Using both a firewall and host hardening to protect a host is which concept?

• A. Defense in depth
• B. Risk acceptance
• C. An anti-weakest link strategy
• D. Adding berms

Answer: (A)

Defense in depth is the idea of layering security controls across multiple levels to protect a system. A firewall provides boundary protection by filtering traffic, while host hardening reduces the system’s attack surface and enforces secure configurations. Using both creates multiple, overlapping safeguards, so if one control is bypassed or fails, others still help prevent or detect an intrusion. This layered approach is what makes defense in depth the best fit. Risk acceptance refers to choosing to accept risk rather than mitigate it, which isn’t about layering protections. An anti-weakest link strategy isn’t a standard term, and berms are physical security measures not applicable to securing a host.