Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure (AZ-204) Practice Exam

Which of the following is an example of an attack at the policies and access layer?

1. Exposed credentials posted online

2. A SYN flood attack

3. Following an employee into a datacenter

4. Ransomware that encrypts virtual machine disks

The correct answer is: Exposed credentials posted online

An example of an attack at the policies and access layer is when exposed credentials are posted online. This type of attack exploits weaknesses in access control policies by potentially allowing unauthorized users to access secure systems or sensitive data. When credentials are exposed, it indicates a failure in maintaining proper security practices such as credential management or oversight. This breach directly impacts the access layer, which is responsible for controlling who can access various resources and systems. In this context, having policies that define strong password management and training employees on security practices is crucial to preventing such exposures. The attack can lead to further exploits, as attackers often use the compromised credentials to gain privileged access to systems and data. In contrast, other options focus on different attack vectors. A SYN flood attack is a form of Denial of Service (DoS) that targets the network layer, while following an employee into a data center is a physical security breach reflecting a failure in physical access controls rather than the policies and access layer. Ransomware that encrypts virtual machine disks primarily concerns data security and integrity rather than access policies per se.