You have been hired as an intern at a start-up company. Your first task is to help set up a basic web server for the company's new website. The team leader has asked you to make sure the server is…

Question

Options

• AInstalling a web application firewall
• Blimiting the number of concurrent connections to the server
• CEncrypting the company's website with SSL/TLS
• DRegularly updating and patching the server software

• A
  8% (1)
• B
  15% (2)
• C
  8% (1)
• D
  69% (9)

Explanation

Web Server Security: Priority Actions

Regularly updating and patching server software (Option D) is the highest priority because unpatched vulnerabilities are the most exploited attack vector against web servers - attackers actively scan for known CVEs, and outdated software leaves the door wide open before any other security measure can even function effectively.

• Option A (WAF) is valuable but acts as a compensating control, not a foundational fix - it filters traffic but doesn't address the underlying vulnerabilities in unpatched software.
• Option B (limiting concurrent connections) primarily mitigates DoS/DDoS attacks, which is a narrow, specific threat compared to the broad attack surface created by unpatched systems.
• Option C (SSL/TLS) protects data in transit and is certainly important, but encryption alone does nothing to protect a server that's already compromised through an unpatched exploit.

Memory Tip: Think "Patch First, Protect Second" - in CEH, patch management is always the foundational security practice because all other controls lose effectiveness if the core system is vulnerable. Remember: you can't encrypt or firewall your way out of a zero-day that should have been patched months ago.

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