CompTIA CASP+ Practice Test

Which technique is most effective in preventing programming flaws on a website?

1. Data encryption

2. Access control

3. Input validation

4. Network segmentation

The correct answer is: Input validation

Input validation is the most effective technique in preventing programming flaws on a website because it ensures that data sent to the application meets certain criteria, thus reducing the risk of vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other input-related attacks. By validating input, developers can enforce rules about what constitutes acceptable data, which helps in identifying harmful inputs before they can cause damage to the system or expose sensitive information. Many attacks exploit insufficient input checks by taking advantage of unexpected formats or values. For instance, if an application does not validate user input correctly, a malicious user could submit code or commands that the application processes as valid. Implementing robust input validation means rejecting any input that does not conform to the expected format, length, type, or value range. While encryption, access control, and network segmentation play important roles in overall system security, they do not directly address the issue of preventing programming flaws at the code or application level. Encryption protects data confidentiality, access control restricts who can interact with the system, and network segmentation limits access to different parts of the network. However, without valid input being enforced, these measures cannot safeguard against the exploitation of vulnerabilities that arise from improper handling of input by the application's code.