Title: Communications Self Assessment
Course: Critical Infrastructure: An Overview > Section: Course Content

Please read the questions and possible answers carefully. Provide the best possible answer.

Q: Communications satellites are typically made up of:
- all of these.
- communication payload
- engines
- power subsystem
- command and control subsystem
A: all of these.
If right: Great!
If wrong: No, the correct answer is all of these.

Q: Comsat is short for communications satellite.
- True
- False
A: True
If right: Great!
If wrong: Incorrect, comsat is short for communications satellite.

Q: If you drew a map of cell phone provider towers and the coverage range they provided, the shape of the covered area would closely resemble a circle.
- True
- False
A: False
If right: Correct! The shape of the coverage area would most closely resemble a hexagon.
If wrong: No, this is false. The shape of the coverage area would most closely resemble a hexagon.

Q: Much of the copper wire that was once in the wired (landline) telephone system in the United States has been replaced.
- True
- False
A: True
If right: Correct! This is true, although not all the copper wire has been replaced.
If wrong: This in incorrect. The answer is true. Much of the copper wire, but not all, has been replaced.

Q: Cable television today uses
- fiber optic cable only.
- both fiber optic and coaxial cable.
- coaxial cable only.
A: both fiber optic and coaxial cable.
If right: That is correct!
If wrong: Today cable television uses both coaxial cable and fiber optic cable.

Q: One of the threats to communications infrastructure is RF interference.
- True
- False
A: True
If right: Good! This is true, RF interference, or radio frequency interference, could interfere with communications of police, fire, and other emergency services.
If wrong: Incorrect. This is true. RF interference, or radio frequency interference, could interfere with communications of police, fire, and other emergency services.

Q: PSTN stands for Public Station Telephone Network.
- True
- False
A: False
If right: Good! This is false because PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network or System.
If wrong: Incorrect. This is false, because PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network or System.

Q: Satellite technology is only helpful for providing television broadcasts.
- True
- False
A: False
If right: Correct! Satellite technology provides satellite phones, television, radio, and Internet access.
If wrong: No, this is false. Satellite technology provides satellite phones, television, radio, and Internet access.

Q: The communications sector could not be susceptible to the same threats as the Information Technology sector.i
- True
- False
A: False
If right: Great! This is false. As Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) becomes increasingly popular and more methods of communications rely on digital technologies, we leave the nation’s communications infrastructure open to the same threats that the Internet has become targeted by, like the Denial-of-Service attacks.
If wrong: No, this is false. As Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) becomes increasingly popular and more methods of communications rely on digital technologies, we leave the nation’s communications infrastructure open to the same threats that the Internet has become targeted by, like the Denial-of-Service attacks.

Q: The transmission of programs or signals from a radio or television system is
- broadcasting.
- cable.
- satellite.
- wireline.
A: broadcasting.
If right: That is correct.
If wrong: No, the correct answer is broadcasting.

Q: The last mile or local loop is the section of the PSTN that still maintains a two wire analog connection. It is located at the end user's (telephone customer's) location.
- True
- False
A: True
If right: Very good!
If wrong: No, this is true.

Q: Satellite broadband works in _____ steps.
- 2
- 3
- 4
A: 2
If right: That is great! The two steps are: 1) communication between computer and dish via the satellite modem and 2) communication between the dish and the satellite
If wrong: The correct answer is 2. The two steps are: 1) communication between computer and dish via the satellite modem and 2) communication between the dish and the satellite

Q: The types of communications infrastructure discussed in the scope of this course include: wireline, wireless, satellite, broadcasting, and _______________.
- cable
- transportation
- smart grid
- Department of Homeland Security
A: cable
If right: Correct!
If wrong: Incorrect. Cable is the only form of infrastructure listed here that will correctly complete the sentence.

Q: In the Public Switched Telephone System, ____________________________________________ serves as an address.
- our phone number
- our area code
- our exchange
A: our phone number
If right: Great! Our entire phone number works like an address to help calls get to us.
If wrong: The best answer here is, "our phone number". Our entire phone number works like an address to help calls get to us.

Q: Threats to the communications infrastructure sector can be mitigated with encryption, monitoring, and cyber seccurity best practices.
- True
- False
A: True
If right: Good! This is true.
If wrong: The best answer is true.

Q: The cell phones that we carry around are basically radios.
- True
- False
A: True
If right: Correct!
If wrong: No, the best answer is true. They are basically radios.

Q: Towers, antennas, and similar are mentioned as tools used in disseminating what type of communication?
- broadcast
- satellite
- cable
A: broadcast
If right: Very good!
If wrong: The best answer here is broadcast. "The signal from the transmitter then is broadcasted from towers, antennas, or similar".