You have been given the responsibility to ensure the security of your school's web server. As a step towards this, you plan to restrict unnecessary services running on the server. In the context of web server security, why is this step considered important?
Restricting unnecessary services running on a web server is crucial for minimizing the attack surface. Unnecessary services might contain vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access or disrupt operations. By reducing the number of active services, you lower the chances of potential security flaws being present, thereby enhancing the server's overall security.
B, while A is correct as well, but we are suppose to think from a cyber security specialist's perspective. Therefore B is the most accurate answer in this case.
B. Unnecessary services could contain vulnerabilities; minimize the attack surface.
Is B, the answer is literally in your face :))
B. Unnecessary services could contain vulnerabilities; minimize the attack surface. Minimizing the number of services running on a web server is a crucial step in securing the system against potential cyber-attacks. Unnecessary services could contain vulnerabilities that might be exploited by attackers to gain unauthorized access or cause disruption. Thus, the primary response to the question at hand is that by limiting these services, we effectively reduce the server's attack surface. This enhances the overall performance and stability of the server environment in addition to helping to block possible entry points for bad actors. Considering the continuous evolution of cyber threats, up-to-date security infrastructure is mandatory, further stressing the necessity to reduce unnecessary services.