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100+ Free DSST Cybersecurity Practice Questions

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An auditor asks for evidence that terminated employees lose system access within 24 hours. Which evidence best supports this control?

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Key Facts: DSST Cybersecurity Exam

100

Exam Questions

DSST fact sheet

2 hours

Time Limit

DSST fact sheet

400

Minimum Score

GetCollegeCredit / ACE

3

Semester Hours

GetCollegeCredit / ACE

$100

DSST Test Fee

GetCollegeCredit FAQ

DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity is a 100-question, two-hour multiple-choice exam with an ACE-recommended minimum scaled score of 400 for 3 semester hours. The largest official domains are Vulnerability Management (17%), Network Security (16%), Application & Systems Security (15%), and four 10-12% domains covering access controls, governance, operations, and recovery.

Sample DSST Cybersecurity Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your DSST Cybersecurity exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which security goal is most directly protected by hashing a downloaded software file and comparing the digest to the publisher's published value?
A.Confidentiality
B.Integrity
C.Availability
D.Non-repudiation
Explanation: A cryptographic hash comparison is used to detect whether data changed after the publisher created the original digest. If even one bit of the file changes, the hash output should be different, so this primarily supports integrity. It does not hide the file, keep a service online, or prove who performed an action.
2A web application stores customer passwords in plaintext in its database. Which control would best reduce the damage if that database is stolen?
A.Store password hints with each account
B.Hash and salt passwords before storage
C.Increase the session timeout value
D.Disable input validation on the login form
Explanation: Passwords should be stored using a slow password-hashing function with a unique salt for each password. A salt prevents identical passwords from producing identical stored values and makes precomputed rainbow tables much less useful. Plaintext storage exposes every password immediately if the database is breached.
3During a secure software development review, a team maps security requirements, threat modeling, code review, testing, and release approval into each phase of development. What concept does this best describe?
A.Security development life cycle
B.Break-glass access
C.Hot site recovery
D.Packet filtering
Explanation: A security development life cycle integrates security activities throughout planning, design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance. The goal is to find and reduce defects earlier instead of treating security as a final preproduction scan. This supports the DSST application and systems security domain.
4Which statement best describes the principle of least privilege?
A.Users should receive every permission they might need someday
B.Permissions should be granted only to the level needed for assigned duties
C.Administrators should share one privileged account for convenience
D.Security controls should be disabled during busy periods
Explanation: Least privilege means users, services, and processes receive only the permissions required to perform authorized work. This limits the blast radius of mistakes, malware, and compromised accounts. It is a core idea in access control and application hardening.
5A development team wants each production release to be built from reviewed code, scanned dependencies, tested artifacts, and an approved deployment pipeline. Which practice best supports this goal?
A.Manual copying from a developer laptop to production
B.Controlled CI/CD pipeline with security gates
C.Storing secrets inside source code comments
D.Allowing emergency changes without logging
Explanation: A controlled CI/CD pipeline can enforce code review, dependency scanning, automated tests, artifact signing, approvals, and deployment controls before production release. This reduces configuration drift and human error when moving from development to production. It also creates evidence for audits and incident review.
6An endpoint security product detects a suspicious executable by observing that it encrypts many user files rapidly and attempts to delete backups. What type of detection is being used?
A.Behavior-based detection
B.Geofencing
C.Data masking
D.Load balancing
Explanation: Behavior-based detection looks at what a program does rather than relying only on a known signature. Rapid file encryption and backup deletion are behaviors associated with ransomware. This approach can help detect new or modified malware that does not yet have a known signature.
7A service account used by an application can read all database tables, modify schema, and create new administrative accounts, although the application only needs to read product records. What is the main security problem?
A.The account violates least privilege and increases compromise impact
B.The account is too difficult for users to remember
C.The account proves non-repudiation for all user actions
D.The database is using too much network bandwidth
Explanation: The service account has far more privileges than the application requires. If the application is exploited, the attacker could use those excessive rights to modify schema, steal unrelated data, or create privileged accounts. Service accounts should be scoped to the minimum permissions needed and monitored closely.
8Which control most directly protects confidentiality for files stored on a lost laptop?
A.Full-disk encryption
B.A public DNS record
C.A faster processor
D.A larger monitor
Explanation: Full-disk encryption protects data at rest by making the laptop's stored files unreadable without the proper key or authentication factor. If the device is lost or stolen, the attacker cannot simply remove the drive and read the contents. This is a direct confidentiality control.
9A team adds static application security testing to analyze source code for unsafe functions before the application is compiled. What kind of control is this?
A.Detective control in the secure development process
B.Physical control for the data center
C.Recovery control after a disaster
D.Wireless access control
Explanation: Static application security testing is a detective control that examines code or binaries for likely flaws before runtime. It fits naturally into secure development and CI/CD workflows. It does not provide physical protection, disaster recovery, or wireless access control by itself.
10Which design choice best supports accountability in a multi-user application?
A.All users log in with a shared team account
B.Each user has a unique account and actions are logged with timestamps
C.Audit logs are overwritten every hour
D.Administrators disable logging to improve performance
Explanation: Accountability requires linking actions to a specific identity and retaining enough audit information to review what happened. Unique accounts and timestamped logs make it possible to investigate changes and enforce responsibility. Shared accounts and missing logs make accountability weak or impossible.

About the DSST Cybersecurity Exam

Fundamentals of Cybersecurity is a DSST lower-level baccalaureate credit-by-exam covering application and systems security, identity and access controls, governance, operational security, network security, vulnerability management, physical security, and disaster recovery/business continuity.

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

2 hours

Passing Score

400 scaled score

Exam Fee

$100 DSST test fee; testing-site administrative fees may vary (Prometric DSST; DANTES funding is available for eligible military test takers)

DSST Cybersecurity Exam Content Outline

15%

Application & Systems Security

Security triad, accountability, cryptography fundamentals, secure development lifecycle, migration to production, anti-malware protection, DevOps, and SecOps.

12%

Authentication, Authorization, & Access Controls

Authentication technologies, authorization decisions, access-control models, and identity and access management.

12%

Compliance, & Governance

Security architecture, audits, risk assessment, outsourcing, ethics, legal obligations, and governance risk and compliance.

10%

Operational Security

Production environment security, monitoring, policies, standards, and procedures.

16%

Network Security

Network protocols and services, analysis tools, network management, infrastructure, and wireless security.

17%

Vulnerability Management

Penetration testing, threat recognition and mitigation, security tools, and awareness training against social engineering and phishing.

6%

Physical & Environmental Security

Physical access controls, physical access management, and logical controls that support physical security.

12%

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

Backup, recovery, retention, offsite and cloud storage, archiving, business impact analysis, DR planning, BCP, plan testing, maintenance, and incident response planning.

How to Pass the DSST Cybersecurity Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 400 scaled score
  • Exam length: 100 questions
  • Time limit: 2 hours
  • Exam fee: $100 DSST test fee; testing-site administrative fees may vary

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

DSST Cybersecurity Study Tips from Top Performers

1Use the official DSST fact sheet as your checklist and spend the most time on Vulnerability Management, Network Security, and Application & Systems Security.
2Practice distinguishing authentication, authorization, identity management, and access control models because they are often tested in similar scenarios.
3Review common network protocols, secure service choices, segmentation, wireless risks, and monitoring tools before taking timed practice questions.
4Connect risk assessment, governance, policies, standards, audits, and legal/ethical duties instead of memorizing them as isolated vocabulary.
5Drill backup, incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity scenarios because they require sequencing decisions under pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity exam?

The official DSST fact sheet states that Fundamentals of Cybersecurity contains 100 questions to be answered in 2 hours.

What score do I need to pass DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity?

The DSST exam page and fact sheet list a minimum recommended score of 400. Individual colleges decide whether and how they award credit, so confirm policy with your institution.

How much does the DSST cybersecurity exam cost?

The DSST FAQ lists a $100 test fee per exam and notes that testing-site administrative costs are not included. Eligible DANTES-funded military test takers may have the first attempt funded.

Who administers the DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity exam?

DSST exams are administered through Prometric and authorized DSST test centers. DANTES provides funding and program support for eligible military test takers.

What topics are covered on DSST Fundamentals of Cybersecurity?

The official fact sheet lists eight weighted areas: Application & Systems Security, Authentication/Authorization/Access Controls, Compliance & Governance, Operational Security, Network Security, Vulnerability Management, Physical & Environmental Security, and Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity.