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SY0-701 · Question #689

A contractor is required to visually inspect the motherboards of all new servers that are purchased to determine whether the servers were tampered with. Which of the following risks is the…

The correct answer is B. Supply chain. Visually inspecting motherboards before deployment is a classic supply chain risk mitigation - the concern is that hardware could be physically tampered with (e.g., malicious chips soldered onto the board) at any point between the manufacturer and the end customer, before the…

Submitted by miguelv· Mar 6, 2026Threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations

Question

A contractor is required to visually inspect the motherboards of all new servers that are purchased to determine whether the servers were tampered with. Which of the following risks is the contractor attempting to mitigate?

Options

  • AEmbedded rootkit
  • BSupply chain
  • CFirmware failure
  • DRFID keylogger

How the community answered

(25 responses)
  • A
    12% (3)
  • B
    80% (20)
  • C
    4% (1)
  • D
    4% (1)

Explanation

Visually inspecting motherboards before deployment is a classic supply chain risk mitigation - the concern is that hardware could be physically tampered with (e.g., malicious chips soldered onto the board) at any point between the manufacturer and the end customer, before the organization even powers it on.

Why the distractors are wrong:

  • A (Embedded rootkit): Rootkits are software/firmware threats; a visual hardware inspection wouldn't detect them.
  • C (Firmware failure): Firmware issues are software-layer problems diagnosed through testing or scanning, not visual inspection of physical components.
  • D (RFID keylogger): An RFID keylogger is a physical attack on input devices (keyboards), not a motherboard-level hardware tampering concern.

Memory tip: Think "supply chain = the journey from factory to your hands." Any risk involving physical hardware integrity before you receive it points to supply chain. If the question mentions inspecting hardware upon arrival, think supply chain attacks.

Topics

#Supply chain security#Hardware security#Tampering detection#Risk mitigation

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