CompTIA CASP+ Practice Test

What security measure involves running programs in an isolated environment to protect the host system?

1. Application sandboxing

2. Virtualization

3. Containerization

4. Hypervisor technology

The correct answer is: Application sandboxing

The correct answer is application sandboxing, which is a security measure designed to run programs in an isolated environment. This isolation helps prevent any harmful effects that malicious or untrusted software could have on the host system or other applications. By executing code in a controlled space, application sandboxing ensures that sensitive data and system resources are kept safe from potential threats. This approach allows developers and testers to experiment with new software or unverified applications without compromising the integrity of the operating system or exposing it to vulnerabilities. When a program is sandboxed, its access to the system is restricted, meaning it can't perform operations outside of its assigned parameters, which significantly mitigates risks. While other options like virtualization and containerization also involve isolation, they do so at different levels. Virtualization creates an entirely separate operating environment that simulates hardware, which is broader than just one application. Containerization is similar and focuses on packaging applications and their dependencies together but usually allows them more access than a strict sandbox environment. Hypervisor technology specifically refers to the software that creates and manages virtual machines, which is different from the concept of sandboxing individual applications.