CompTIA A+ security practice: threats, controls and data destruction

Security is 28% of A+ Core 2, tied with Operating Systems as the largest domain. It covers physical and logical security, wireless security, malware and how to remove it, social engineering and other attacks, data destruction, and securing workstations, mobile devices and browsers. Most questions pair a threat with the control that stops it. The free drill below is 12 original questions at exam pace.

28%
of Core 2: WPA3
current Wi-Fi security: 7
malware removal steps: 12
questions in the free drill

Last checked 22 October 2026 · Domain weight from CompTIA

Free Security drill: 12 original A+-style questions at exam pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
12 min
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 22 October 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

Which threats and controls are on A+ Security?

Social engineering (phishing, vishing, tailgating, shoulder surfing), malware (ransomware, trojans, rootkits, keyloggers), network attacks, and the physical and logical controls that stop each.

Threats paired with the control that answers them (our summary)
Threat	Control
Phishing and whaling	User training, email filtering, reporting suspicious mail
Tailgating	Access control vestibule, badge readers, guards
Shoulder surfing	Privacy screens, awareness
Ransomware	Offline backups, patching, least privilege
Brute force on passwords	Account lockout, long passwords, multifactor authentication
Credential stuffing	Unique passwords and multifactor authentication
Evil twin access point	WPA3 or WPA2-Enterprise, user awareness
Lost or stolen laptop	Full-disk encryption (BitLocker, FileVault), remote wipe

What do I need to know about wireless security for A+?

The protocols from weakest to strongest (WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3), personal versus enterprise modes, the encryption each uses, and authentication with RADIUS or TACACS+.

Wireless security protocols
Protocol	Encryption	Status
WEP	RC4	Broken; never use
WPA	TKIP	Outdated
WPA2	AES (CCMP)	Still common; use Enterprise mode in businesses
WPA3	AES with SAE in Personal mode	Current standard

What are the A+ malware removal steps?

Identify and research the symptoms, quarantine the system, disable System Restore in Windows, remediate (update tools, then scan and remove), schedule scans and updates, re-enable System Restore and create a restore point, then educate the user.

Investigate and verify the malware symptoms.
Quarantine the infected system (disconnect it from the network).
Disable System Restore in Windows, so the malware is not saved in restore points.
Remediate: update the anti-malware software, scan and remove, using safe mode or a preinstallation environment if needed.
Schedule scans and run updates.
Enable System Restore and create a restore point.
Educate the end user.

The order is tested directly. The step people forget is disabling System Restore before cleaning, and re-enabling it after.

Questions also ask about the symptoms that point to malware in the first place: a browser home page that keeps changing, pop-ups outside the browser, files renamed with strange extensions, security tools that will not start, and certificate warnings on sites that used to work. Each is a reason to start step 1, not to jump to removal.

What do A+ security questions look like?

Two examples follow: choosing a data destruction method and handling a phishing email. The first is worked in full.

CompTIA A+-style question 1 · Data destruction
A company wants to donate laptops with solid-state drives and must make sure no data can be recovered, while keeping the drives usable. What should the technician do?
1. ADegauss the drives
2. BUse the drive's secure erase function
3. CDelete the user folders and empty the Recycle Bin
4. DRun a quick format
Worked answer
B: Use the drive's secure erase function. A secure erase (or a manufacturer sanitize command) clears every cell on an SSD, including spare areas, and leaves the drive reusable. Degaussing does not work on flash memory, and deleting or quick formatting leaves recoverable data.
1. The drives must stay usable, so physical destruction is out.
2. SSDs store data in flash, which degaussing does not affect.
3. A secure erase clears all cells and keeps the drive working.
The trap: Choosing degaussing. It wipes magnetic hard drives (and ruins them) but does nothing to an SSD.
CompTIA A+-style question 2 · Social engineering
A user receives an email that appears to come from the CEO, asking them to buy gift cards urgently and send the codes. What is this, and what should the user do first?
1. ASpam; delete it and do nothing else
2. BPhishing; report it to the security team and do not reply
3. CA virus; unplug the computer
4. DA legitimate request; buy the cards quickly
Show the worked answer
B: Phishing; report it to the security team and do not reply. An urgent request for money that impersonates an executive is phishing (often called whaling or business email compromise). Report it so others are warned, and do not reply or act on it.
1. Spot the signs: urgency, an unusual request, money.
2. It impersonates a trusted person: phishing.
3. Report it and do not engage.
The trap: Deleting it quietly. Reporting it lets the security team warn others who got the same email.

Make security your strongest domain

Four Security drills and eight full mocks, every answer explained.

The CompTIA A+ Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 36 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The CompTIA A+ Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the A+ Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
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topic drills: 1
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How should data be destroyed for A+?

Match the method to the media and to whether the drive will be reused: secure erase or overwriting for reuse, degaussing for magnetic media only, and shredding, drilling or incineration when the drive will not be reused.

A standard format or deleting files does not remove data. For a hard drive that will be reused, overwrite it; for an SSD, use secure erase. Degaussing works only on magnetic media, and it ruins a hard drive. When a drive leaves the company for disposal, physical destruction with a certificate of destruction from a third party is the usual answer.

Watch the wording "reuse" or "donate" in a question: it rules out every physical method.

What does A+ ask about authentication?

The factor types (something you know, have, are, and somewhere you are), multifactor authentication, single sign-on, and directory and access concepts such as least privilege and Active Directory groups.

Authentication factors (standard definitions)
Factor	Examples
Something you know	Password, PIN, security question
Something you have	Authenticator app, hardware token, smart card
Something you are	Fingerprint, face, iris
Somewhere you are	Location, network or country checks

Multifactor means two different kinds. A password and a security question are both "something you know", so that is not MFA. Least privilege, meaning each account gets only the rights it needs, is the principle behind many correct answers about user accounts and permissions.

How should I study A+ Security?

Learn the threat-to-control pairs as a table, memorize the malware removal steps in order, and set up the security features on your own devices: BitLocker or FileVault, a password manager, multifactor authentication and WPA3 on your router.

Security also appears in Software Troubleshooting (a pop-up storm, browser redirects, a certificate warning), so the troubleshooting page is the natural next step. The Core 2 page covers Operating Systems and Operational Procedures, and the full practice test mixes all four Core 2 domains.

Frequently asked questions

How much of A+ Core 2 is security?

28%, tied with Operating Systems as the largest domain.

Is A+ Security the same as Security+?

No. A+ covers the security basics a support technician needs; Security+ goes much deeper.

What are the malware removal steps?

Investigate, quarantine, disable System Restore, remediate, schedule scans and updates, enable System Restore and create a restore point, then educate the user.

Does degaussing work on SSDs?

No. Degaussing affects magnetic media only. Use secure erase or physical destruction for SSDs.

Is a password and a security question multifactor?

No. Both are something you know. Multifactor needs two different factor types.

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