Top 30 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) only focused on the Fundamentals of Security Headers in Web Application Security covering below topics,along with their answers and explanations.
- Explanation of HTTP security headers.
- Common security headers (e.g., Content Security Policy, Strict-Transport-Security).
- How to configure security headers.
1. What is the primary purpose of HTTP security headers in web applications?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- Adding an extra layer of security by controlling browser behavior
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
HTTP security headers add an extra layer of security by controlling browser behavior.
2. How do HTTP security headers contribute to mitigating common web application vulnerabilities?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By preventing or mitigating security threats and vulnerabilities
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
HTTP security headers contribute to preventing or mitigating security threats and vulnerabilities in web applications.
3. What is the purpose of the HTTP Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS) header?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- Enforcing the use of secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS)
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
HSTS enforces the use of secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS) by instructing browsers.
4. How does the X-Content-Type-Options header enhance web application security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By preventing browsers from interpreting files as a different MIME type
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-Content-Type-Options prevents browsers from interpreting files as a different MIME type, enhancing security.
5. What role does the Referrer-Policy header play in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling how much information is included in the Referer header when navigating from one page to another
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Referrer-Policy controls how much information is included in the Referer header, contributing to security.
6. What is the purpose of the Content-Security-Policy (CSP) header in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By defining a set of rules to control the sources of content that browsers are allowed to load
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
CSP defines a set of rules to control the sources of content that browsers are allowed to load, contributing to security.
7. How does the HTTP Public-Key-Pins (HPKP) header enhance web application security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By associating a set of public keys with a web server to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
HPKP associates a set of public keys with a web server to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, enhancing security.
8. What is the purpose of the Expect-CT header in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By instructing browsers to enforce certificate transparency requirements for the site's SSL/TLS certificates
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Expect-CT instructs browsers to enforce certificate transparency requirements for the site's SSL/TLS certificates, enhancing security.
9. How does the Feature-Policy header contribute to web application security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling which browser features and APIs can be used by a web page
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Feature-Policy controls which browser features and APIs can be used by a web page, enhancing security.
10. What is the purpose of the Cache-Control header in the context of web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling how content is cached by browsers and intermediary caches
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Cache-Control controls how content is cached by browsers and intermediary caches, contributing to security.
11. What is the recommended method for configuring HTTP security headers in a web application?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By adding the headers directly in the application code
- Using server configurations or web application firewalls
The recommended method for configuring HTTP security headers is using server configurations or web application firewalls.
12. How can web developers verify the presence and effectiveness of security headers in their applications?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By using online tools or browser developer tools to inspect HTTP response headers
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Web developers can use online tools or browser developer tools to inspect HTTP response headers for verification.
13. What is the purpose of the Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only header in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By providing a reporting-only mode for CSP violations without enforcing restrictions
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only provides a reporting-only mode for CSP violations without enforcing restrictions.
14. Why is it important to carefully plan and test the implementation of security headers in a web application?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- To ensure that security headers do not disrupt the normal functioning of the application
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Careful planning and testing are important to ensure that security headers do not disrupt the normal functioning of the application.
15. How can the HTTP Header Sniffer tool be useful in web security practices?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By analyzing and identifying the HTTP headers used by a web application
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
The HTTP Header Sniffer tool can be useful in web security by analyzing and identifying the HTTP headers used by a web application.
16. What is the purpose of the X-Frame-Options header in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By preventing a web page from being displayed within an iframe, mitigating clickjacking attacks
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-Frame-Options prevents a web page from being displayed within an iframe, mitigating clickjacking attacks.
17. How does the implementation of the Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy header contribute to web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling how a document is embedded across different origins
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Cross-Origin-Embedder-Policy controls how a document is embedded across different origins, contributing to security.
18. What is the purpose of the Server header in web security practices?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By disclosing information about the server software and version, helping attackers identify potential vulnerabilities
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
The Server header should be minimized or omitted to avoid disclosing information about the server software and version.
19. How can the implementation of the HTTP Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS) header impact the initial page load of a web application?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By requiring the use of HTTPS, potentially causing a delay in the initial page load for first-time visitors
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
HSTS may cause a delay in the initial page load for first-time visitors as it enforces the use of HTTPS.
20. Why is it crucial to keep security headers up-to-date in a web application?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- To address emerging security threats and vulnerabilities
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Keeping security headers up-to-date is crucial to address emerging security threats and vulnerabilities in web applications.
21. What is the purpose of the X-Permitted-Cross-Domain-Policies header in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling how Flash and Adobe Acrobat can interact with a web application
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-Permitted-Cross-Domain-Policies controls how Flash and Adobe Acrobat can interact with a web application, contributing to security.
22. How does the implementation of the X-Content-Type-Options header mitigate MIME type sniffing attacks?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By preventing browsers from interpreting files as a different MIME type than declared
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-Content-Type-Options prevents browsers from interpreting files as a different MIME type than declared, mitigating MIME type sniffing attacks.
23. What is the purpose of the X-XSS-Protection header in web security practices?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By enabling or disabling the browser's built-in cross-site scripting (XSS) filter
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-XSS-Protection enables or disables the browser's built-in cross-site scripting (XSS) filter, contributing to security.
24. How does the implementation of the X-Download-Options header contribute to web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By preventing the automatic execution of downloaded files in Internet Explorer
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-Download-Options prevents the automatic execution of downloaded files in Internet Explorer, enhancing security.
25. What is the purpose of the X-Permitted-Cross-Domain-Policies header in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling how Flash and Adobe Acrobat can interact with a web application
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-Permitted-Cross-Domain-Policies controls how Flash and Adobe Acrobat can interact with a web application, contributing to security.
26. How does the implementation of the X-Frame-Options header mitigate clickjacking attacks?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By preventing a web page from being displayed within an iframe
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
X-Frame-Options prevents a web page from being displayed within an iframe, mitigating clickjacking attacks.
27. What is the purpose of the Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only header in web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By providing a reporting-only mode for CSP violations without enforcing restrictions
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only provides a reporting-only mode for CSP violations without enforcing restrictions.
28. How can the HTTP Header Security Scanner tool be beneficial for web developers?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By automatically scanning and identifying security header configurations
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
The HTTP Header Security Scanner tool automatically scans and identifies security header configurations, benefiting web developers.
29. What is the role of the Feature-Policy header in web security practices?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling which browser features and APIs can be used by a web page
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Feature-Policy controls which browser features and APIs can be used by a web page, contributing to security.
30. How does the implementation of the Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy header contribute to web security?
- Improving website aesthetics
- Enhancing server performance
- By controlling how documents can be opened across different origins
- Granting unrestricted access to all users
Cross-Origin-Opener-Policy controls how documents can be opened across different origins, contributing to security.