Exam CS0-003 topic 1 question 197 discussion

Minimal network bandwidth: Agent-based scanning distributes the scanning load to the endpoints (hosts) themselves. Since agents run locally on the host, they minimize the amount of network traffic typically generated by centralized scanners. Minimal host resources: Modern agent-based solutions are designed to have a small footprint on the host, using minimal CPU and memory resources. The agent collects and reports only relevant data, reducing the impact on the host's performance. Accurate, near real-time updates: Agents can continuously monitor the system and provide near real-time updates on vulnerabilities since they run directly on the hosts. This gives more accurate and timely results compared to periodic scans. No stored credentials in configuration on the scanner: Since agents are installed directly on the hosts, there's no need to store credentials in the scanner configuration. This reduces the risk of compromising credentials and avoids the need to configure authentication for network-based scans.

B Agent-based vulnerability scanning is a method that uses software agents installed on the target systems to scan for vulnerabilities. This method meets the requirements of the project because it uses minimal network bandwidth and host resources, provides accurate and near real-time updates, and does not require any stored credentials on the scanner. Reference: What Is Vulnerability Scanning? Types, Tools and Best Practices, Section: Types of vulnerability scanning; CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-003, 3rd Edition, Chapter 4: Security Operations and Monitoring, page 154. Not GPT!

No Stored Credentials: Uncredentialed scans inherently avoid the need for credentials, completely eliminating any associated risk. Agent-based systems might still require credentials to perform certain tasks, even if the risk is minimal. Minimal Host Impact: Uncredentialed scans are less intrusive and consume virtually no resources on the hosts, making them ideal for environments where minimal impact on host performance is critical. Agent-based scanning, while efficient, does introduce some level of resource consumption on the host. Ease of Implementation: Uncredentialed scanning is typically easier to implement and manage since it doesn't involve deploying and maintaining agents across multiple hosts.

B. Agent Agent-based vulnerability scanning involves deploying lightweight software agents on individual hosts within the network. These agents conduct local vulnerability assessments on the host they are installed on, thereby minimizing network bandwidth usage and reducing the load on individual hosts compared to traditional network-based scanning methods.

This is a rough question. Since a requirement says "minimal host resources" you'd want to not choose B but it also says "near real-time updates" which would lean towards B. I'd probably go with B on this one but not a great question.

Answer is D Uncredentialed

Agent-based scanning provides the most effective and efficient vulnerability scan with minimal impact on a host. It requires no credentials management and offers low resource consumption.