Comprehensive and Detailed in-Depth Explanation:
Why the Correct Answer is C (Geocoded firewall rules):
Geocoded firewall rulesare security configurations thatfilter traffic based on geographic location(commonly by IP address).
These rules can be configured to:
Allow or denyinbound and outbound trafficbased on the country of origin.
Restrictthird-party vendor connectionsfromhigh-risk or banned countries.
For example:
Blocking allincoming connections from countries with high cyber threat levels.
Allowing only vendors frompre-approved regions.
Geocoded rules are especially useful inregulatory compliance scenarioswheredata sovereigntyis a concern.
Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
A. Microsegmentation:
Microsegmentation involvesisolating network segmentsto enhance internal security.
Itdoes not addressthe geographic origin of traffic.
Primarily used forreducing lateral movementwithin a network rather than filtering external sources.
B. Supply chain visibility:
This involvesmonitoring and understandingthe components and processes involved in thesupply chain.
It does notactively block or restrict trafficfrom specific geographic locations.
D. Source code reviews:
These are conducted toidentify vulnerabilities in application code.
They do notrestrict inbound trafficbased on geographic criteria.
Real-World Scenario:
A financial services company needs toblock access from countries under sanctionsor known forcybercrime activities.
Thefirewall is configuredto drop all inbound traffic from IP ranges associated withhigh-risk countries, maintaining compliance with regulations likeOFAC.
Example of Geocoded Firewall Configuration:
Example Rule in an IPTables Configuration:
bash
CopyEdit
iptables -A INPUT -m geoip --src-cc CN,RU,IR -j DROP
This ruleblocks trafficfromChina (CN),Russia (RU), andIran (IR).
Benefits of Geocoded Firewall Rules:
Risk Reduction:Minimizes exposure tothreat actors from known high-risk regions.
Compliance:Helps organizations comply withregulatory requirementsthat restrict data from certain countries.
Operational Efficiency:Automatically blocks traffic without requiring manual intervention.
Extract from CompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Study Guide:
TheCompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 Official Study Guideemphasizes the importance ofgeolocation-based access controlin environments wherethird-party access is common. Geocoded firewall rules enable organizations toeffectively control and reduce the attack surfaceby blocking traffic fromhigh-risk regions.
