Network Infrastructure Concepts

Question 1

Physical Isolation & Segmentation

Answer 1

Physical isolation and segmentation → security approach that separates systems using dedicated hardware or cabling, preventing traffic from ever crossing between environments and providing strong protection against lateral movement.

Question 2

VLANs

Answer 2

Virtual local area networks (VLANs) → logical network segmentation that separates traffic within the same physical network infrastructure, allowing isolation without requiring separate hardware.

Question 3

SDN

Answer 3

Software-defined networking (SDN) → network architecture that separates network control logic from physical devices, allowing centralized, software-based management of network behavior.

Question 4

Data Plane

Answer 4

Data plane → plane of operation in software-defined networking that handles the actual forwarding of traffic, following rules provided by the control plane and operating under policies defined through the management plane.

Question 5

Control Plane

Answer 5

Control plane → plane of operation in software-defined networking that makes decisions about where traffic should go and programs the data plane with forwarding rules.

Question 6

Management Plane

Answer 6

Management plane → plane of operation in software-defined networking used by administrators to configure policies, monitor performance, and manage the control plane and overall network behavior.

Question 7

Virtualization

Answer 7

Virtualization → technology that allows multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical system by abstracting hardware resources, improving efficiency and flexibility.

Question 8

Containerization

Answer 8

Containerization → application deployment method where software runs in lightweight containers that include everything needed except the operating system kernel, allowing fast, consistent execution; Docker is a common container platform.

Question 9

IoT

Answer 9

Internet of things (IoT) → network of internet-connected physical devices such as sensors and smart appliances that often have limited security controls and increased attack surface.

Question 10

ICS

Answer 10

Industrial control systems (ICS) → systems used to monitor and control industrial processes such as manufacturing, power generation, and utilities.

Question 11

SCADA

Answer 11

Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) → type of industrial control system that provides centralized monitoring and control of large-scale industrial environments.

Question 12

RTOS

Answer 12

Real-time operating system (RTOS) → operating system designed to process tasks within strict timing constraints, commonly used in military systems, automobiles, and industrial equipment.

Question 13

Embedded Systems

Answer 13

Embedded systems → specialized computing systems built into larger devices to perform dedicated functions, often with limited resources and long life cycles.

Question 14

HA

Answer 14

High availability (HA) → design approach that ensures systems remain continuously operational with minimal downtime, focusing on uptime and service continuity rather than just redundant components.