Which feature should the edge gateway support to counter vulnerabilities and maintain secure operation?

Which feature should the edge gateway support to counter vulnerabilities and maintain secure operation?

• A. Deprecated protocols.
• B. Automatic updates for the device.
• C. User-specified default passwords.
• D. Local-only processing with no updates.

Answer: (B)

Keeping edge gateways secure hinges on keeping their software up to date. The most effective feature to counter vulnerabilities is automatic updates for the device. When updates are automatic, security patches, firmware fixes, and hardening changes are applied as soon as they’re available, shrinking the window of time that a known vulnerability can be exploited. This reduces the attack surface and helps the device stay aligned with current security best practices without needing constant manual intervention. It also helps ensure new protections and compatibility with evolving network defenses are deployed promptly, which is essential in dynamic threat environments. Other options introduce or preserve weaknesses: deprecated protocols leave old, unpatched flaws that attackers can exploit; default passwords provide an easy entry point if users don’t change them; local-only processing with no updates removes the ability to receive important fixes and improvements, leaving the gateway vulnerable to new threats.

Keeping edge gateways secure hinges on keeping their software up to date. The most effective feature to counter vulnerabilities is automatic updates for the device. When updates are automatic, security patches, firmware fixes, and hardening changes are applied as soon as they’re available, shrinking the window of time that a known vulnerability can be exploited. This reduces the attack surface and helps the device stay aligned with current security best practices without needing constant manual intervention. It also helps ensure new protections and compatibility with evolving network defenses are deployed promptly, which is essential in dynamic threat environments.

Other options introduce or preserve weaknesses: deprecated protocols leave old, unpatched flaws that attackers can exploit; default passwords provide an easy entry point if users don’t change them; local-only processing with no updates removes the ability to receive important fixes and improvements, leaving the gateway vulnerable to new threats.