designed to hide from security software. When initial remediation steps like scanning fail, the most reliable and comprehensive method to ensure complete removal and restore the system to a known-good state is to reimage the computer. This process wipes the storage drive and reinstalls the operating system and applications from a trusted source, eliminating any hidden malicious code.

A. Check for Windows updates: This is a crucial preventative security measure but will not remove malware that is already active on the system.

C. Enable Windows Firewall: A firewall controls network traffic to prevent unauthorized access; it is not a tool for removing existing malware infections.

D. Run System File Checker: This utility repairs corrupted or missing Windows system files but is not designed to detect or remove malicious software.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2005). Special Publication 800-83: Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling for Desktops and Laptops. Section 3.3.3

"Eradication and Recovery

" states

"For some incidents

containing and eradicating the malware is not cost-effective or practical

or it may not provide a high enough level of confidence that the malware has been eradicated successfully... In these cases

the most effective and efficient way to recover from an incident is to reimage the compromised hosts from a master image."

2. Stanford University Information Security. (n.d.). Malware and Ransomware. In the section "What to do if your device is infected

" the guidance states

"The most reliable way to clean an infected system is to erase the hard drive and reinstall the operating system and applications."

3. Microsoft Support. (n.d.). Recover your Windows PC. The "Reset this PC" feature with the "Remove everything" option is described as a method to reinstall Windows and remove all applications and settings. This is a built-in reimaging function used to restore a PC to a clean

factory state

which is a standard procedure for irremovable malware.

The subnet mask 255.255.255.255 (also known as a /32 mask) defines a network that contains only a single host address. In this configuration, the device at 192.168.0.74 considers itself to be the only member of its local network. Consequently, it cannot communicate with any other IP address, including the default gateway at 192.168.0.1. To access the internet, the device must be able to send traffic to its default gateway. Since the incorrect subnet mask places the gateway outside the device's local network, all external communication fails.

A. The ipconfig command displays the configured IP settings; it does not provide the operational status of the default gateway device.

B. The IP address 192.168.0.74 is a standard private IP address. An APIPA address would be in the 169.254.0.0 to 169.254.255.255 range.

C. The IP address and default gateway are on the same intended logical subnet (192.168.0.x). The incorrect subnet mask is the root cause of the communication failure.

1. Microsoft Corporation. (2023). TCP/IP fundamentals for Windows. Microsoft Learn. In the "Subnet masks" section

it is explained that the subnet mask is used to determine the network ID and host ID from an IP address. A mask of 255.255.255.255 leaves zero bits for the host ID

effectively isolating the host from others on the physical segment

including its gateway.

2. Postel

J.

& Mogul

J. (1985). Internet Standard Subnetting Procedure. RFC 950. IETF. Section 2.1 discusses the structure of the subnet mask. A mask of all ones (255.255.255.255) logically implies a subnet with a single address

making communication with a separate gateway address impossible.

3. Kurose

J. F.

& Ross

K. W. (2021). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (8th ed.). Pearson. Chapter 5

Section 5.4.2

"The IP Addressing Scheme

" details how a device uses its IP address and subnet mask to determine its subnet address. This process is used to decide whether to send a packet directly to a destination on the same subnet or to the default gateway for routing. With a /32 mask

the gateway is not on the same subnet.

The primary risk of using a wireless network with open authentication is that data is transmitted "in the clear," making it susceptible to interception by malicious actors on the same network. A Virtual Private Network (VPN) mitigates this risk by creating an encrypted tunnel between the specialist's device and a trusted remote server. All network traffic, including sensitive company data, is routed through this secure tunnel. This ensures the confidentiality and integrity of the data, even though the underlying Wi-Fi network is insecure. This is the most direct and effective first action to protect data in transit.

A. Manually configuring an IP address, a subnet mask, and a default gateway only changes how the device is addressed on the network; it provides no encryption or security for the data itself.

C. In Windows, changing the network location to "private" makes the device more discoverable and relaxes firewall rules, which is intended for trusted home or office networks, not insecure public ones.

D. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an identity and access management control that secures the authentication process. It does not encrypt the data transmitted over the network after a user has logged in.

---

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-46 Revision 2

Guide to Enterprise Telework

Remote Access

and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security. Section 3.2.2

"Protecting Confidentiality and Integrity

" states

"Organizations should protect the confidentiality and integrity of telework communications... Virtual private networks (VPNs) are the typical solution used to provide confidentiality for communications." This document establishes VPNs as the standard for securing communications over untrusted networks.

2. Carnegie Mellon University

Information Security Office

Public Wireless Security. This university resource advises

"Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) client. A VPN client encrypts the traffic between your computer and the university's network... When using a public wireless network

a VPN is the most important step you can take to protect your data." This directly supports using a VPN as the primary security measure on an insecure network.

3. Microsoft Corporation

Official Windows Support Documentation. In the article "Make a Wi-Fi network public or private in Windows

" Microsoft explains the network profiles. The "Public" profile is recommended for networks in public places (like coffee shops or airports)

as it hides the computer from other devices on the network and blocks certain apps. The "Private" profile is for trusted networks. This confirms that changing the location to "private" (Option C) would be the incorrect security choice.

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. Explanation: https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_374_img_1.jpg https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_374_img_2.jpg https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_374_img_3.jpg

below:

Explanation:

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_47_img_1.jpg

Click on 802.11 and Select ac

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_48_img_1.jpg

Click on SSID and select CORP

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_48_img_2.jpg

Click on Frequency and select 5GHz

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_48_img_3.jpg

At Wireless Security Mode, Click on Security Mode

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_49_img_1.jpg

Select the WPA2

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_49_img_2.jpg

Ann needs to connect to the BYOD SSID, using 2.4GHZ. The selected security method chose should be

WPA PSK, and the password should be set to TotallySecret.

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_50_img_1.jpg

.

Explanation:

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_164_img_4.jpg

The user is experiencing a system error that prevents them from using the Testing program. The error

message indicates that the file MSVCP100.dll is missing from the computer. This file is part of the

Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package, which is required by some applications to run

properly. The error may have occurred due to a corrupted or incomplete software deployment.

To resolve this issue, the user needs to restore the missing file and register it in the system. One

possible way to do this is to copy the file from another computer that has the Testing program

installed and working, and then use the regsvr32 command to register it. The steps are as follows:

On another computer (User-PC02) that has the Testing program installed and working, locate the file

MSVCP100.dll in the folder C:\Program Files\Testing.

Share the folder C:\Windows\System32 on User-PC02 by right-clicking on it, selecting Properties,

then Sharing, then Advanced Sharing, then checking Share this folder, then clicking OK.

On the user’s computer (User-PC01), open a command prompt as an administrator by clicking Start,

typing cmd, right-clicking on Command Prompt, and selecting Run as administrator.

In the command prompt, type the following command to copy the file MSVCP100.dll from User-PC02

to User-PC01: copy "C:\Program Files\Testing\msvcp100.dll" "\\User-PC02\C$\Windows\System32"

After the file is copied, type the following command to register it in the system: regsvr32

msvcp100.dll

Restart the user’s computer and try to run the Testing program again.

Therefore, based on the instructions given by the user, the correct answers are:

Select Event Viewer Issue: 2187

Select First Command: copy "C:\Program Files\Testing\msvcp100.dll" "\\User-

PC02\C$\Windows\System32"

Select Second Command: regsvr32 msvcp100.dll

below.

Explanation:

Classification: a) Phishing

This email is a phishing attempt, as it tries to trick the user into clicking on a malicious link that could

compromise their account or personal information. Some suspicious items in this email are:

The email has a generic greeting and does not address the user by name.

The email has spelling errors, such as “unusal” and “Locaked”.

The email uses a sense of urgency and fear to pressure the user into clicking on the link.

The email does not match the official format or domain of the IT Help Desk at CompTIA.

The email has two black bat icons, which are not related to CompTIA or IT support.

The appropriate resolution for this email is

A. Report email to Information Security. The user should not click on the link, reply to the email, or

provide any personal or account information. The user should forward the email to the Information

Security team or use a professional email form to report the phishing attempt. The user should also

delete the email from their inbox and trash folder.

The suspicious items to select are:

b) From address

d) Hyperlinks

These items indicate that the email is not from a legitimate source and that the link is potentially

malicious. The other items are not suspicious in this case, as the to address is the user’s own email

and there are no attachments.

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_254_img_1.jpg

Classification: b) Spam

This email is a spam email, as it is an unsolicited and unwanted message that tries to persuade the

user to participate in a survey and claim a reward. Some suspicious items in this email are:

The email offers a free wireless headphone as an incentive, which is too good to be true.

The email does not provide any details about the survey company, such as its name, address, or

contact information.

The email contains an external survey link, which may lead to a malicious or fraudulent website.

The email does not have an unsubscribe option, which is required by law for commercial emails.

The appropriate resolution for this email is C. Unsubscribe. The user should look for an unsubscribe

link or button at the bottom of the email and follow the instructions to opt out of receiving future

emails from the sender. The user should also mark the email as spam or junk in their email client,

which will help filter out similar emails in the future. The user should not click on the survey link,

reply to the email, or provide any personal or financial information.

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_255_img_1.jpg

Classification: c) Legitimate

This email is a legitimate email, as it is from a trusted source and has a valid purpose. There are no

suspicious items in this email, as the from address, the to address, the attachment, and the email

body are all consistent and relevant. The appropriate resolution for this email is B. Perform no

additional actions. The user can open the attachment and review the orientation material as

instructed. The user does not need to report, unsubscribe, or delete this email.

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_255_img_2.jpg

Classification: a) Phishing

This email is a phishing attempt, as it tries to deceive the user into downloading and running a

malicious attachment that could compromise their system or data. Some suspicious items in this

email are:

The email has a generic greeting and does not address the user by name or username.

The email has an urgent tone and claims that a security patch needs to be installed immediately.

The email has an attachment named “patch1.exe”, which is an executable file that could contain

malware or ransomware.

The email does not match the official format or domain of CompTIA Information Security.

The appropriate resolution for this email is A. Report email to Information Security. The user should

not open the attachment, reply to the email, or provide any personal or account information. The

user should forward the email to the Information Security team or use a professional email form to

report the phishing attempt. The user should also delete the email from their inbox and trash folder.

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_256_img_1.jpg

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_257_img_1.jpg

Classification: c) Legitimate

This email is a legitimate email, as it is from a trusted source and has a valid purpose. There are no

suspicious items in this email, as the from address, the to address, and the email body are all

consistent and relevant. The appropriate resolution for this email is B. Perform no additional actions.

The user can reply to the email and thank the sender for the interview opportunity. The user does

not need to report, unsubscribe, or delete this email.

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_257_img_2.jpg

for the

solution.

Explanation:

Host 2 and Media Server put them to Quarantine.

https://kxbjsyuhceggsyvxdkof.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/file-images/CompTIA_220-1102_Dumps/page_57_img_1.jpg

To fulfill the customer's goal of saving cloud documents during a power failure, the Computer and Monitor must remain powered to allow user interaction. Additionally, the Cable Modem and Wi-Fi Router must be on the UPS to maintain the internet connection required for cloud synchronization.

The Printer should be moved to the Wall Outlet. Laser printers draw significant in-rush current (often peaking above 1000W) when heating their fusers. This can overload a UPS or the surge strip feeding it, causing dropped loads or battery damage. Isolating the printer on the wall ensures it does not trip the power path to the UPS. The Scanner is sensitive to voltage spikes but does not require battery backup, making the Surge Protector the appropriate destination.

Columbia University, Health IT Certificate Program, Component 4: Introduction to Information and Computer Science, Unit 7-4 Lecture Handout.

Relevant Quote: "Never plug laser printer into UPS. Due to power requirements, will instantly drain available UPS battery power."

Schneider Electric (APC), User Manual: Smart-UPS 750/1000/1500 VA.

Relevant Section: Installation / Basic Operation.

Guidance: "Laser printers draw significantly more power than other types of equipment and may overload the UPS."

University of Houston, Section 26 33 53: Static Uninterruptible Power Supply, Master Specifications.

Context: Defines technical standards for UPS load management and isolation of critical vs. non-critical loads to prevent system bypass during overloads.

The question requires a security measure to protect data on a point-of-sale (POS) workstation in the event of physical theft. Disk encryption, also known as full disk encryption (FDE), is the most appropriate solution. FDE encrypts the entire storage volume, including the operating system, application files, and any stored data like transaction logs or customer information. If the workstation is stolen, the data on the drive remains unreadable and inaccessible without the correct decryption key (e.g., a password or hardware key), thereby protecting the sensitive credit card and loyalty card data at rest.

A. Data-in-transit encryption protects data as it moves across a network, not the data stored locally on the workstation's drive.

B. File encryption only protects specific files or folders, potentially leaving sensitive data in temporary files or unencrypted areas of the disk vulnerable.

C. USB drive encryption is used to secure external portable drives and is not relevant to protecting the internal storage of the workstation.

---

1. Microsoft Corporation. "BitLocker overview." Microsoft Learn

2023. In the "Practical applications for BitLocker" section

it states

"For BitLocker to be effective

a computer must meet the baseline hardware and software security requirements... BitLocker helps mitigate unauthorized data access on lost or stolen computers by encrypting all user and system files on the operating system drive." This directly supports using disk encryption to protect against theft.

2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Special Publication 800-111

Guide to Storage Encryption Technologies

April 2007. Section 2.1

"Full Disk Encryption

" describes FDE as a technology that "encrypts the entire disk

including the operating system

applications

and data

" making it a primary defense against data compromise from a lost or stolen device.

3. University of California

Berkeley

Information Security Office. "Minimum Security Standards for Electronic Information (MSSEI)." UC Berkeley Security

2023. Requirement #5

"Encryption of Devices

" mandates the use of "full-disk encryption" for all university-owned laptops

desktops

and other endpoint devices that handle protected data

explicitly to safeguard information if a device is lost or stolen.

The S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) error is the critical piece of information. S.M.A.R.T. is a hardware-level monitoring system built into storage drives to detect and report on various indicators of reliability, with the primary goal of anticipating failures. A logged S.M.A.R.T. error is a direct warning of impending hardware failure. The subsequent "no OS found" message indicates the system's BIOS/UEFI could not locate or read the operating system from the storage device. The combination of a predictive hardware failure warning (S.M.A.R.T. error) followed by the inability to access the OS makes physical drive failure the most likely cause.

A. Boot order: An incorrect boot order is a BIOS/UEFI configuration issue and would not cause the drive's hardware to report a S.M.A.R.T. error.

B. Malware: Malware is a software issue. While it can corrupt boot files, it does not trigger hardware-specific S.M.A.R.T. alerts from the drive itself.

D. Windows updates: A failed operating system update is a software problem and is unrelated to the physical health monitoring that generates a S.M.A.R.T. error.

1. Pinheiro

E.

Weber

W. D.

& Barroso

L. A. (2007). Failure Trends in a Large Disk Drive Population. 5th USENIX Conference on File and Storage Technologies (FAST '07). Section 4

"Analysis of SMART data

" discusses the correlation between specific S.M.A.R.T. parameters and the increased probability of drive failure.

2. Dell Inc. (2024). How to Troubleshoot Hard Drive or Solid-State Drive Issues on a Dell Computer. Dell Knowledge Base Article: 000132321. In the section "What are the symptoms of a hard drive failure?"

the article explicitly lists "S.M.A.R.T. (also called SMART) errors" as a primary symptom.

3. University of Washington

IT Connect. Hard Drive Failure: Warning Signs and Solutions. This document lists "S.M.A.R.T. Status is BAD" as a key warning sign that a hard drive is about to fail

advising users to back up data immediately.

The scenario describes the use of an Access Control List (ACL) to manage permissions. An ACL is a list of permissions attached to an object, such as a file or folder. In this case, the NTFS security settings for the shared folder constitute an ACL that specifies the user has only "read" access. This list explicitly grants or denies permissions to specific users or groups, which is the fundamental function of an ACL within an operating system's file system.

A. SMS (Short Message Service) is a communication protocol for sending text messages and is not a method for controlling file or folder permissions.

B. MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) is a security process for verifying a user's identity at login, not for managing their access rights to resources afterward.

D. MDM (Mobile Device Management) is a type of software used to administer and secure mobile devices, which is unrelated to NTFS permissions on a network folder.

---

1. Microsoft Corporation. (2023). Access Control Lists. Microsoft Learn. Retrieved from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/secauthz/access-control-lists.

Reference Detail: The "About Access Control" section states

"For the Windows operating systems

you control access to a securable object by setting a security descriptor for the object. A security descriptor contains a discretionary access control list (DACL) with access control entries (ACEs) that specify the access rights allowed or denied to particular users or groups." This directly links ACLs to Windows/NTFS security.

2. Pfluegl

M. J. (2011). NTFS File System Metadata. Journal of Digital Forensics

Security and Law

6(2)

Article 4.

Reference Detail: Section 3.1

"Security Descriptor

" describes how NTFS stores security information. It states

"The security descriptor contains... a Discretionary Access Control List (DACL) which contains a list of users and groups that are allowed or denied access." This confirms that ACLs are the underlying mechanism for NTFS permissions.

3. Norman

D. (2021). CS 372: Introduction to Operating Systems

Lecture 18: File Systems Security. The University of Texas at Austin

Department of Computer Science.

Reference Detail: Slide 12

"Access Control Lists (ACLs)

" defines an ACL as "For each object

maintain a list of subjects and their permitted actions." The lecture explicitly discusses this in the context of file system security mechanisms like those used in NTFS.

In Unix-like operating systems such as Linux and macOS, the ls command is used to list directory contents. By default, it hides files and directories whose names begin with a dot (.). The -a option, which stands for "all," modifies this behavior, instructing the ls command to include these hidden entries in its output. This is a fundamental command-line skill for system administration and navigation, as many configuration files are hidden by default to prevent accidental modification and to keep directory listings clean.

B. -s: This option displays the allocated size of each file in blocks, not hidden files.

C. -lh: This is a combination of -l (long listing format) and -h (human-readable sizes), but it does not reveal hidden files.

D. -t: This option sorts the output by modification time, with the newest files listed first, and does not affect the visibility of hidden files.

1. GNU Coreutils Manual: The official documentation for the ls command used in most Linux distributions.

Reference: Stallman

R. M.

& MacKenzie

D. (2017). GNU Coreutils

8.27. Free Software Foundation.

Section: 11.1 ls: List directory contents.

Quote: "‘-a’ ‘--all’ Do not ignore entries starting with ‘.’."

2. University Courseware (MIT): Course materials from MIT's "The Missing Semester of Your CS Education" program

which covers essential command-line tools.

Reference: Aris

A.

Chlipala

A.

& Zeldovich

N. (2020). The Missing Semester of Your CS Education. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Section: Lecture 1: The Shell.

Content: The lecture notes and video demonstrate the use of ls -a to show all files

including hidden "dotfiles" like .bashprofile.

3. University Courseware (Stanford): Documentation for introductory computer science courses often includes tutorials on essential Unix/Linux commands.

Reference: Stanford University

Computer Science Department. (n.d.). Introduction to the Linux Command Line.

Section: "Listing files and directories: ls"

Content: The documentation explains that ls -a will "list all files

including hidden files."

The top command is a standard utility in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems that provides a real-time, dynamic view of a running system. It displays a summary of system information, including CPU usage (processor activity), memory utilization, and a list of processes currently managed by the kernel, sorted by various criteria. This makes it the primary tool for interactively monitoring processor and process activity directly from the command line.

The ls command is used to list files and directories within the Linux file system, not to monitor system processes or CPU activity.

procmon (Process Monitor) is an advanced monitoring tool for Windows, part of the Sysinternals suite, and is not a native Linux command.

taskmgr is the executable file for the Windows Task Manager, a graphical utility for managing processes and monitoring performance on Windows systems, not Linux.

1. Linux man-pages project. The official manual page for the top command describes its function: "The top program provides a dynamic real-time view of a running system." It details the CPU states (%us

%sy

%ni

%id

etc.) displayed in its summary area.

top(1) — Linux manual page. (2021). man7.org. Section: DESCRIPTION.

2. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Documentation. The official vendor documentation for managing systems explicitly details the use of top for monitoring system performance.

Red Hat. (2023). Monitoring and managing system status and performance. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Documentation. Chapter 2

Section 2.1. "Monitoring CPU usage with top".

3. MIT OpenCourseWare. University courseware covering essential command-line tools for computer science education introduces system monitoring utilities like top and its derivatives.

Anish

A.

Jon

A.

& Jose

J. (2020). The Missing Semester of Your CS Education. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Lecture 2: Shell Tools and Scripting

section on "System monitoring".

The scenario describes a pop-up window, a common symptom of a malware infection, specifically scareware or a rogue antivirus. According to industry-standard malware removal procedures, the first priority is to contain the threat to prevent it from spreading or causing further damage. This is achieved by isolating the computer from the network. The next immediate step in the remediation process is to ensure the security software is prepared to deal with the threat. This involves updating the endpoint protection (antivirus) software with the latest definitions before initiating a scan, which maximizes the chances of detecting and removing the malicious code.

B. Enable the firewall service: The malware is already on the system; enabling the firewall is a preventative measure, not an immediate remediation step for an active infection.

D. Use System Restore to undo changes: This is a recovery step to be used after other removal methods have been attempted, as malware can disable or infect restore points.

E. Delete the browser cookies: This action is insufficient for removing a system-level malware infection and only addresses superficial browser data, not the root cause.

F. Run sfc /scannow: This command repairs corrupted system files and should be run during the recovery phase, after the malware has been successfully eradicated.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2005). Special Publication 800-83: Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling for Desktops and Laptops.

Page 17

Section 3.3.2

Containment: "The primary goal of the containment phase is to stop the incident from spreading and causing further damage... One of the primary containment activities is isolating the infected hosts by disconnecting them from the network." This supports option A.

Page 18

Section 3.3.3

Eradication: This section details the removal of malware. A fundamental prerequisite for effective scanning and removal is ensuring the anti-malware software has the latest updates and signatures. This supports option C.

2. Carnegie Mellon University

CERT Division. (2016). The CERT Guide to Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure.

Page 23

Section 4.2.3

Containment: The guide outlines the incident response lifecycle

emphasizing that after identification

the immediate step is containment. "Containment actions can include isolating a network segment... or taking an infected host offline." This reinforces the correctness of option A.

3. Microsoft Documentation. (2023). Help protect my PC with Microsoft Defender Offline.

In the section "When should I use Microsoft Defender Offline?"

the procedure for dealing with difficult-to-remove malware is outlined. A critical preliminary step before running an offline scan is to "Find and download the latest definitions." This highlights the importance of updating security software as a primary remediation step

supporting option C.

Shredding is the most effective and secure method for eliminating data on Solid-State Drives (SSDs) intended for disposal. This method involves physically destroying the drive by grinding it into small fragments. This process ensures that the individual flash memory chips containing the data are obliterated, making data recovery impossible. Unlike magnetic hard drives, SSDs are immune to degaussing. While other physical destruction methods like drilling exist, shredding is considered superior as it leaves no chance of recovering data from potentially undamaged memory chips.

A. Degaussing: This method uses powerful magnetic fields to destroy data and is only effective on magnetic storage media like HDDs, not on the flash memory used in SSDs.

C. Erasing: Standard file deletion is insufficient for secure disposal. Even specialized "secure erase" commands may not reliably clear all data, especially from over-provisioned areas of the SSD.

D. Drilling: This method physically damages the drive but may not destroy all the individual flash memory chips, potentially leaving some data recoverable by a determined attacker.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (December 2014). Special Publication 800-88 Revision 1: Guidelines for Media Sanitization. Page 22

Section 4.5. The document states

"For flash-based storage devices

Disintegration

Shredding

Pulverizing

and Incinerating are the recommended Destroy techniques." It also notes on page 8 that degaussing is not a valid sanitization technique for flash memory.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-88r1

2. University of Washington. (n.d.). Securely Dispose of Your Computer

Phone or Tablet. IT Connect. In the section "Erase your hard drive or storage media

" the guidance explicitly states

"For solid-state drives (SSDs)

degaussing is not effective. Physical destruction is the most reliable method." This aligns with industry best practices for SSD disposal.

The sudo (superuser do) command allows a permitted user to execute a command with the security privileges of another user, by default the superuser (root). A technician frequently needs to elevate their privileges to perform administrative tasks, such as changing file permissions on system files or files owned by other users. While the chmod command directly changes file permission modes, it is misspelled in the options. Among the valid commands provided, sudo is the one used to gain the necessary rights to alter permissions across the system, making it the most appropriate choice in this context.

B. chxod: This is not a valid Linux/Unix command. It is most likely a typographical error for chmod, the standard command for changing file and directory permissions.

C. xv: This is a command-line utility for displaying images under the X Window System; it has no function related to file or user permissions.

D. pwd: The "print working directory" command is used to display the absolute path of the current working directory. It does not modify permissions.

1. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Documentation

"Configuring sudo access

" Section 10.1. "Overview of sudo". The documentation states

"The sudo command offers a mechanism for granting administrator privileges

which are normally available only to the root user

to normal users." This supports the use of sudo for tasks requiring elevated permissions.

2. The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7

2018 edition (IEEE Std 1003.1-2017)

"Shell & Utilities

" chmod. This official standard defines the chmod utility's function as changing file mode bits (permissions). The specification does not include a command named chxod

confirming it as an invalid option.

3. The Open Group Base Specifications Issue 7

2018 edition (IEEE Std 1003.1-2017)

"Shell & Utilities

" pwd. The standard defines the pwd utility's sole function: "write to standard output an absolute pathname of the current working directory."

4. MIT OpenCourseWare

"6.828: Operating System Engineering - Lab 1: Booting a PC

" Tools section. The courseware instructs students to use sudo to install required packages (e.g.

sudo apt-get install ...)

demonstrating its role in executing commands with administrative privileges.

The most appropriate solution is to add the user to the local Administrators group on the specific sandboxed PC. This action adheres to the principle of least privilege by granting the user the necessary permissions to install software, but only on that single, isolated machine. Because the PC is "sandboxed," any potential negative impact from the software installation is contained, minimizing risk to the corporate network. This method provides the required functionality without granting excessive, network-wide permissions.

A. Making the user a member of Domain Admins grants excessive, network-wide administrative rights, which is a severe security risk and a violation of the principle of least privilege.

C. Sharing credentials from another user is a major security policy violation that eliminates individual accountability and non-repudiation.

D. Giving a user the password to a shared, high-privileged local account is poor security practice, as it also undermines accountability and makes credential management difficult.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2020). Security and Privacy Controls for Information Systems and Organizations (NIST Special Publication 800-53

Revision 5).

Reference: Section AC-6

"Least Privilege

" page 63. The document states

"The principle of least privilege is applied to the privileges assigned to individuals... The information system enforces the most restrictive set of rights

permissions

or access authorizations needed for the performance of specified tasks." Adding a user to a local admin group on a single machine aligns with this

whereas Domain Admin access (Option A) does not.

2. Microsoft. (2021). Default local groups. Microsoft Learn.

Reference: Under the "Administrators" section. The documentation specifies that members of the local Administrators group have "complete and unrestricted access to the computer." This confirms that Option B provides the necessary rights for software installation on that specific machine.

3. Purdue University. (n.d.). Information Security and Policy - Principle of Least Privilege.

Reference: The guideline states

"Users should be granted only enough privileges to perform their work-related tasks... This can be accomplished by assigning permissions to groups of users rather than individual users

and by assigning permissions on a 'per-host' basis rather than 'globally'." This directly supports granting local (per-host) admin rights over global (Domain Admin) rights.

Dumpster diving is a physical reconnaissance technique where a threat actor searches through an organization's or individual's trash to find discarded sensitive information. This can include documents, old storage media, or notes containing credentials, financial data, or other confidential details. It is a direct, non-technical method of information gathering that relies on physically accessing and sifting through refuse to exploit poor disposal practices. This method falls under the umbrella of social engineering as it exploits human negligence.

A. Denial of service: This is a network-based attack designed to make a resource unavailable to its intended users, not to obtain information.

B. Brute force: This is a computational, credential-cracking technique that systematically tries all possible character combinations; it is not a physical act.

D. Evil twin: This is a wireless network attack that uses a rogue access point to intercept data traffic, not a physical information-gathering method.

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (n.d.). Glossary: Dumpster Diving. Computer Security Resource Center. Retrieved from https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/dumpsterdiving.

Reference: The NIST glossary defines dumpster diving as "The acquisition of sensitive

confidential

or proprietary information by searching through an organization’s trash." This directly supports the answer by defining the term as a physical act of searching trash for information.

2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2008). Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment (Special Publication 800-115).

Reference: Section 5.4

"Physical Penetration

" discusses techniques for testing physical security controls

including dumpster diving as a method to "gather information that may be useful in launching a network or social engineering attack."

3. Pfleeger

C. P.

Pfleeger

S. L.

& Margulies

J. (2015). Security in Computing (5th ed.). Pearson Education.

Reference: Chapter 1

Section 1.3

"Threats

" describes various attack methods. It categorizes dumpster diving as a non-technical attack where an intruder gains access to information by searching through discarded materials

contrasting it with technical attacks like denial of service or brute force.

Maintaining a server room's environment involves managing the physical conditions essential for reliable operation, primarily power, cooling, and humidity. Circuit breaker capacity is a fundamental aspect of the power infrastructure. It dictates the maximum electrical load that can be safely supported. Ensuring the capacity is sufficient and not overloaded is critical to prevent power failures, equipment damage, and potential fire hazards, making it a primary consideration for environmental maintenance.

B. Power distribution unit placement is a rack-level implementation detail, secondary to the overall circuit capacity that governs the power available to the rack.

C. RAID configurations are a logical data storage strategy implemented within a server and are unrelated to the physical environment of the server room.

D. Virtualization is a software technology used to create virtual machines and resources; it is not a physical environmental factor of the server room.

1. University of Washington

IT Connect. Server Room and Data Center Standards. In the "Electrical Power" section

it is stated

"Electrical circuits must be sized appropriately for the equipment they will support... Each rack should be served by at least two 20A

120V or 30A

208V circuits from separate PDUs/panels." This highlights the foundational importance of circuit capacity.

2. Cisco. Cisco UCS Site Preparation Guide. In Chapter 3

"Facility Power and Environmental Requirements

" the section "AC Power" details the need for dedicated AC branch circuits with appropriate circuit breakers for each power source to ensure stable and safe operation.

3. University of Pittsburgh

Swanson School of Engineering. An Overview of Data Center Power and Cooling. In Section 2

"Power Distribution

" the document describes the power path from the utility to the rack

emphasizing the role of circuit breakers at each stage of distribution to protect equipment and prevent overloads.

PowerShell is a task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft, featuring a command-line shell and an associated scripting language. It is the standard and most powerful tool for automating administrative tasks in Windows environments. PowerShell includes the Active Directory module, which contains specific cmdlets like New-ADUser designed explicitly for scripting the creation, modification, and management of user accounts and other objects within Active Directory. Its deep integration with the Windows operating system makes it the primary choice for this purpose.

A. Bash: This is the default command-line shell for most Linux distributions and is not natively used for managing Windows Active Directory.

B. SQL: Structured Query Language is used for managing and querying data in relational databases, not for scripting in a directory service.

C. PHP: This is a server-side scripting language primarily used for web development and is not intended for system administration tasks like creating AD accounts.

1. Microsoft Corporation. (2023

October 26). New-ADUser. Microsoft Learn. Retrieved from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/activedirectory/new-aduser. (This official Microsoft documentation details the New-ADUser cmdlet

the primary PowerShell command for creating Active Directory user accounts.)

2. University of Washington. (n.d.). PowerShell for Active Directory. UW-IT Connect. Retrieved from https://itconnect.uw.edu/work/uw-windows-infrastructure/delegated-ous-and-group-policy/powershell-for-active-directory/. (This university IT resource provides guidance and examples on using PowerShell for managing Active Directory

confirming its role in this context.)

3. Microsoft Corporation. (2023

October 26). Active Directory Administration with Windows PowerShell. Microsoft Learn. Retrieved from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2008-R2-and-2008/ee617195(v=ws.10). (This document outlines the fundamental use of PowerShell for Active Directory administration

establishing it as the designated tool.)

The ext4 (Fourth Extended Filesystem) is a journaling filesystem for Linux, developed as the successor to ext3. It has been the default filesystem for most major Linux distributions, such as Debian and Ubuntu, for many years. Its features, including large file system support, robustness against corruption, and performance improvements, make it the most common and standard choice for a Linux system's boot and root volumes. The Linux kernel has native and stable support for ext4, which is essential for a boot partition.

B. NTFS: NTFS (New Technology File System) is the primary filesystem used by Microsoft Windows operating systems. Linux can read/write to it, but it is not used for the boot volume.

C. HFS: HFS (Hierarchical File System), and its successor HFS+, are filesystems developed by Apple for use in classic Mac OS and macOS. They are not native to Linux.

D. APFS: APFS (Apple File System) is the modern default filesystem for Apple operating systems, including macOS, iOS, and tvOS. It is not used for Linux installations.

---

1. Red Hat. (2023). Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8: Managing file systems. Chapter 9. An introduction to file systems

Section 9.2. Available file systems in RHEL 8. "The ext4 file system is a scalable extension of the ext3 file system. It is the default file system in RHEL 6 and 7

and it is still fully supported in RHEL 8." This document establishes ext4 as a primary

fully supported Linux filesystem.

2. The Linux Kernel Archives. (2023). The ext4 Filesystem. In The Linux Kernel documentation. Retrieved from https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/filesystems/ext4.html. "ext4 is an advanced level of the ext3 filesystem... It is the default filesystem for many Linux distributions." This is official kernel documentation confirming its status.

3. Microsoft. (2023

October 12). NTFS overview. Microsoft Learn. "New Technology File System (NTFS) is the primary file system for recent versions of Windows and Windows Server." This official vendor documentation confirms NTFS is for Windows.

4. Apple Inc. (2022). Apple File System. Apple Developer Documentation. "Apple File System (APFS) is the default file system for Mac computers using macOS 10.13 or later..." This official vendor documentation confirms APFS is for Apple products.

The primary purpose of a scripting language is to automate tasks. Scripts are sequences of commands that are executed by an interpreter to perform operations that would otherwise require manual, step-by-step user input. This is fundamental in system administration, network management, and software testing to improve efficiency, ensure consistency, and reduce the workload on IT professionals. Languages like PowerShell, Bash, and Python are specifically designed for this type of task automation.

A. Direct hardware access is the domain of low-level languages (e.g., Assembly) and device drivers, not the primary purpose of high-level scripting languages.

C. While all high-level languages abstract complexity, the specific, defining purpose of scripting is task automation, which is a more precise answer.

D. Scripting languages are interpreted at runtime, not compiled into a standalone executable file before execution. Compilation is characteristic of languages like C++ or C#.

---

1. Microsoft Corporation. (2023). What is PowerShell? Microsoft Learn. Retrieved from https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/scripting/overview?view=powershell-7.4. In the "What is PowerShell?" section

the first sentence states

"PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation solution made up of a command-line shell

a scripting language

and a configuration management framework."

2. Free Software Foundation

Inc. (2022). GNU Bash Manual. Section 1.1

"What is Bash?". The manual describes the shell as a command language interpreter that can execute commands read from a file

which is known as a shell script. This process of executing a pre-written file of commands is the basis of automation.

3. Ousterhout

J. K. (1998). Scripting: Higher-level programming for the 21st century. Computer

31(3)

23-30. In the abstract

the author states

"Scripting languages such as Perl

Python

Tcl

and Visual Basic are designed for different tasks than system programming languages such as C or Java... They are intended for 'gluing' applications and are useful for administrative tasks." This highlights their role in automating system-level tasks. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/2.660187

4. University of California

Berkeley. (2021). Composing Programs

Section 1.5.3: The Elements of Programming. In this section of the courseware for CS 61A

it is explained that programs (including scripts) are created to automate processes

stating

"Our goal in this text is to show you how to write programs that automate tasks." This establishes automation as a core purpose of programming and scripting.

According to the standard troubleshooting methodology emphasized by CompTIA, the first step in resolving system unresponsiveness is to perform the least invasive action. A reboot, or force restart, clears the device's active memory (RAM) of any hung processes or temporary software glitches that could be causing both the application crashes and the system-wide freeze. This action is a fundamental diagnostic step that can often resolve the issue immediately without affecting user data or system settings. Attempting more complex solutions like reinstalling applications or updating the OS is not possible on an unresponsive device and should only be considered after a reboot fails to resolve the problem.

A. Reinstall the application on the smartphone.

This action is impossible to perform on an unresponsive device and addresses only the app-specific symptom, not the system-wide freeze.

B. Update the smartphone's OS.

Updating the operating system is a more advanced troubleshooting step and cannot be initiated while the smartphone is unresponsive.

C. Reset the smartphone to factory settings.

This is a highly destructive, last-resort option that erases all user data and should only be performed after all other troubleshooting steps have failed.

1. Google Android Help Center. "Fix an Android phone that freezes or won't respond." The first recommended step is to "Restart your phone." It states

"If your phone is frozen with the screen on

press and hold the power button for about 30 seconds to restart." This is official vendor documentation outlining the initial troubleshooting step for an unresponsive device.

Source: Google LLC

Android Help

"Fix an Android phone that freezes or won't respond

" Step 1: Restart your phone.

2. Apple Support Documentation. "If your iPhone won't turn on or is frozen." The primary instruction provided is to "Force restart your iPhone." The document details the specific button combinations for different models to perform this action when the device is unresponsive. This aligns with rebooting as the first step.

Source: Apple Inc.

Apple Support

Article HT201412

"If your iPhone won't turn on or is frozen

" Section: "If your screen is black or frozen."

3. CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1102) Exam Objectives. The objectives outline the best practice methodology for troubleshooting. Objective 3.1

"Given a scenario

apply the best practice methodology to resolve problems

" implicitly supports starting with the simplest and quickest potential solution. A reboot is the quintessential first step in testing the theory that a temporary glitch is the cause.

Source: CompTIA

CompTIA A+ 220-1102 Exam Objectives

Section 3.1

"Troubleshooting PC and mobile device issues."