Which item is not a common technical or administrative control used to secure computer systems and networks?

• A. Logical access controls
• B. Buffer overflows
• C. Network security
• D. Encryption

Answer: (B)

Buffer overflows describe a weakness in software, not a protective measure. They occur when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it can hold, which can lead to crashes, unauthorized code execution, or privilege escalation. That makes them a vulnerability to be mitigated, not a control used to protect systems and networks.

In contrast, logical access controls restrict who can access resources and what they can do, encryption protects data by making it unreadable without the proper key, and network security measures such as firewalls and segmentation defend the network from threats. These are protective controls designed to reduce risk, whereas a buffer overflow is the flaw those controls aim to prevent or mitigate.