Cisco 350-701 Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR 350-701) Exam Practice Test

The purpose of a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is to disrupt the normal operation of a targeted system, server, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic. This is achieved by utilizing multiple compromised computer systems as sources of attack traffic. The overwhelming amount of traffic can cause the targeted system to slow down significantly or even crash and become unavailable to legitimate users, thereby denying service to intended users.

 DoS attacks are categorized as flood attacks or crash attacks. Flood attacks are the more common form of DoS attacks. They occur when the attacked system is overwhelmed by large amounts of traffic that the server is unable to handle. The system eventually stops. Some examples of flood attacks are ICMP flood, SYN flood, and UDP flood. Crash attacks are less frequent and they exploit flaws in the targeted system. The result is that the system crashes. Some examples of crash attacks are Ping of Death, Teardrop, and Land. References:

What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack? | Cloudflare

What is a Denial of Service (DoS) attack? | Norton

What is a Denial of Service (DoS) Attack? | Cobalt

What is a denial of service attack (DoS) - Palo Alto Networks

Cisco AMP for Endpoints is a solution that enables protection, detection, and response on the endpoint against known and unknown threats. It provides continuous visibility and analysis of endpoint activity, as well as automated threat prevention and response capabilities. It leverages cloud-based intelligence, sandboxing, and machine learning to block malware, fileless attacks, ransomware, and other advanced threats. It also allows security teams to quickly investigate and remediate incidents, as well as hunt for indicators of compromise across all endpoints. Cisco AMP for Endpoints is part of the Cisco SecureX platform, which integrates with other Cisco security solutions to provide a unified and simplified security experience. The other options are not correct because they do not offer the same level of endpoint protection, detection, and response as Cisco AMP for Endpoints. Cisco AnyConnect is a VPN solution that provides secure access to the network for remote workers, but it does not monitor or respond to endpoint threats. Cisco Umbrella is a DNS security solution that blocks malicious domains, IPs, and URLs, but it does not analyze or remediate endpoint activity. Cisco Duo is a multi-factor authentication solution that verifies the identity of users and devices, but it does not protect or detect endpoint attacks. References :=

Some possible references are:

Cisco AMP for Endpoints

Cisco SecureX

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 - Module 5: Endpoint Protection and Detection

Explanation

"configure INTRUSION RULES for DNP3" -> Documentation states, that enabling INTRUSION RULES is mandatory for CIP to work + required preprocessors (in Network Access Policy - NAP) will be enabled automatically:

"If you want the CIP preprocessor rules listed in the following table to generate events, you MUST enable them. See Setting Intrusion Rule States for information on enabling rules."

"If the Modbus, DNP3, or CIP preprocessor is disabled, and you enable and deploy an intrusion rule that requires one of these preprocessors, the system automatically uses the required preprocessor, with its current settings, although the preprocessor remains disabled in the web interface for the corresponding network analysis policy."

[1] https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/firepower/630/configuration/guide/fpmc-config-guide-v63/scada_preprocessors.html

Explanation

Explanation

A bridge group is a group of interfaces that the ASA bridges instead of routes. Bridge groups are only

supported in Transparent Firewall Mode. Like any other firewall interfaces, access control between interfaces is controlled, and all of the usual firewall checks are in place.

Each bridge group includes a Bridge Virtual Interface (BVI). The ASA uses the BVI IP address as the source address for packets originating from the bridge group. The BVI IP address must be on the same subnet as the bridge group member interfaces. The BVI does not support traffic on secondary networks; only traffic on the same network as the BVI IP address is supported.

You can include multiple interfaces per bridge group. If you use more than 2 interfaces per bridge group, you can control communication between multiple segments on the same network, and not just between inside and outside. For example, if you have three inside segments that you do not want to communicate with each other, you can put each segment on a separate interface, and only allow them to communicate with the outside interface. Or you can customize the access rules between interfaces to allow only as much access as desired.

AAA stands for Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting. It is a framework that provides security to network resources by controlling who can access them (authentication), what they can do (authorization), and what actions they perform (accounting). AAA can be implemented by using the local database of the device or by using an external server such as Cisco ISE (Identity Services Engine).

The question asks which configuration item makes it possible to have the AAA session on the network. A session is a logical connection between a user and a network device. A session can be initiated by various methods, such as console, telnet, SSH, PPP, etc. Each session can have different AAA policies applied to it, depending on the method list configured for that session.

A method list is a set of rules that define the authentication, authorization, and accounting methods to be used for a particular session. A method list can be named or default. A named method list is applied to a specific session by using the login, authorization, or accounting keyword followed by the name of the method list. A default method list is applied to all sessions that do not have a named method list configured.

The configuration item that makes it possible to have the AAA session on the network is the aaa authorization network default group ise command. This command configures a default method list for network authorization, which is the process of determining the network services and attributes that a user is allowed to access after authentication. The command specifies that the network authorization method is group, which means that the device will use an external server (such as Cisco ISE) to obtain the authorization information for the user. The command also specifies that the name of the server group is ise, which means that the device will use the server group defined by the aaa group server radius ise command.

The other options are incorrect because they do not configure a default method list for network authorization. Option A configures a named method list for login authentication, which is the process of verifying the identity of the user. Option B configures a default method list for enable authentication, which is the process of verifying the identity of the user who wants to enter the privileged EXEC mode. Option D configures a default method list for exec authorization, which is the process of determining the commands and features that a user can access in the EXEC mode. References:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1: Describing Information Security Concepts

Configure Basic AAA on an Access Server, General AAA Configuration, Authentication Configuration, Authorization Configuration

AAA (Authentication, Authorization and Accounting) - GeeksforGeeks, AAA implementation, ACS server

Explanation

The call to API of “https://api.amp.cisco.com/v1/computers” allows us to fetch list of computers across your

organization that Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) sees

A SQL injection attack is a type of attack that exploits a vulnerability in a web application that uses user-supplied data to construct SQL statements that interact with a database. By inserting malicious commands into the database, an attacker can execute arbitrary SQL queries or commands on the database server, which may result in data theft, data manipulation, or command execution. Machine 1 is vulnerable to SQL injection because it does not properly validate or sanitize the user input before using it in a SQL statement. Therefore, inserting malicious commands into the database would allow the attacker to gain access to machine 1.

A buffer overflow attack is a type of attack that exploits a vulnerability in a program that does not check the boundaries of a buffer (a temporary storage area for data) before copying data into it. By overflowing the buffer’s memory, an attacker can overwrite adjacent memory locations, which may result in corrupting data, crashing the program, or executing malicious code. Machine 2 is vulnerable to buffer overflow because it does not properly handle the size or length of the data that it receives from the user or another source. Therefore, overflowing the buffer’s memory would allow the attacker to gain access to machine 2.

Sniffing the packets between the two hosts is a passive attack that involves capturing and analyzing the network traffic that flows between the two machines. This attack may reveal sensitive information, such as credentials, session tokens, or database queries, but it does not directly allow the attacker to gain access to either machine. Sending continuous pings is a type of denial-of-service attack that involves flooding the target machine with ICMP echo request packets, which may consume its network bandwidth or processing resources, but it does not directly allow the attacker to gain access to either machine. Therefore, neither sniffing the packets nor sending continuous pings would allow the attacker to gain access to machine 1 but not machine 2. References :=

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Web Security, SQL Injection Attacks

Understanding SQL Injection - Cisco, SQL Injection Explained

Buffer Overflow and SQL Injection: To Remotely Attack and … - Springer, Buffer Overflow and SQL Injection Attacks

A next-generation endpoint security solution is a modern approach of combining user and system behavior analytics with AI and machine learning to provide endpoint security12. These solutions are specifically designed to detect unknown malware and zero-day threats, which other non-next-generation solutions might fail to detect3. Two key deliverables that help justify the implementation of a next-generation endpoint security solution are:

Continuous monitoring of all files that are located on connected endpoints. This feature allows the solution to scan and analyze all files on the endpoints, regardless of their origin or type, and identify any malicious or suspicious behavior. This helps to prevent malware from infecting the endpoints or spreading to other devices on the network4.

Real-time feeds from global threat intelligence centers. This feature enables the solution to leverage the latest information and insights from various sources, such as security researchers, vendors, and customers, to detect and block new and emerging threats. This helps to keep the endpoints updated and protected from the most advanced and sophisticated attacks5.

References := 1: Overview of next-generation protection in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint 2: What Is Next-Generation Endpoint Security? 2024 Ultimate Guide - SelectHub 3: [Next

Explanation

Explanation

Security Intelligence Sources

…

Custom Block lists or feeds (or objects or groups)

Block specific IP addresses, URLs, or domain names using a manually-created list or feed (for IP addresses,

you can also use network objects or groups.)

For example, if you become aware of malicious sites or addresses that are not yet blocked by a feed, add these

sites to a custom Security Intelligence list and add this custom list to the Block list in the Security Intelligence

tab of your access control policy.

A destination list is a list of internet destinations: domains, URLs, and CIDRs. To control identity access to specific destinations, you can add destination lists to Umbrella and then select them when configuring your Web and DNS policies12. When you add or edit a destination list, the changes are applied immediately if the destination list is part of a policy3. This means that any identities that are associated with the policy will be affected by the changes in the destination list. You do not need to save the configuration or remove the destination list from the policy to apply the changes. However, you do need to have the appropriate user role to manage destination lists. The user role of Block Page Bypass or higher is needed to perform these changes4. References :=

Manage Destination Lists - Umbrella User Guide

Manage Destination Lists - Umbrella SIG User Guide

Add a Destination List - Umbrella User Guide

Add a DNS Destination List - Umbrella SIG User Guide

The Web Security Appliance (WSA) supports different authentication protocols and schemes to acquire end-user credentials. The most common protocols are NTLMSSP and Kerberos, which are both supported by Active Directory realms. NTLMSSP is a challenge-response authentication protocol that uses a hash of the user’s password to authenticate. Kerberos is a ticket-based authentication protocol that uses a trusted third-party (the Key Distribution Center) to issue tickets to the user and the service. Both protocols are more secure and widely supported than Basic authentication, which sends the user’s credentials in clear text. CHAP, TACACS+, and RADIUS are not supported by the WSA for end-user authentication, although they can be used for external authentication of administrators or for credential encryption. References: 1, 2, 3

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/security/web-security-appliance/guide-c07-742373.html

https://frontegg.com/blog/authentication

Explanation

The Stealthwatch Cloud Private Network Monitoring (PNM) Sensor is an extremely flexible piece of technology,

capable of being utilized in a number of different deployment scenarios. It can be deployed as a complete

Ubuntu based virtual appliance on different hypervisors (e.g. –VMware, VirtualBox). It can be deployed on

hardware running a number of different Linux-based operating systems.

Cisco Container Platform (CCP) is a security product that enables administrators to deploy Kubernetes clusters in air-gapped sites without needing Internet access. CCP tenant images contain all the necessary binaries and don’t need internet access to function. CCP also supports offline installation and updates of the platform components. CCP is designed to simplify the deployment and management of containerized applications across hybrid cloud environments, while ensuring security and compliance. CCP integrates with Cisco security solutions such as Cisco Tetration and Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud to provide visibility and protection for Kubernetes clusters and workloads. CCP also leverages Cisco Intersight, a cloud-based management platform, to provide centralized monitoring and automation for CCP clusters. References:

Cisco Container Platform

350-701 SCOR Cisco CCNP Security Updated Questions in April

Transparent traffic redirection using WCCP is a deployment mode for the Cisco WSA that allows it to intercept and proxy web requests from client applications without requiring any configuration on the clients. This mode increases the visibility and control of web traffic, while making the proxy function invisible to the users. To support this mode, the Cisco WSA must be configured to use the transparent proxy mode, which enables it to listen on ports 80 and 443 for HTTP and HTTPS traffic, respectively. The Cisco WSA must also be configured to use WCCP service IDs, which are numerical identifiers that specify the type and range of ports to be redirected. For example, service ID 0 (web-cache) redirects port 80, service ID 70 (https-cache) redirects port 443, and service ID 60 (ftp-native) redirects port 21 and a range of passive FTP ports. The Cisco WSA must also be configured to join a WCCP group, which is a set of WCCP routers or switches that cooperate to redirect traffic to the WSA. The WCCP group can be specified by a group list, which is an access list that defines the IP addresses of the WCCP routers or switches, or by a password, which is a shared secret that authenticates the WCCP communication. The WCCP group must also be configured on the network device that performs the traffic redirection, such as a Cisco router, switch, or ASA firewall. The network device must support WCCPv2, which is the latest version of the protocol that allows for advanced features such as load balancing, encryption, and GRE encapsulation. The network device must also be configured to use the same WCCP service IDs and group list or password as the Cisco WSA. The network device must also be configured to apply the WCCP redirection to the appropriate interface and direction, such as the inside interface and inbound direction for traffic originating from the internal network. The network device must also be configured to use an access list that defines the traffic to be redirected or bypassed, such as the source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols. The access list can also be used to exclude certain traffic from WCCP redirection, such as traffic to private or internal destinations, or traffic from specific hosts123 References := 1: Configure Transparent Redirection With WCCP in Order to Redirect Native FTP Traffic - Cisco 2: Solved: Transparent Redirection - Cisco Community 3: Cisco WSA : Is it possible to use web proxy in transparent mode without WCCP - Cisco Community

One of the key capabilities of endpoint security is to prevent phishing attacks by ensuring that antivirus and anti malware software is up to date. This helps to detect and block malicious attachments or links that may be embedded in phishing emails. Antivirus and anti malware software can also scan the endpoint for any signs of compromise or infection that may have resulted from a successful phishing attack. Additionally, endpoint security can provide data loss prevention (DLP) features that can prevent sensitive data from being exfiltrated by attackers who have gained access to the endpoint through phishing. References :=

Some possible references are:

Endpoint Security and Phishing: What to Know

Protect Against Spear Phishing with Endpoint Security

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 (source book)

The Python script is using the dnac_login function to authenticate to a Cisco DNA Center server and obtain a token that can be used for subsequent API calls. The function takes three parameters: host, username, and password. It constructs a URL for the authentication endpoint, which is https://{}/api/system/v1/auth/token. It then uses the requests library to send a POST HTTP request to the URL, passing the username and password as HTTP Basic Authentication credentials, and setting the headers to indicate the expected content type and response format. The function also disables the SSL verification by setting the verify parameter to False. This is not recommended for production environments, as it exposes the script to potential security risks. The function then returns the token value from the JSON response, which is accessed by using the response.json()[ "Token"] syntax. The token can then be used as a bearer token for subsequent API calls to the Cisco DNA Center server. References:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 9: Content Security, Lesson 9.3: Cisco DNA Center APIs

Cisco DNA Center Platform API Reference, Authentication API

Refer to the exhibit. What will happen when the Python script is executed?

Endpoint-based security is the solution for performing signature-based application control, which is a method of identifying and blocking malicious applications based on their signatures or hashes. Signature-based application control is one of the features of endpoint security solutions, such as Cisco AMP for Endpoints1, that protect endpoints from known and unknown threats. Endpoint security solutions can also perform other functions, such as behavioral analysis, sandboxing, machine learning, and threat hunting, to provide comprehensive protection, detection, and response on the endpoint2. The other options are not scenarios where endpoint-based security is the solution. Inspecting encrypted traffic requires a network-based security solution, such as Cisco SSL Appliance3, that can decrypt and inspect the traffic for malicious content. Device profiling and authorization requires a network access control solution, such as Cisco Identity Services Engine4, that can identify and authenticate devices and users and enforce policies based on their roles and contexts. Inspecting a password-protected archive requires a file analysis solution, such as Cisco Threat Grid5, that can extract and analyze the contents of the archive for malware and indicators of compromise. References :=

Cisco AMP for Endpoints

What is Endpoint Security? How Does It Work?

Cisco SSL Appliance

Cisco Identity Services Engine

Cisco Threat Grid

To block all subdomains of domain.com, the administrator should configure the domain.com address in the block list. This is because Umbrella automatically applies a left side and right side wildcard to every domain in a block or allow destination list. Therefore, adding domain.com to a block list will result in requests to domain.com or its subdomains, such as www.domain.com, being blocked. Adding a wildcard character (*) is not supported and will not work. Adding the *.com address in the block list will block all domains that end with .com, which is not the desired outcome. References:

Understanding Destination lists supported entries and error messages

Wildcards and Destination Lists

Explanation

Posture is a service in Cisco Identity Services Engine (Cisco ISE) that allows you to check the state, also

known as posture, of all the endpoints that are connecting to a network for compliance with corporate security

policies.

A posture policy is a collection of posture requirements that are associated with one or more identity groups and

operating systems.

Posture-policy requirements can be set to mandatory, optional, or audit types in posture policies.

+ If a mandatory requirement fails, the user will be moved to Non-Compliant state

+ If an optional requirement fails, the user is allowed to skip the specified optional requirements and the user

is moved to Compliant state

This Qdid not clearly specify the type of posture policy requirement (mandatory or optional) is not met so the

user can be in Non-compliant or compliant state. But “noncompliant” is the best answer here.

 Split tunneling is a feature that allows VPN users to access both the corporate network and the internet at the same time. By using split tunneling, only the traffic destined for the 10.0.0.0/24 network will be encrypted and sent through the VPN tunnel, while the rest of the traffic will be sent directly to the internet. This reduces the VPN bandwidth load on the headend Cisco ASA and ensures that bandwidth is available for VPN users needing access to corporate resources. Split tunneling can be configured on the ASA by using the split-tunnel-network-list value command under the group-policy attributes. The network list should include the 10.0.0.0/24 network as the only entry. References: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 5: Secure Connectivity, Lesson 5.1: Implementing Site-to-Site VPNs on Cisco Routers and ASA Firewalls, Topic 5.1.3: Configuring Site-to-Site VPNs on Cisco ASA Firewalls, Subtopic 5.1.3.2: Configuring Split Tunneling.

Explanation

Device sensor is a feature of access devices. It allows to collect information about connected endpoints. Mostly,

information collected by Device Sensor can come from the following protocols:

+ Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP)

+ Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP)

+ Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Explanation

A trusted CA is the only entity that can issue trusted digital certificates. This is extremely important because while PKI manages more of the encryption side of these certificates, authentication is vital to understanding which entities own what keys. Without a trusted CA, anyone can issue their own keys, authentication goes out the window and chaos ensues.

 Posture is a feature within Cisco ISE that verifies the compliance of an endpoint before providing access to the network. Posture assessment checks the state of the endpoint, such as the operating system, antivirus, firewall, patches, and so on, against the predefined policies. If the endpoint does not meet the policy requirements, it can be remediated by installing or updating the necessary software or configuration. Posture assessment can be done for both wired and wireless endpoints, as well as VPN clients. Posture assessment requires the installation of a posture agent on the endpoint, which communicates with the posture service on the ISE server. The posture agent can be either a persistent agent, which runs in the background and provides continuous assessment, or a temporal agent, which runs on-demand and is removed after the assessment is complete. Posture assessment can be integrated with 802.1X or web authentication methods for network access control. References :=

Some possible references are:

ISE Posture Prescriptive Deployment Guide

ISE Posture Deployment Best Practices and Considerations

Understanding ISE Posture Services

DNS-layer security is a method of protecting users from cyberthreats by blocking malicious or risky domains before a connection is established. Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-based service that provides DNS-layer security by using Cisco Talos threat intelligence to filter DNS requests and prevent access to malicious domains. Cisco Umbrella also offers other security features, such as web filtering, cloud-delivered firewall, secure web gateway, and cloud access security broker. Cisco Umbrella can protect users on and off the corporate network, regardless of their location or device. Cisco Umbrella is compatible with other Cisco security solutions, such as Cisco ISE, Cisco FTD, and Cisco ASA, but it is the only one that offers DNS-layer security as a core capability. References:

What Is DNS Security? How Does It Work? - Cisco Umbrella

Why Umbrella DNS Security? - Cisco Umbrella

Explanation

FlexVPN supports IKEv2 -> Answer A is not correct.

DMVPN supports both IKEv1 & IKEv2 -> Answer B is not correct.

FlexVPN support multiple SAs -> Answer D is not correct.

The Python script code snippet for the Cisco ASA REST API is used to add a global rule into policies. The script uses the urllib2 module to create an HTTP request with the URL, headers, and post_data. The post_data is a JSON object that contains the parameters for the global rule, such as the destination service, the source address, the permit value, and the position. The script also uses the base64 module to encode the username and password for authentication. The script then sends the request to the ASA REST API and prints the status code and the response. If the status code is 201, it means the operation was successful and the global rule was added. If the status code is not 201, it means there was an error and the script prints the JSON error message. The script also handles any HTTP errors and value errors that might occur during the execution. References:

Cisco ASA REST API Quick Start Guide

Configure Secure Access to Use REST API with Python

GitHub - timwukp/Cisco-ASA-REST-API

Contiv is an open source container networking fabric that supports heterogeneous container deployments across virtual machines, bare-metal, and public or private clouds. Contiv facilitates deploying microsegmentation and multi-tenancy services with a policy-based container by allowing cloud architects and IT admins to create, manage, and enforce operational policies such as traffic isolation, bandwidth prioritization, latency requirements, and policies for L4-L7 network services. Contiv also integrates natively with Cisco infrastructure and provides consistent networking across any platform (Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, or OpenShift) and any networking backend (Layer 2, Layer 3, Overlays, or ACI mode)123. References := 1: Introducing Contiv 1.0 - The Most Powerful Container Networking Fabric 2: contivpp 3: Contiv · GitHub

Trusted Automated eXchange of Intelligence Information (TAXII) is a collection of services and message exchanges that enable the sharing of cyber threat intelligence across product, service, and organizational boundaries. It is designed to support the exchange of CTI represented in STIX, but is not limited to STIX. TAXII defines an API that aligns with common sharing models, such as hub-and-spoke, peer-to-peer, and subscribe/publish. TAXII is not a public collection of threat intelligence feeds, a threat intelligence sharing organization, or a language used to represent security information. Those are possible descriptions of STIX, which is a complementary standard to TAXII. References: STIX and TAXII Approved as OASIS Standards to Enable Automated Exchange of Cyber Threat Intelligence, STIX V2.1 and TAXII V2.1 OASIS Standards are published, What is STIX/TAXII? | Cloudflare, What is STIX / TAXII? Learn about the industry standards for Cyber …, What are STIX/TAXII Standards I Resources I Anomali

CoA stands for Change of Authorization, which is a feature that allows a RADIUS server to adjust an active client session after it is authenticated. For example, CoA can be used to reauthenticate a client, terminate a client session, or change the VLAN or group policy of a client. CoA is supported by several RADIUS vendors, including Cisco ISE. CoA is defined in RFC 5176 and uses a pushed model, where the request originates from the RADIUS server and is sent to the network device that acts as a listener. CoA requests can have two possible response codes: CoA-ACK (acknowledgment) or CoA-NAK (non-acknowledgment). References :=

Some possible references are:

RADIUS Change of Authorization

Change of Authorization with RADIUS (CoA) on MR Access Points

Change of Authorization with RADIUS (CoA) on MS Switches

Technical Tip: Radius COA behavior

Explanation

Spero analysis is a feature of Cisco AMP for Networks that examines structural characteristics such as metadata and header information in executable files. After generating a Spero signature based on this information, if the file is an eligible executable file, the device submits it to the Spero heuristic engine in the AMP cloud for analysis1. Spero analysis can detect malware based on the file’s structure and behavior, without requiring a full file upload2. Spero analysis is different from dynamic analysis, sandbox analysis, and malware analysis, which are other features of Cisco AMP for Networks that perform different types of file inspection and analysis3. References: 1: How to configure Firepower AMP to not upload files to … - Cisco Community 2: File Policies - Network Direction 3: Cisco AMP for Networks - Cisco

Explanation

Cisco DNA Center has four general sections aligned to IT workflows:

Design: Design your network for consistent configurations by device and by site. Physical maps and logical topologies help provide quick visual reference. The direct import feature brings in existing maps, images, and topologies directly from Cisco Prime Infrastructure and the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller

Enterprise Module (APIC-EM), making upgrades easy and quick. Device configurations by site can be

consolidated in a “golden image” that can be used to automatically provision new network devices. These new devices can either be pre-staged by associating the device details and mapping to a site. Or they can be claimed upon connection and mapped to the site.

Policy: Translate business intent into network policies and apply those policies, such as access control, traffic routing, and quality of service, consistently over the entire wired and wireless infrastructure. Policy-based access control and network segmentation is a critical function of the Cisco Software-Defined Access (SDAccess) solution built from Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE). Cisco AI Network Analytics and Cisco Group-Based Policy Analytics running in the Cisco DNA Center identify endpoints, group similar endpoints, and determine group communication behavior. Cisco DNA Center then facilitates creating policies that determine the form of communication allowed between and within members of each group. ISE then activates the underlying infrastructure and segments the network creating a virtual overlay to follow these

policies consistently. Such segmenting implements zero-trust security in the workplace, reduces risk, contains

threats, and helps verify regulatory compliance by giving endpoints just the right level of access they need.

Provision: Once you have created policies in Cisco DNA Center, provisioning is a simple drag-and-drop task.

The profiles (called scalable group tags or “SGTs”) in the Cisco DNA Center inventory list are assigned a policy, and this policy will always follow the identity. The process is completely automated and zero-touch. New devices added to the network are assigned to an SGT based on identity—greatly facilitating remote office setups.

Assurance: Cisco DNA Assurance, using AI/ML, enables every point on the network to become a sensor, sending continuous streaming telemetry on application performance and user connectivity in real time. The clean and simple dashboard shows detailed network health and flags issues. Then, guided remediation

automates resolution to keep your network performing at its optimal with less mundane troubleshooting work.

The outcome is a consistent experience and proactive optimization of your network, with less time spent on troubleshooting tasks.

 Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a solution that requires the user to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource, such as an application, online account, or a VPN. MFA is more secure than the traditional use of a username and password because it reduces the risk of identity theft, phishing, and credential compromise. MFA can use different types of factors, such as something the user knows (e.g., password, PIN), something the user has (e.g., smartphone, token, smart card), or something the user is (e.g., fingerprint, facial recognition). MFA can be implemented using various methods, such as security defaults, Conditional Access policies, or third-party solutions123. References:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/what-is-multifactor-authentication-e5e39437-121c-be60-d123-eda06bddf661

https://www.onelogin.com/learn/what-is-mfa

The Cisco DNA Center RESTful PNP API allows external applications to interact with the Plug and Play (PNP) service of Cisco DNA Center, which automates the onboarding and provisioning of network devices. The PNP API has several endpoints for different operations, such as importing, claiming, updating, and deleting devices. The endpoint that adds and claims a device into a workflow is api/v1/onboarding/pnp-device/import, which takes a JSON payload with the device information and the workflow ID. This endpoint creates a new device entry in the PNP database and associates it with the specified workflow. The workflow defines the configuration template, image, and license to be applied to the device during the provisioning process12. References:

1: See How to Use the Plug and Play API in DNA Center – Part 2

2: Cisco DNA Center Platform User Guide, Release 2.2.3

 Cisco Cloudlock is a cloud-native security solution that secures public, private, hybrid, and community clouds. It provides visibility, compliance, threat protection, and data security for cloud applications and environments. Cisco Cloudlock integrates with various cloud platforms and services, such as AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Office 365, Salesforce, Dropbox, and more. Cisco Cloudlock monitors user activities, configurations, and sensitive data across the cloud, and alerts or blocks any violations of policies or regulations. Cisco Cloudlock also leverages user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) to detect and respond to anomalous or malicious behaviors in the cloud. Cisco Cloudlock helps organizations protect their cloud assets and data, while enabling them to embrace the benefits of cloud computing. References :=

Cloud and Application Security - Cisco

Cloud Security Products and Solutions - Cisco

What Is Cloud Security? - Cisco

[Cisco Cloudlock: Cloud-Native CASB and Cloud Cybersecurity Platform]

Cisco Umbrella Investigate is a cloud-based service that provides interactive threat intelligence on domains, IPs, and files. It helps security analysts to uncover the attacker’s infrastructure and predict future threats by analyzing the relationships and evolution of internet domains, IPs, and files. It also integrates with other Cisco security solutions, such as Cisco Secure Network Analytics, Cisco Secure Cloud Analytics, and Cisco pxGrid, to provide a holistic view of the network and cloud security posture. Cisco Umbrella Investigate is based on the data collected by Cisco Umbrella, which processes more than 620 billion DNS requests per day from over 190 countries. Cisco Umbrella Investigate uses statistical and machine learning models to automatically score and classify the data, and provides a risk score for each domain, IP, and file, along with the contributing factors and historical context. Cisco Umbrella Investigate also allows security analysts to query the data using a web-based console or an API, and to visualize the results using graphs, tables, and maps. Cisco Umbrella Investigate is the most complete and interactive threat intelligence solution that helps to prevent cyber attacks before they happen. References :=

Some possible references are:

Cisco Umbrella Investigate

Cyber Attack Prevention - Cisco Umbrella

Cisco Umbrella Investigate - Cisco Umbrella

the routing of traffic through the Cisco Umbrella network is to browse to http://welcome.umbrella.com/. This URL will display a message that confirms whether the new network identity is working or not. If the message says “You’re protected by Cisco Umbrella”, then the traffic is being routed correctly. If the message says “You’re not using Cisco Umbrella”, then the traffic is not being routed correctly and the configuration needs to be checked. The other options are not valid actions to test the routing. Option A is incorrect because the client computers should point to the Cisco Umbrella DNS servers, not the on-premises DNS servers. Option B is incorrect because the Intelligent Proxy is a feature that selectively intercepts and proxies web requests for deeper inspection, not a tool to test the routing. Option C is incorrect because adding the public IP address to a Core Identity is a way to identify the network, not a way to test the routing. References:

How To: Successfully test to ensure you’re running Umbrella correctly

Add a Network Identity

Cisco FTDv is a virtual appliance that combines the features of Cisco ASA and Cisco Firepower NGIPS. It provides stateful firewall, IPS, URL filtering, malware protection, and other advanced security functions. Cisco ASAv is a virtual appliance that only provides stateful firewall and VPN features. It does not support URL filtering or other Firepower functions. Therefore, Cisco FTDv provides more features than ASAv, especially for next-generation firewall capabilities. References :=

Cisco Firewall in AWS - Should i use ASAv or FTDv/FMCv?

Difference between Cisco ASAv, NGIPSv and FTDv…?

Are there any differences in features between Cisco ASA hardware …

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/about/doing_business/legal/service_descriptions/docs/Cisco_Secure_Managed_Endpoint.pdf

Explanation

The Firepower System uses network discovery and identity policies to collect host, application, and user data for traffic on your network. You can use certain types of discovery and identity data to build a comprehensive map of your network assets, perform forensic analysis, behavioral profiling, access control, and mitigate and respond to the vulnerabilities and exploits to which your organization is susceptible.

The Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) solution enables you to detect and block malware, continuously analyze for malware, and get retrospective alerts. AMP for Networks delivers network-based advanced malware protection that goes beyond point-in-time detection to protect your organization across the entire attack continuum – before, during, and after an attack. Designed for Cisco Firepower® network threat appliances, AMP for Networks detects, blocks, tracks, and contains malware threats across multiple threat vectors within a single system. It also provides the visibility and control necessary to protect your organization against highly sophisticated, targeted, zero-day, and persistent advanced malware threats.

Explanation

Explanation

NetFlow is typically used for several key customer applications, including the following:

…

Billing and accounting. NetFlow data provides fine-grained metering (for instance, flow data includes details such as IP addresses, packet and byte counts, time stamps, type of service (ToS), and application ports) for highly flexible and detailed resource utilization accounting. Service providers may use the information for billing based on time of day, bandwidth usage, application usage, quality of service, and so on. Enterprise customers may use the information for departmental charge back or cost allocation for resource utilization.

Northbound and southbound APIs are two types of interfaces that enable communication between different layers of the SDN architecture. Northbound APIs relay information between the controller and the applications or policy engines, while southbound APIs relay information between the controller and the network devices.

Northbound APIs allow applications to request network services or resources from the controller, such as bandwidth, latency, security, or routing. The controller then translates these requests into network configurations and applies them to the network devices via the southbound APIs. Northbound APIs typically use RESTful API methods such as GET, POST, and DELETE to communicate with the controller.

Southbound APIs allow the controller to program the network devices to perform forwarding and other functions. The controller can use different protocols or standards to communicate with the network devices, depending on their capabilities and vendor-specific features. Some common examples of southbound APIs are CLI, SNMP, RESTCONF, NETCONF, OpenFlow, and OpFlex.

Explanation

SNMP polling can often be in the order of 5-10 minutes, CLIs are unstructured and prone to change which can often break scripts.

The traditional use of the pull model, where the client requests data from the network does not scale when what you want is near real-time data.

Moreover, in some use cases, there is the need to be notified only when some data changes, like interfaces status, protocol neighbors change etc.

Model-Driven Telemetry is a new approach for network monitoring in which data is streamed from network devices continuously using a push model and provides near real-time access to operational statistics. Referfence: https://developer.cisco.com/docs/ios-xe/#!streaming-telemetry-quick-start-guide/streaming telemetry

A cloud access security broker (CASB) is a security solution that helps protect cloud-hosted services and applications from cyberattacks and data breaches. A CASB acts as an intermediary between cloud users and cloud providers, and enforces the organization’s security policies and compliance requirements. A CASB integrates with other cloud solutions via APIs and monitors the cloud activity and data across multiple platforms and devices. A CASB can also create incidents based on events from the cloud solution, such as unauthorized access, data leakage, malware infection, or policy violation. A CASB can then alert the administrators, block the malicious actions, or remediate the issues. A CASB provides visibility, control, and protection for the organization’s cloud environment12.

References :=

What Is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)? | Microsoft

What is a CASB Cloud Access Security Broker? - CrowdStrike

VMware APIC is a platform that integrates with Cisco ACI to provide enhanced visibility, policy integration and deployment, and security policies with access lists. VMware APIC is a virtual appliance that runs on VMware vSphere and communicates with the Cisco APIC controller. VMware APIC allows administrators to create and manage Cisco ACI policies for VMware virtual machines and networks. VMware APIC also provides a unified view of the physical and virtual network topology, health, and statistics. VMware APIC supports the following modes of Cisco ACI and VMware integration:

VMware VDS: When integrated with Cisco ACI, the VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) enables administrators to configure VM networking in the ACI fabric.

Cisco ACI Virtual Edge: Cisco ACI Virtual Edge is a distributed service that provides Layer 4 to Layer 7 services for applications running on VMware vSphere.

Cisco Application Virtual Switch (AVS): Cisco AVS is a distributed virtual switch that provides policy-based network services for VMware vSphere environments. References:

Cisco ACI with VMware VDS Integration

Cisco ACI and VMware NSX-T Data Center Integration

Cisco ACI and VMware: The Perfect Pair

Setting the Record Straight: Confusion about ACI on VMware Technologies

 Cisco Duo is a cloud-based solution that provides multi-factor authentication (MFA) and device trust for secure access to applications and data. MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity with something they know (such as a password) and something they have (such as a phone or a hardware token). Device trust ensures that only trusted devices can access sensitive resources by checking the device health and compliance. Cisco Duo can help prevent social engineering attacks by making it harder for hackers to impersonate legitimate users or compromise their credentials. Cisco Duo can also integrate with other Cisco security products, such as Cisco AnyConnect, Cisco AMP for Endpoints, and Cisco Umbrella, to provide a comprehensive security solution. References :=

Cisco Duo Security

Cisco Duo: Multi-Factor Authentication

Cisco Duo: Device Trust

Cisco Security Core Technologies SCOR

The Cloudlock Apps Firewall is a feature of Cisco Cloudlock, which is a cloud-native cloud access security broker (CASB) that helps organizations move to the cloud safely. The Cloudlock Apps Firewall mitigates security concerns from an application perspective by discovering and controlling cloud apps that are connected to a company’s corporate environment, such as Google G Suite or Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AD). These cloud apps are authorized through OAuth to access corporate data and resources via APIs, and may pose risks such as data exfiltration, account compromise, or malicious behavior. The Cloudlock Apps Firewall provides visibility into the app ecosystem, including the app name, category, risk level, access scopes, and number of users. It also allows administrators to ban or allowlist apps based on their risk profile and compliance requirements. Additionally, the Cloudlock Apps Firewall leverages a crowd-sourced Community Trust Rating for each app, which reflects the feedback from other Cloudlock customers on the app’s security and functionality. References :=

Cisco Content Security Products

Cisco Cloudlock - Cisco

Shadow IT Control with Apps Firewall - Cisco

Test scor q151 - q200

Explanation

Explanation

There are three basic categories of attack:

+ volume-based attacks, which use high traffic to inundate the network bandwidth

+ protocol attacks, which focus on exploiting server resources

+ application attacks, which focus on web applications and are considered the most sophisticated and serious type of attacks Reference: https://www.esecurityplanet.com/networks/types-of-ddos-attacks/

Workload security models refer to the ways of protecting applications, services, and capabilities that run on a cloud resource. There are different types of cloud deployment models, such as public, private, hybrid, and multicloud, and different types of cloud service models, such as IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. However, these are not workload security models, but rather ways of describing the cloud environment and the level of abstraction. Workload security models are more focused on the location and ownership of the workloads, and how they are secured. The two main workload security models are off-premises and on-premises. Off-premises workload security model means that the workloads are hosted and managed by a third-party cloud service provider, such as AWS, Azure, or GCP. The cloud service provider is responsible for the security of the underlying infrastructure, such as the physical servers, network devices, storage systems, and hypervisors. The customer is responsible for the security of the workloads themselves, such as the guest operating systems, applications, data, and users. The customer can use various tools and techniques to secure their workloads, such as encryption, firewalls, identity and access management, vulnerability scanning, and logging and monitoring. On-premises workload security model means that the workloads are hosted and managed by the customer on their own data center or private cloud. The customer is responsible for the security of both the infrastructure and the workloads, and has full control and visibility over them. The customer can use similar tools and techniques as the off-premises model, but also has to deal with the physical security, network security, and compliance requirements of their own environment. References:

What Is Workload Security? On-Premises, Cloud, Kubernetes, and More

What is Cloud Workload Security? - CyberArk

What is Cloud Workload Protection? | Workload Security | VMware

What is Cloud Workload Security? - Check Point Software

Introduction To Classic Security Models - GeeksforGeeks

A PAC file is a Proxy Auto-Configuration file that contains a JavaScript function that determines whether web browser requests go directly to the destination or are forwarded to a web proxy server. A PAC file allows the client desktop browsers to be configured to select when to connect direct or when to use the proxy based on the URL and the host name. A PAC file can be downloaded from a web server or a local file. A PAC file is more suitable for complex proxy configurations or multiple proxy servers12

A transparent mode is a proxy configuration where the client browsers do not need to be configured to use the proxy. The proxy intercepts the traffic and forwards it to the destination. A transparent mode does not allow the client browsers to select when to connect direct or when to use the proxy34

A forward file is not a valid proxy configuration method.

A bridge mode is a network configuration where a device connects two or more network segments and forwards traffic between them. A bridge mode is not a proxy configuration method5 References := 1: Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) file - HTTP | MDN 2: Proxy auto-config - Wikipedia 3: Explicit and Transparent Proxy - techdocs.broadcom.com 4: Configure Explicit Proxy - Palo Alto Networks | TechDocs 5: config web-proxy explicit | FortiGate / FortiOS 7.4.0

For TACACS authentication to work, the key configured on the network device must match the key configured on the TACACS server. If users are unable to authenticate despite the TACACS server being reachable, it is likely due to a mismatch in the keys. Ensuring that both the network device and the TACACS server have the same key configured is crucial for successful authentication.

An active/active FlexVPN configuration allows for multiple routers or VRFs to act as hubs for different VPN groups, providing load balancing and redundancy1. This is useful when the VPN deployment has a large number of spokes or different security policies for different groups of spokes. DMVPN, on the other hand, only supports a single hub or a pair of hubs in active/standby mode for each VPN group2. This limits the scalability and flexibility of DMVPN deployments. Therefore, an engineer would opt for an active/active FlexVPN configuration as opposed to DMVPN when multiple routers or VRFs are required. References :=

Cisco FlexVPN: Benefits and Best Practices

Cisco DMVPN Design Guide

 TACACS+ is a protocol that provides authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services for network devices. Unlike RADIUS, which only supports authorization at the user level, TACACS+ supports authorization at the command level. This means that TACACS+ can verify the permissions of the network administrator for every command that is entered, and allow or deny access accordingly. This provides more granular and secure control over network resources and operations. EAPOL, SSH, and RADIUS are not protocols that can provide command-level authorization for AAA. References :=

Some possible references are:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.2: Network Security Devices and Cloud Services, Topic 1.2.3: AAA

350-701 SCOR - Cisco, Exam Topics, 1.0 Security Concepts, 1.2 Compare network security solutions, 1.2.a AAA

What Is AAA Security? | Fortinet, Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA)

Explanation

You can configure your ASA FirePOWER module using one of the following deployment models:

You can configure your ASA FirePOWER module in either an inline or a monitor-only (inline tap or

passive) deployment.

To block a website based on a custom list, the customer should add the websites to a blocked type destination list. A destination list is a custom list of domains or URLs that the customer wants to allow or block for their identities. The customer can create destination lists through the Policy Components > Destination Lists page, or within the policy wizard when creating or editing a policy. The custom URL destination block lists feature enables Umbrella to extend a domain level block list to encompass full and partial URLs. In turn, this allows the customer to block certain portions of a website based specifically on the full or partial URL. This feature requires the customer to enable the intelligent proxy and install a root certificate for SSL decryption. References:

Configure Web Policies and Destination Lists - Cisco Umbrella

Control Access to Custom URLs - Umbrella SIG User Guide

Cisco 350-701: How should customer block websites based on custom list

Umbrella Dashboard: New Features—Custom blocked URLs

Understanding Destination lists supported entries and … - Cisco Umbrella

In transparent mode, the WSA can handle both explicit and transparent HTTP requests, depending on how the client browser is configured. The WSA must pretend to be the origin content server for transparent requests, since the client is unaware of the existence of a proxy1. WCCP v2 is a protocol that allows a WCCP-enabled device (such as a router or a switch) to redirect traffic to the WSA based on certain criteria, such as destination port 802. This way, the client does not need to configure a proxy or a PAC file in the browser. The other options are false because they are either required for explicit mode or not supported by the WSA. References :=

What is the difference between transparent and forward proxy mode?

Configure Transparent Redirection With WCCP in Order to Support HTTP, HTTPS, and Native FTP Traffic

Explanation

Explanation

DevSecOps (development, security, and operations) is a concept used in recent years to describe how to move

security activities to the start of the development life cycle and have built-in security practices in the continuous

integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline. Thus minimizing vulnerabilities and bringing security closer

to IT and business objectives.

Three key things make a real DevSecOps environment:

+ Security testing is done by the development team.

+ Issues found during that testing is managed by the development team.

+ Fixing those issues stays within the development team.

Explanation

Explanation

A Directory Harvest Attack (DHA) is a technique used by spammers to find valid/existent email addresses at a domain either by using Brute force or by guessing valid e-mail addresses at a domain using different

permutations of common username. Its easy for attackers to get hold of a valid email address if your

organization uses standard format for official e-mail alias (for example: jsmith@example.com). We can

configure DHA Prevention to prevent malicious actors from quickly identifying valid recipients.

Note: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is an Internet protocol that email programs use to look up contact information from a server, such as ClickMail Central Directory. For example, here’s an LDAP search translated into plain English: “Search for all people located in Chicago who’s name contains “Fred” that have an email address. Please return their full name, email, title, and description.

 The vulnerability that allows the attacker to see the passwords being transmitted in clear text is the lack of encryption on the VPN links. Encryption is a process of transforming data into an unreadable form, so that only authorized parties can access it. VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that creates a secure tunnel between two or more devices over a public network, such as the Internet. VPN links should be encrypted to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, or spoofing of the data that passes through them. If the VPN links are not encrypted, an attacker can use a packet sniffer to intercept and read the data, including the passwords, that are sent over the network. This is called a sniffing attack, and it can lead to credential theft, identity spoofing, or data manipulation. Therefore, VPN links should always use strong encryption protocols, such as IPsec or SSL/TLS, to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the data. References :=

Some possible references are:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 - Cisco: This is the official course page for the SCOR 350-701 exam, which covers the topics of implementing and operating Cisco security core technologies. It provides the course objectives, outline, duration, and prerequisites. It also offers various learning options, such as instructor-led training, e-learning, and practice exams.

SCOR 350-701 Official Cert Guide - Cisco Press: This is the official study guide for the SCOR 350-701 exam, written by Omar Santos, a principal engineer at Cisco’s Security Research and Operations group. It covers all the exam topics in depth, with explanations, examples, exercises, and practice questions. It also includes a companion website with online resources, such as videos, quizzes, flashcards, and more.

Cleartext submission of password - PortSwigger: This is a web security article that explains the vulnerability of transmitting passwords over unencrypted connections, and how to exploit it using Burp Suite, a web application testing tool. It also provides some remediation advice, such as using HTTPS and HSTS to enforce encryption.

What Are Sniffing Attacks, and How Can You Protect Yourself? - EC-Council: This is a blog post that describes what sniffing attacks are, how they work, and what are the common types and tools of sniffing attacks. It also provides some tips on how to prevent or detect sniffing attacks, such as using encryption, VPN, firewall, IDS, and anti-sniffing software.

OWASP Application Security FAQ | OWASP Foundation: This is a frequently asked questions page about application security, maintained by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), a non-profit organization that promotes web security awareness and best practices. It covers various topics, such as authentication, authorization, session management, input validation, output encoding, cryptography, error handling, logging, and more.

Explanation

Cisco Cloudlock is a cloud-native cloud access security broker (CASB) that helps you move to the cloud safely.

It protects your cloud users, data, and apps. Cisco Cloudlock provides visibility and compliance checks,

protects data against misuse and exfiltration, and provides threat protections against malware like ransomware.

Explanation

A data breach is the intentional or unintentional release of secure or private/confidential information to an

untrusted environment.

When your credentials have been compromised, it means someone other than you may be in possession of your account information, such as your username and/or password.

Explanation

A trustpoint enrollment mode, which also defines the trustpoint authentication mode, can be performed via 3 main methods:

1. Terminal Enrollment – manual method of performing trustpoint authentication and certificate enrolment using copy-paste in the CLI terminal.

2. SCEP Enrollment – Trustpoint authentication and enrollment using SCEP over HTTP.

3. Enrollment Profile – Here, authentication and enrollment methods are defined separately. Along with terminal and SCEP enrollment methods, enrollment profiles provide an option to specify HTTP/TFTP commands to perform file retrieval from the Server, which is defined using an authentication or enrollment url under the profile.

 The Cisco WSA supports mainly two authentication protocols: LDAP and NTLM. LDAP is a standard protocol for accessing directory services, such as Active Directory or OpenLDAP. NTLM is a proprietary protocol for authenticating Windows clients to Windows servers. NTLM has two versions: NTLMv1 and NTLMv2. NTLMSSP (NT LAN Manager Security Support Provider) is a variant of NTLMv2 that provides additional security features, such as message integrity and confidentiality. The Cisco WSA supports both LDAP and NTLMSSP using basic authentication, which requires the user to enter a username and password. The Cisco WSA also supports Kerberos, which is a network authentication protocol that uses tickets to authenticate users and services. Kerberos is based on symmetric-key cryptography and requires a trusted third party, called the Key Distribution Center (KDC), to issue and validate tickets. Kerberos is more secure and efficient than NTLM, as it does not require the user to enter credentials repeatedly and does not send passwords over the network. The Cisco WSA supports Kerberos only in standard mode, not in cloud connector mode. The Cisco WSA does not support TACACS+ or CHAP as authentication protocols. TACACS+ is a Cisco proprietary protocol for authenticating network devices and users to a central server. CHAP is a challenge-response protocol for authenticating PPP connections. These protocols are not designed for web security appliances and are not compatible with the Cisco WSA. References:

User Guide for AsyncOS 11.0 for Cisco Web Security Appliances (Section: Acquire End-User Credentials)

Cisco WSA Authentication

WSA Authentication

vulnerability is a flaw or gap in the security of a system or network that can be exploited by an attacker to compromise its functionality, integrity, confidentiality, or availability. A vulnerability can exist in the design, implementation, configuration, or operation of a system or network, and can be caused by human errors, software bugs, hardware defects, or environmental factors. A vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker using various methods, such as malware, phishing, brute force, denial-of-service, or injection attacks. A vulnerability can also be exploited by an insider who has legitimate access to the system or network, but abuses their privileges for malicious purposes. A vulnerability can be discovered by security researchers, ethical hackers, or malicious hackers, and can be reported to the vendor or the public for remediation or exploitation. A vulnerability can be mitigated by applying patches, updates, or configuration changes, or by using security tools such as firewalls, antivirus, or encryption.

An exploit is a piece of code, data, or technique that takes advantage of a vulnerability to perform unauthorized or malicious actions on a system or network. An exploit can be used to gain access, escalate privileges, execute commands, steal data, disrupt services, or damage resources. An exploit can be delivered by various means, such as email attachments, web links, removable media, or network packets. An exploit can be developed by security researchers, ethical hackers, or malicious hackers, and can be shared or sold on the dark web or other platforms for testing or attacking purposes. An exploit can be detected by security tools such as intrusion detection systems, antivirus, or anti-exploit software.

The difference between a vulnerability and an exploit is that a vulnerability is a potential weakness that can be exploited, while an exploit is an actual attack that uses a vulnerability. A vulnerability can exist without being exploited, but an exploit cannot exist without a vulnerability. A vulnerability can be fixed or prevented, but an exploit can only be blocked or stopped. References :=

Exploit vs Vulnerability: What’s the Difference? - InfoSec Insights

Difference Between Vulnerability and Exploit - GeeksforGeeks

Exploit vs. Vulnerability: What Is the Difference? - Coralogix

Exploit vs Vulnerability: What’s the Difference? - Cybers Guards

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-delivered security service that provides DNS-layer security, secure web gateway, firewall, cloud access security broker, and threat intelligence functions. It helps improve security visibility, detect compromised systems, and protect your users on and off the network by stopping threats over any port or protocol before they reach your network or endpoints1. One of the benefits of using Cisco Umbrella is that it can block threats before they launch, reducing response times, and delivering safe, secure internet with Umbrella’s cloud tools2. By intercepting DNS requests and applying security policies, Umbrella can prevent malicious connections from being established, and mitigate attacks before the application connection occurs3. This can also reduce bandwidth costs and improve performance by filtering out unwanted traffic1. References: 1: The Essential Benefits of Cisco Umbrella 2: 5 Reasons to Try Cisco Umbrella Now 3: Why choose Cisco Umbrella for cybersecurity protection

Explanation

Cisco Cloudlock is a cloud-native cloud access security broker (CASB) that helps you move to the cloud safely. It protects your cloud users, data, and apps. Cisco Cloudlock provides visibility and compliance checks, protects data against misuse and exfiltration, and provides threat protections against malware like ransomware.

Explanation

Explanation

Cisco standard NetFlow version 5 defines a flow as a unidirectional sequence of packets that all share seven values which define a unique key for the flow:

+ Ingress interface (SNMP ifIndex)

+ Source IP address

+ Destination IP address

+ IP protocol

+ Source port for UDP or TCP, 0 for other protocols

+ Destination port for UDP or TCP, type and code for ICMP, or 0 for other protocols

+ IP Type of Service

Note: A flow is a unidirectional series of packets between a given source and destination.

 GET VPN (Group Encrypted Transport VPN) is a tunnel-less VPN technology that uses a single security association (SA) for all routers in a group. This allows GET VPN to natively support MPLS and private IP networks, without requiring any additional encapsulation or tunneling protocols. GET VPN also supports multicast traffic without GRE, which reduces overhead and improves performance. FlexVPN is a newer VPN solution that covers all VPN types, such as site-to-site, hub and spoke, and remote access. FlexVPN uses IKEv2 for all VPN types, which offers some advantages over IKEv1, such as resiliency and fewer messages. However, FlexVPN requires newer hardware and software versions to support its features. FlexVPN also relies on GRE or static and dynamic point-to-point interfaces to support MPLS and private IP networks, which adds complexity and overhead. Therefore, a benefit of using GET VPN over FlexVPN within a VPN deployment is that GET VPN natively supports MPLS and private IP networks, without requiring any additional encapsulation or tunneling protocols. References:

Group Encrypted Transport VPN (GETVPN)

Introduction to FlexVPN

what is the difference between dmvpn and flexvpn

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is the method of attack that is used by a hacker to send malicious code through a web application to an unsuspecting user to request that the victim’s web browser executes the code. XSS is a type of injection attack that exploits the lack of input validation or output encoding in a web application. An attacker can craft a malicious script and embed it in a web page or a URL that is sent to the user. When the user visits the web page or clicks the URL, the script is executed by the user’s browser, which may not be able to distinguish it from legitimate code. The script can then perform various actions, such as stealing cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information, redirecting the user to a malicious site, or performing actions on behalf of the user12. The other options are not correct, because they are not methods of attack that use web applications to execute malicious code on the user’s browser. Buffer overflow is a type of attack that exploits a memory vulnerability in a program or system, where an attacker can overwrite the memory beyond the allocated buffer and execute arbitrary code3. Browser WGET is a command-line tool that can be used to download files from the web, but it is not an attack method by itself4. SQL injection is a type of attack that exploits a database vulnerability in a web application, where an attacker can inject malicious SQL statements into a user input field and execute them on the database server5. References:

1: What is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)? - Cisco

2: Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) - OWASP

3: What is a Buffer Overflow? - Cisco

4: GNU Wget 1.21.1 Manual

5: What is SQL Injection (SQLi)? - Cisco

Microsegmentation is a network security technique that enables security architects to logically divide the data center or cloud environment into distinct security segments down to the individual workload level, and then define security controls and deliver services for each unique segment. Microsegmentation software with network virtualization technology is used to create zones in cloud deployments. These granular secure zones isolate workloads, securing them individually with custom, workload-specific policies. Microsegmentation uses a zero-trust model, which means that no traffic is allowed by default, and only explicitly authorized traffic is permitted based on the principle of least privilege. Microsegmentation helps to reduce the attack surface, prevent the lateral movement of threats, and strengthen regulatory compliance. The other options are incorrect because they do not describe microsegmentation accurately. Option B is incorrect because container orchestration platforms, such as Kubernetes, are used to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications, but they do not provide microsegmentation by themselves. Option C is incorrect because private VLAN segmentation is a network security technique that isolates hosts within the same VLAN, but it does not provide granular security controls at the workload level. Option D is incorrect because host-based firewall rules are one of the components of microsegmentation, but they are not sufficient to implement microsegmentation without network virtualization and policy automation. References : What Is Microsegmentation? - Palo Alto Networks, What Is Micro-Segmentation? - Cisco, What is Micro-Segmentation? | VMware Glossary

Explanation

Explanation

The following are the prerequisites to integrate Active Directory with Cisco ISE.

+ Use the Network Time Protocol (NTP) server settings to synchronize the time between the Cisco ISE server

and Active Directory. You can configure NTP settings from Cisco ISE CLI.

+ If your Active Directory structure has multidomain forest or is divided into multiple forests, ensure that trust

relationships exist between the domain to which Cisco ISE is connected and the other domains that have user

and machine information to which you need access. For more information on establishing trust relationships,

refer to Microsoft Active Directory documentation.

+ You must have at least one global catalog server operational and accessible by Cisco ISE, in the domain to

which you are joining Cisco ISE.

The cause of this issue is that NTP authentication is not enabled on the router. The commands shown in the exhibit only define the authentication key and mark it as trusted, but they do not enable NTP authentication globally or on a per-peer basis. To enable NTP authentication globally, the command ntp authenticate must be used. To enable NTP authentication on a per-peer basis, the command ntp server ip-address key key-id or ntp peer ip-address key key-id must be used, where key-id is the same as the one defined by the ntp authentication-key command. Without enabling NTP authentication, any device can synchronize time with this router, regardless of whether it has the same authentication key or not.

The other options are incorrect because:

The key was configured in plain text, but this is not the cause of the issue. Although it is recommended to use the ntp authentication-key key-id md5 key [encrypted] command to encrypt the key, using plain text does not prevent NTP authentication from working, as long as the same key is configured on both the router and the peer.

The hashing algorithm that was used was MD5, which is supported by NTP. MD5 is the default algorithm for NTP authentication and it can be used with any key length from 1 to 16 characters. Other algorithms, such as SHA and SHA1, are also supported by NTP if the OpenSSL library is installed, but they are not required for NTP authentication to work.

The router was not rebooted after the NTP configuration updated, but this is not necessary for NTP authentication to take effect. NTP authentication is applied immediately after the configuration commands are entered, and no reboot is required.

DNS tunneling is a technique that exploits the DNS protocol to tunnel malware and other data through a client-server model. DNS tunneling can be used for data exfiltration, command and control, or IP-over-DNS tunneling. DNS tunneling works by encoding the information of other protocols or programs in DNS queries and responses. An attacker registers a domain, such as badsite.com, and sets up a malicious DNS server that can interpret the encoded data. The attacker then infects a client with malware that can send and receive DNS queries to the attacker’s domain. The malware can use DNS queries to request commands from the attacker, or to send sensitive data to the attacker. The DNS queries and responses look like normal DNS traffic, but they contain hidden data that can bypass network defenses123. References := 1: What Is DNS Tunneling? - Palo Alto Networks 2: What is DNS Tunneling? - Check Point Software 3: What Is DNS Tunneling and How to Detect and Prevent Attacks

To deploy Cisco WSA in transparent mode, the configuration component that must be used is WCCP on switch. WCCP stands for Web Cache Communication Protocol, which is a protocol that allows a network device (such as a switch) to redirect web traffic to a proxy server (such as Cisco WSA) transparently. This means that the client does not need to configure any proxy settings on the browser, and the proxy server can intercept and process the web requests and responses without the client’s knowledge. WCCP can also provide load balancing and failover capabilities for multiple proxy servers.

The other options are incorrect because they are not required or relevant for transparent mode deployment. Option A is incorrect because MDA (Multilink PPP Dial Access) is a feature that allows multiple physical links to be aggregated into a single logical link for dial-up connections. It has nothing to do with transparent mode. Option B is incorrect because PBR (Policy-Based Routing) is a feature that allows routing decisions to be based on criteria other than the destination IP address, such as source IP address, protocol, port, etc. It is not necessary for transparent mode, as WCCP can handle the traffic redirection. Option D is incorrect because DNS resolution on Cisco WSA is not a configuration component, but a function that allows the proxy server to resolve domain names to IP addresses. It is not specific to transparent mode, as it is also used in explicit mode. References:

What is the difference between transparent and forward proxy mode?

User Guide for AsyncOS 12.7 for Cisco Web Security Appliances - LD (Limited Deployment) - Acquire End-User Credentials

Cisco WSA : Is it possible to use web proxy in transparent mode without WCCP?

Explanation

Explanation

A certificate signing request (CSR) is one of the first steps towards getting your own SSL Certificate. Generated on the same server you plan to install the certificate on, the CSR contains information (e.g. common name, organization, country) that the Certificate Authority (CA) will use to create your certificate. It also contains the public key that will be included in your certificate and is signed with the corresponding private key

A virus is a type of malware that infects a computer system by attaching itself to another program or file. Once executed, the virus can replicate itself and spread to other files or systems. A virus can be used to gain unauthorized access to a computer system by exploiting software vulnerabilities, stealing credentials, or installing backdoors. A virus can also cause damage to the system by deleting, modifying, or encrypting data, or consuming system resources. According to the Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) course, viruses are one of the most common forms of malware and can be classified into different types based on their behavior, such as boot sector viruses, file infectors, macro viruses, or polymorphic viruses1. References: 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) course, Module 1: Malware Analysis, Lesson 1: Malware Types and Characteristics, Topic: Virus.

Microsegmentation is a technology that limits communication between nodes on the same network segment to individual applications by creating secure zones across cloud and data center environments. Microsegmentation isolates application workloads from one another and secures them individually with granular firewall policies based on a zero-trust security approach1. Microsegmentation can reduce the attack surface, prevent the lateral movement of threats, and strengthen regulatory compliance1.

Serverless infrastructure is a technology that allows developers to run code without provisioning or managing servers2. Serverless infrastructure does not limit communication between nodes on the same network segment to individual applications, but rather abstracts away the underlying infrastructure from the application logic.

SaaS deployment is a technology that delivers software applications over the internet as a service3. SaaS deployment does not limit communication between nodes on the same network segment to individual applications, but rather provides access to software applications from any device and location.

Machine-to-machine firewalling is a technology that controls the communication between machines or devices on a network. Machine-to-machine firewalling does not limit communication between nodes on the same network segment to individual applications, but rather applies rules to the traffic between machines or devices based on their IP addresses, ports, protocols, or other criteria.

References :=

What Is Micro-Segmentation? - Cisco

What is serverless?

What is SaaS?

[Machine-to-Machine Firewalling]

Transparently identify users with authentication realms – This option is available when one or more authentication realms are configured to support transparent identification using one of the following authentication servers:

Active Directory – Create an NTLM or Kerberos authentication realm and enable transparent user identification. In addition, you must deploy a separate Active Directory agent such as Cisco’s Context Directory Agent. For more information, see Transparent User Identification with Active Directory.

LDAP – Create an LDAP authentication realm configured as an eDirectory, and enable transparent user identification. For more information, see Transparent User Identification with LDAP.

Details:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/wsa/wsa11-0/user_guide/b_WSA_UserGuide/b_WSA_UserGuide_chapter_01001.html#:~:text=Transparently%20identify%20users%20with%20authentication,User%20Identification%20with%20LDAP.

Explanation

Explanation

The Application Visibility and Control (AVC) engine lets you create policies to control application activity on the network without having to fully understand the underlying technology of each application. You can configure application control settings in Access Policy groups. You can block or allow applications individually or according to application type. You can also apply controls to particular application types.

Explanation

Explanation

The various suspicious patterns for which the Cisco Tetration platform looks in the current release are:

+ Shell code execution: Looks for the patterns used by shell code.

+ Privilege escalation: Watches for privilege changes from a lower privilege to a higher privilege in the process lineage tree.

+ Side channel attacks: Cisco Tetration platform watches for cache-timing attacks and page table fault bursts.

Using these, it can detect Meltdown, Spectre, and other cache-timing attacks.

+ Raw socket creation: Creation of a raw socket by a nonstandard process (for example, ping).

+ User login suspicious behavior: Cisco Tetration platform watches user login failures and user login

methods.

+ Interesting file access: Cisco Tetration platform can be armed to look at sensitive files.

+ File access from a different user: Cisco Tetration platform learns the normal behavior of which file is

accessed by which user.

+ Unseen command: Cisco Tetration platform learns the behavior and set of commands as well as the lineage of each command over time. Any new command or command with a different lineage triggers the interest of the Tetration Analytics platform.

 On Cisco Firepower Management Center, a health policy is used to collect health modules alerts from managed devices. A health policy is a collection of tests, or health modules, that monitor the health status of the hardware and software in the system. You can apply a health policy to one or more appliances and configure the frequency and conditions for running the health modules and generating alerts. The health monitor on the Firepower Management Center tracks the health events based on the health policy settings and displays them on the Health Monitor page and the event views. You can also use external alerting mechanisms, such as SNMP traps or syslog messages, to notify you of health events. References :=

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/firepower/60/configuration/guide/fpmc-config-guide-v60/Health_Monitoring.html

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/secure-firewall/management-center/admin/710/management-center-admin-71/health-health.html

Explanation

Explanation

Cisco ISE allows a global configuration to issue a Change of Authorization (CoA) in the Profiler Configuration

page that enables the profiling service with more control over endpoints that are already authenticated.

One of the settings to configure the CoA type is “Reauth”. This option is used to enforce reauthentication of an already authenticated endpoint when it is profiled.

Explanation

The profiling service issues the change of authorization in the following cases:

– Endpoint deleted—When an endpoint is deleted from the Endpoints page and the endpoint is disconnected

or removed from the network.

An exception action is configured—If you have an exception action configured per profile that leads to an

unusual or an unacceptable event from that endpoint. The profiling service moves the endpoint to the

corresponding static profile by issuing a CoA.

– An endpoint is profiled for the first time—When an endpoint is not statically assigned and profiled for the first time; for example, the profile changes from an unknown to a known profile.

+ An endpoint identity group has changed—When an endpoint is added or removed from an endpoint identity group that is used by an authorization policy.

The profiling service issues a CoA when there is any change in an endpoint identity group, and the endpoint identity group is used in the authorization policy for the following:

++ The endpoint identity group changes for endpoints when they are dynamically profiled

++ The endpoint identity group changes when the static assignment flag is set to true for a dynamic endpoint – An endpoint profiling policy has changed and the policy is used in an authorization policy—When an endpoint profiling policy changes, and the policy is included in a logical profile that is used in an authorization policy. The endpoint profiling policy may change due to the profiling policy match or when an endpoint is statically assigned to an endpoint profiling policy, which is associated to a logical profile. In both the cases, the profiling service issues a CoA, only when the endpoint profiling policy is used in an authorization policy.

To block certain URLs based on the “Chat and Instant Messaging” category, the network administrator should select a reputation score of 5. A reputation score is a numerical value that indicates the likelihood of a URL being malicious or unwanted. The lower the score, the higher the risk. A score of 5 means that the URL is suspicious or potentially harmful, and should be blocked or inspected12. A score of 3 means that the URL is unknown or unverified, and may be allowed or blocked depending on the policy settings12. A score of 10 means that the URL is trustworthy or benign, and should be allowed12. A score of 1 means that the URL is malicious or high-risk, and should be blocked12. Therefore, a score of 5 is the most appropriate to block the “Chat and Instant Messaging” category, which may contain unwanted or problematic websites. References:

Reputation score, section “Reputation score”.

Web content filtering, section “What is web content filtering?”.

Explanation

What Cisco DNA Center enables you to do

Automate: Save time by using a single dashboard to manage and automate your network. Quickly scale your business with intuitive workflows and reusable templates. Configure and provision thousands of network devices across your enterprise in minutes, not hours.

Secure policy: Deploy group-based secure access and network segmentation based on business needs. With Cisco DNA Center, you apply policy to users and applications instead of to your network devices. Automation reduces manual operations and the costs associated with human errors, resulting in more uptime and improved security. Assurance then assesses the network and uses context to turn data into intelligence, making sure that changes in the network device policies achieve your intent.

Assurance: Monitor, identify, and react in real time to changing network and wireless conditions. Cisco DNA Center uses your network’s wired and wireless devices to create sensors everywhere, providing real-time feedback based on actual network conditions. The Cisco DNA Assurance engine correlates network sensor insights with streaming telemetry and compares this with the current context of these data sources. With a quick check of the health scores on the Cisco DNA Center dashboard, you can see where there is a performance issue and identify the most likely cause in minutes.

Extend ecosystem: With the new Cisco DNA Center platform, IT can now integrate Cisco® solutions and thirdparty technologies into a single network operation for streamlining IT workflows and increasing business value and innovation. Cisco DNA Center allows you to run the network with open interfaces with IT and business applications, integrates across IT operations and technology domains, and can manage heterogeneous network devices.

Explanation

The ASA REST API gives you programmatic access to managing individual ASAs through a Representational State Transfer (REST) API. The API allows external clients to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on ASA resources; it is based on the HTTPS protocol and REST methodology.

All API requests are sent over HTTPS to the ASA, and a response is returned.

Request Structure

Available request methods are:

GET – Retrieves data from the specified object.

PUT – Adds the supplied information to the specified object; returns a 404 Resource Not Found error if the object does not exist.

POST – Creates the object with the supplied information.

DELETE – Deletes the specified object

PATCH – Applies partial modifications to the specified object.

L2TP and GRE are both tunneling protocols that can be used to create site-to-site VPNs. However, they have some differences in how they encapsulate and transport data. L2TP is a layer 2 protocol that uses IP packet encapsulation to carry PPP frames over an IP network. L2TP does not add any additional header to the IP packet, but relies on IPsec to provide encryption and authentication. GRE is a layer 3 protocol that adds its own header to the IP packet, which contains information such as the protocol type, checksum, and key. GRE can be used to carry any type of payload over an IP network, not just PPP frames. GRE also requires IPsec to provide security for the tunnel. Therefore, the correct answer is C, because GRE over IPsec adds its own header, and L2TP does not1234 References := 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 - Module 5: Secure Connectivity 2: What is the difference between L2TP vs GRE 3: GRE over IPSec vs L2TP over IPSEC 4: difference between L2TP/GRE/MPLS

Device compliance checks are a feature of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) that allows you to verify the posture of endpoints before allowing them to access your network. Posture is the state of the endpoint in terms of security, such as the presence of anti-virus software, firewall, patches, and so on. A posture agent, such as the AnyConnect ISE Posture Agent, runs on the endpoint and collects posture information, which is then sent to the ISE server for evaluation. Based on the posture policy, the ISE server can grant or deny network access, or apply remediation actions to the endpoint. One of the benefits of conducting device compliance checks is that it validates if anti-virus software is installed on the endpoint, which can prevent malware infections and protect your network from threats. The other options are not benefits of device compliance checks, as they are not related to the posture of the endpoint. References:

Compliance - Cisco

Device Compliance - Cisco

 The open standard that creates a framework for sharing threat intelligence in a machine-digestible format is STIX (Structured Threat Information Expression). STIX is a language and serialization format that enables the exchange of cyber threat information across organizations, tools, and platforms. STIX defines a common vocabulary and data model for representing various types of threat intelligence, such as indicators, observables, incidents, campaigns, threat actors, courses of action, and more. STIX also supports the expression of context, relationships, confidence, and handling of the threat information. STIX aims to improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of threat detection, analysis, and response.

STIX is often used in conjunction with TAXII (Trusted Automated Exchange of Indicator Information), which is a protocol and transport mechanism that enables the secure and automated communication of STIX data. TAXII defines how to request, send, receive, and store STIX data using standard methods and formats, such as HTTPS, JSON, and XML. TAXII supports various exchange models, such as hub-and-spoke, peer-to-peer, or subscription-based. TAXII enables the interoperability and scalability of threat intelligence sharing among different systems and organizations.

Explanation

In deceptive phishing, fraudsters impersonate a legitimate company in an attempt to steal people’s personal data or login credentials. Those emails frequently use threats and a sense of urgency to scare users into doing what the attackers want.

Spear phishing is carefully designed to get a single recipient to respond. Criminals select an individual target within an organization, using social media and other public information – and craft a fake email tailored for that person.

 The Cisco Umbrella roaming client is a cloud-delivered security service for Cisco’s next-generation firewall that protects employees when they are off the VPN. No additional agents are required. Simply enable the Umbrella functionality in the Cisco AnyConnect client. One of the advantages of the Umbrella roaming client is that it provides visibility into IP-based threats by tunneling suspicious IP connections to the Umbrella cloud for inspection and blocking. This way, the roaming client can prevent malware, phishing, and command-and-control callbacks from reaching malicious domains and IPs, regardless of the port or protocol. The Umbrella roaming client also provides DNS-layer security when the VPN is off, and proactive blocking of emerging threats using real-time data analysis. References:

Cisco Umbrella Roaming

3 Benefits of Using Roaming Client with Cisco Umbrella

Secure remote workers with the Cisco Umbrella roaming client

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 (Module 5.1.1)

SSL decryption allows the intelligent proxy to inspect traffic over HTTPS. Some websites may use self-signed certificates or certificates that are not trusted by the user’s device. This may cause the browser to display a warning or an error message when accessing those websites through the intelligent proxy. To avoid this, the user’s device needs to trust the Umbrella root CA, which is the certificate authority that signs the certificates for the websites that are proxied by Umbrella. By importing the Umbrella root CA into the trusted root store on the user’s device, the browser will recognize the certificates as valid and will not alert the end-users12. References: 1: Enable SSL Decryption - Umbrella User Guide 2: Intelligent Proxy and SSL Decryption with Cisco Umbrella

A traffic profile is a graph of network traffic based on connection data collected over a profiling time window (PTW). This measurement presumably represents normal network traffic. After the learning period, you can detect abnormal network traffic by evaluating new traffic against your profile. You can also set up inactive periods in traffic profile to exclude data that does not reflect normal network behavior. You can use traffic profiles to write correlation rules that trigger when the traffic deviates from the profile by a certain threshold or standard deviation. This way, you can identify and respond to potential attacks or security policy violations that cause traffic anomalies. References :=

Some possible references are:

Firepower Management Center Configuration Guide, Version 6.0 - Traffic Profiling

Cisco Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS)

Which statement describes a traffic profile on a Cisco Next Generation Intrusion Prevention System?

The function of Cisco Cloudlock for data security is data loss prevention (DLP). Cisco Cloudlock is a cloud-native cloud access security broker (CASB) that helps you move to the cloud safely. It protects your cloud users, data, and apps. Cloudlock’s simple, open, and automated approach uses APIs to manage the risks in your cloud app ecosystem1. One of the key features of Cloudlock is its DLP technology, which continuously monitors cloud environments to detect and secure sensitive information. It provides countless out-of-the-box policies as well as highly tunable custom policies. You can use Cloudlock’s DLP to prevent data breaches, comply with regulations, and enforce data governance across SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS platforms2. References: 1: Cisco Cloudlock - Cisco2: Cloudlock: Cloud User Security - Cisco Umbrella.

 A private cloud is a cloud deployment model that is dedicated to a single organization and provides exclusive access to its resources and services. A private cloud can be hosted on-premises or off-premises by a third-party provider, but in either case, the organization has full control and visibility over the security, privacy, and compliance of its data and applications. A private cloud can also leverage the security features and best practices of the public cloud service provider, if applicable, while maintaining a higher degree of isolation and customization. A private cloud is the most secure deployment model when considering risks to cloud adoption, as it minimizes the exposure of sensitive data to external threats, reduces the dependency on the security posture of the cloud service provider, and enables the organization to meet its specific security and regulatory requirements123. References: 1: Best Practices to Manage Risks in the Cloud - ISACA 2: Security in the Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure 3: Five challenges to cloud adoption and how to overcome them - PwC Middle East

A teardrop attack is a type of DoS attack that uses fragmented packets in an attempt to crash a target machine. The attacker sends IP packets that are deliberately malformed, such that the fragments overlap or have invalid offsets. When the target machine tries to reassemble the packets, it encounters an error or a buffer overflow, resulting in a system crash or a denial of service. Teardrop attacks exploit a vulnerability in the TCP/IP fragmentation reassembly process, which is responsible for splitting and recombining large packets that exceed the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size. Teardrop attacks can affect various operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, and BSD, depending on the implementation of the TCP/IP stack. Teardrop attacks are also known as IP fragmentation attacks or overlapping fragment attacks. References:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 5: Securing the Cloud, Lesson 5.2: Cloud Security Threats, Topic 5.2.2: DoS Attacks

What is an IP Fragmentation Attack (Teardrop ICMP/UDP)

Teardrop Attack - Radware

What Is a Teardrop Attack? | F5

The result of using this authentication protocol in the configuration is that the authentication and authorization requests are grouped in a single packet. This is because the configuration uses RADIUS as the AAA protocol, which combines both authentication and authorization functions in one process. RADIUS is facilitated through AAA and can be enabled only through AAA commands. The aaa new-model global configuration command enables AAA, and the radius-server host command specifies the IP address and the shared secret key of the RADIUS server. The aaa authentication command defines the method list for RADIUS authentication, and the aaa group server command defines the group name and the members of the group. The line and interface commands enable the defined method list to be used. When a user tries to access the router, the router sends a single Access-Request packet to the RADIUS server, which contains the user credentials and other attributes. The RADIUS server then verifies the credentials and returns either an Access-Accept packet, which grants access and may include authorization information, or an Access-Reject packet, which denies access. Therefore, the correct answer is D. References:

Security Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE Everest 16.6.x (Catalyst …

Configuring Basic AAA on an Access Server - Cisco

AAA Server Priority explained with New Radius Server Command Line

Configuring AAA on Cisco Devices – RADIUS and TACACS+ - Study-CCNA

 The product that allows Cisco FMC to push security intelligence observable to its sensors from other products is Threat Intelligence Director (TID). TID is a feature of Cisco FMC that enables you to integrate third-party threat intelligence feeds into your security policies. TID collects, aggregates, and correlates observables from multiple sources, such as Cisco Talos Intelligence, Cisco Umbrella, and other external providers. TID then pushes the observables to the sensors that are managed by FMC, such as Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) devices, Firepower appliances, and Cisco Secure Firewall Cloud Native. The sensors can then use the observables to block or monitor traffic based on the reputation and threat level of the IP addresses, URLs, and domains12.

 1: Firepower Management Center Configuration Guide, Version 6.6 - Threat Intelligence Director [Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center] - Cisco 2: Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Configuration Guide for Firepower Device Manager, Version 6.6 - Threat Intelligence Director [Cisco Firepower NGFW] - Cisco

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/wsa/wsa11-0/user_guide/b_WSA_UserGuide/b_WSA_UserGuide_chapter_01101.html Policy Order The order in which policies are listed in a policy table determines the priority with which they are applied to Web requests. Web requests are checked against policies beginning at the top of the table and ending at the first policy matched. Any policies below that point in the table are not processed. If no user-defined policy is matched against a Web request, then the global policy for that policy type is applied. Global policies are always positioned last in Policy tables and cannot be re-ordered.

DNS tunneling is a technique that encodes data of other programs and protocols in DNS queries, including data payloads that can be used to control a remote server and applications1. DNS exfiltration is a form of DNS tunneling that allows attackers to extract data from a compromised system by sending encoded DNS requests to a domain under their control2. The direction of the data transfer in DNS exfiltration is outbound, meaning from the victim’s network to the attacker’s network. This is different from inbound, which means from the attacker’s network to the victim’s network, or north-south and east-west, which are terms used to describe the traffic flow between different network segments or zones3. Outbound DNS requests are often allowed by default in many firewalls and network devices, making them an attractive channel for data exfiltration4. However, DNS exfiltration can be detected and prevented by using security solutions that monitor and analyze DNS traffic for anomalies and malicious patterns5.

 1: Improvements to DNS Tunneling & Exfiltration Detection - Cisco Umbrella 2: DNS Exfiltration & Tunneling: How it Works & DNSteal Demo Setup 3: What Is DNS Tunneling? - Palo Alto Networks 4: DNS Data Exfiltration and DNS Tunneling | Vercara 5: DNS Exfiltration: The Light at the End of the DNS Tunnel - site

Explanation

Ping of Death (PoD) is a type of Denial of Service (DoS) attack in which an attacker attempts to crash,

destabilize, or freeze the targeted computer or service by sending malformed or oversized packets using a simple ping command.

A correctly-formed ping packet is typically 56 bytes in size, or 64 bytes when the ICMP header is considered,

and 84 including Internet Protocol version 4 header. However, any IPv4 packet (including pings) may be as large as 65,535 bytes. Some computer systems were never designed to properly handle a ping packet larger than the maximum packet size because it violates the Internet Protocol documented

Like other large but well-formed packets, a ping of death is fragmented into groups of 8 octets before

transmission. However, when the target computer reassembles the malformed packet, a buffer overflow can occur, causing a system crash and potentially allowing the injection of malicious code.

Explanation

This command uses RADIUS which combines authentication and authorization in one function (packet).

Explanation

Explanation

If sysopt permit-vpn is not enabled then an access control policy must be created to allow the VPN traffic through the FTD device. If sysopt permit-vpn is enabled skip creating an access control policy.

Explanation

The TLS connections are recorded in the mail logs, along with other significant actions that are related to

messages, such as filter actions, anti-virus and anti-spam verdicts, and delivery attempts. If there is a

successful TLS connection, there will be a TLS success entry in the mail logs. Likewise, a failed TLS

connection produces a TLS failed entry. If a message does not have an associated TLS entry in the log file, that message was not delivered over a TLS connection.

Explanation

Private Network Monitoring (PNM) provides visibility and threat detection for the on-premises network, delivered from the cloud as a SaaS solution. It is the perfect solution for organizations who prefer SaaS products and desire better awareness and security in their on-premises environments while reducing capital expenditure and

operational overhead. It works by deploying lightweight software in a virtual machine or server that can

consume a variety of native sources of telemetry or extract metadata from network packet flow. It encrypts this metadata and sends it to the Stealthwatch Cloud analytics platform for analysis. Stealthwatch Cloud consumes metadata only. The packet payloads are never retained or transferred outside the network.

This lab focuses on how to configure a Stealthwatch Cloud Private Network Monitoring (PNM) Sensor, in order to provide visibility and effectively identify active threats, and monitors user and device behavior within onpremises networks.

The Stealthwatch Cloud PNM Sensor is an extremely flexible piece of technology, capable of being utilized in a number of different deployment scenarios. It can be deployed as a complete Ubuntu based virtual appliance on different hypervisors (e.g. –VMware, VirtualBox). It can be deployed on hardware running a number of different Linux-based operating systems.

Explanation

A buffer overflow (or buffer overrun) occurs when the volume of data exceeds the storage capacity of the memory buffer. As a result, the program attempting to write the data to the buffer overwrites adjacent memory locations.

Buffer overflow is a vulnerability in low level codes of C and C++. An attacker can cause the program to crash, make data corrupt, steal some private information or run his/her own code. It basically means to access any buffer outside of it’s alloted memory space. This happens quite frequently in the case of arrays.

 Cisco AMP for Endpoints and Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client are both security solutions that protect mobile users from threats, but they have different functions and features. Cisco AMP for Endpoints is a cloud-managed endpoint security solution that stops and tracks malicious activity on hosts, such as malware execution, file behavior, and command-and-control callbacks. It also provides threat intelligence, sandboxing, and retrospective analysis to detect and respond to advanced threats. Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client is a lightweight DNS client that tracks only URL-based threats, such as phishing, ransomware, and botnets. It prevents connections to malicious domains and IP addresses, and provides visibility and enforcement for off-network devices. It also integrates with Cisco AnyConnect VPN client to provide seamless protection for VPN and non-VPN traffic. Therefore, the functional difference between Cisco AMP for Endpoints and Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client is that AMP for Endpoints stops and tracks malicious activity on hosts, and the Umbrella Roaming Client tracks only URL-based threats. References :=

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.1: Cisco AMP for Endpoints Overview

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.2: Cisco AMP for Endpoints Architecture and Components

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.3: Cisco AMP for Endpoints Installation and Configuration

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.4: Cisco AMP for Endpoints Analysis and Response

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.5: Cisco Umbrella Overview

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.6: Cisco Umbrella Architecture and Components

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.7: Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 3.8: Cisco Umbrella Policies and Reporting

Best Mobile Cybersecurity Solution - Cisco Umbrella

Cisco CloudLock is a cloud-native cloud access security broker (CASB) that helps you move to the cloud safely. It protects your cloud users, data, and apps. CloudLock’s simple, open, and automated approach uses APIs to manage the risks in your cloud app ecosystem. With CloudLock you can more easily combat data breaches while meeting compliance regulations1.

Cisco CloudLock provides the following features that meet the requirements of visibility into data transfers as well as protection against data exfiltration:

User security: Cloudlock uses advanced machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies based on multiple factors. It also identifies activities outside allowed countries and spots actions that seem to take place at impossible speeds across distances1.

Data security: Cloudlock’s data loss prevention (DLP) technology continuously monitors cloud environments to detect and secure sensitive information. It provides countless out-of-the-box policies as well as highly tunable custom policies. It also supports inline and out-of-band data inspection and blocking capabilities to protect sensitive data12.

App security: The Cloudlock Apps Firewall discovers and controls cloud apps connected to your corporate environment. You can see a crowd-sourced Community Trust Rating for individual apps, and you can ban or allowlist them based on risk1.

The other solutions do not provide the same level of visibility and protection as Cisco CloudLock:

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-delivered network security service that provides DNS-layer security, secure web gateway, cloud-delivered firewall, cloud access security broker, and threat intelligence3. It does not offer data security features such as DLP, data inspection, and data blocking4.

Cisco AppDynamics Cloud Monitoring is a cloud-native application performance management solution that helps you monitor, troubleshoot, and optimize your cloud applications. It does not offer user security, data security, or app security features as a CASB solution.

Cisco Stealthwatch is a network traffic analysis solution that provides visibility and threat detection across your network, endpoints, and cloud. It does not offer data security features such as DLP, data inspection, and data blocking.

 3: Cisco Umbrella Packages - Cisco Umbrella 1: Cisco Cloudlock - Cisco 2: Cisco Cloudlock Cisco Cloudlock: Secure Cloud Data 4: Easy to Deploy & Simple to Manage CASB Solution - Cisco Umbrella : Cisco AppDynamics Cloud Monitoring : Cisco Stealthwatch - Cisco

Explanation

In this IaaS model, cloud providers offer resources to users/machines that include computers as virtual

machines, raw (block) storage, firewalls, load balancers, and network devices.

Note: Cloud access security broker (CASB) provides visibility and compliance checks, protects data against misuse and exfiltration, and provides threat protections against malware such as ransomware.

Explanation

Explanation

Easy Connect simplifies network access control and segmentation by allowing the assignment of Security

Group Tags to endpoints without requiring 802.1X on those endpoints, whether using wired or wireless

connectivity.

Talos Intelligence is a comprehensive threat intelligence service that provides up-to-date information on URL filtering, reputations, and vulnerability information. Talos Intelligence can be integrated with Cisco FTD and Cisco WSA to enhance the security and visibility of the network. Cisco FTD and Cisco WSA can leverage the Talos Intelligence feeds to perform Security Intelligence filtering, which allows the devices to block or allow traffic based on the reputation of the source or destination IP addresses, URLs, or DNS requests. Talos Intelligence feeds are updated regularly and can be configured to download automatically or manually on the FTD and WSA devices12345. References := 1: Cisco Talos Intelligence Group - Comprehensive Threat Intelligence 2: Threat Intelligence on Cisco Stealthwatch - Cisco Community 3: Third-Party Integration of Security Feeds with FMC (Cisco Threat … - Cisco Community 4: Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Configuration Guide for Firepower Device … 5: Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Configuration Guide for Firepower Device …

Explanation

You can configure discovery rules to tailor the discovery of host and application data to your needs.

The Firepower System can use data from NetFlow exporters to generate connection and discovery events, and to add host and application data to the network map.

A network analysis policy governs how traffic is decoded and preprocessed so it can be further evaluated, especially for anomalous traffic that might signal an intrusion attempt -> Answer D is not correct.

Cisco CWS eliminates the need to backhaul traffic through headquarters for remote workers whereas Cisco WSA does not. Cisco CWS is a cloud-based web security service that provides comprehensive protection against web-based threats for users anywhere, on any device1. Cisco WSA is an on-premises web security appliance that provides web filtering, malware scanning, data loss prevention, and other features for users within the network perimeter2. One of the benefits of using Cisco CWS over Cisco WSA is that it eliminates the need to backhaul traffic through headquarters for remote workers, which can reduce bandwidth costs, latency, and complexity3. Remote workers can connect directly to the nearest Cisco CWS data center and receive the same level of web security as if they were in the office. Cisco WSA, on the other hand, requires remote workers to use a VPN or proxy to route their web traffic through the headquarters, which can affect their performance and user experience. References:

1: Cisco Cloud Web Security Data Sheet

2: Cisco Secure Web Appliance Data Sheet

3: Cisco Cloud Web Security: Comprehensive Defense, Advanced Threat Protection, and Superior Flexibility for Your Business

: Cisco Cloud Web Security: How It Works

: Cisco Cloud Web Security: FAQ

The Cisco Endpoint IoC feature is a powerful incident response tool for scanning of post-compromise indicators across multiple computers. Endpoint IoCs are imported through the console from OpenIOC-based files written to trigger on file properties such as name, size, hash, and other attributes and system properties such as process information, running services, and Windows Registry entries. The IoC syntax can be used by incident responders to find specific artifacts or use logic to create sophisticated, correlated detections for families of malware. Endpoint IoCs have the advantage of being portable to share within your organization or in industry vertical forums and mailing lists. The Endpoint IoC scanner is available in AMP for Endpoints Windows Connector versions 4 and higher. Running Endpoint IoC scans may require up to 1 GB of free drive space. The Endpoint IoC feature is based on the openioc.com framework, which is an open standard for sharing threat intelligence. References:

Cisco Endpoint IOC Attributes, User Guide

What Are Indicators of Compromise (IOC)? - Cisco, Security Indicators of Compromise

General questions about AMP - Cisco Community, Post by Cisco Employee

Explanation

Explanation

NetFlow is a network protocol developed by Cisco for the collection and monitoring of network traffic flow data

generated by NetFlow-enabled routers and switches. The flows do not contain actual packet data, but rather the

metadata for communications. It is a standard form of session data that details who, what, when, and where of

network traffic -> Answer A is not correct.

Explanation

Explanation

Other features are dependent on SSL Decryption functionality, which requires the Cisco Umbrella root

certificate. Having the SSL Decryption feature improves:

Custom URL Blocking—Required to block the HTTPS version of a URL.

…

Umbrella’s Block Page and Block Page Bypass features present an SSL certificate to browsers that make

connections to HTTPS sites. This SSL certificate matches the requested site but will be signed by the Cisco Umbrella certificate authority (CA). If the CA is not trusted by your browser, an error page may be displayed.

Typical errors include “The security certificate presented by this website was not issued by a trusted certificate authority” (Internet Explorer), “The site’s security certificate is not trusted!” (Google Chrome) or “This

Connection is Untrusted” (Mozilla Firefox). Although the error page is expected, the message displayed can be confusing and you may wish to prevent it from appearing.

To avoid these error pages, install the Cisco Umbrella root certificate into your browser or the browsers of your users—if you’re a network admin.

The cloud security shared responsibility model is a way of describing how the security tasks and obligations are divided between the cloud service provider (CSP) and the customer, depending on the type of cloud service model used. The cloud service models are:

Software as a Service (SaaS): The CSP provides and manages the entire software stack, including the applications, data, runtime, middleware, operating system, virtualization, servers, storage, and networking. The customer only needs to access the software through a web browser or an application. The customer is responsible for managing their own data and identities, as well as configuring the security settings of the software. The CSP is responsible for everything else, including patching the operating system and the applications12

Platform as a Service (PaaS): The CSP provides and manages the platform layer, including the runtime, middleware, operating system, virtualization, servers, storage, and networking. The customer can deploy and run their own applications and data on the platform, using the tools and languages supported by the CSP. The customer is responsible for managing their own applications and data, as well as configuring the security settings of the platform. The CSP is responsible for patching the operating system and the middleware12

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The CSP provides and manages the infrastructure layer, including the virtualization, servers, storage, and networking. The customer can provision and use virtual machines, containers, or bare metal servers, and install their own operating system, middleware, applications, and data. The customer is responsible for managing and patching their own operating system, middleware, applications, and data, as well as configuring the security settings of the infrastructure. The CSP is responsible for the physical security and availability of the infrastructure12

References := 1: Shared responsibility in the cloud - Microsoft Azure 2: Cloud security shared responsibility model - NCSC

Explanation

Explanation

Cisco Cloudlock: Secure your cloud users, data, and applications with the cloud-native Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) and cloud cybersecurity platform.

Cisco Security Intelligence is a feature that allows you to block or monitor traffic based on IP addresses or domain names that are known to be malicious or suspicious. Cisco Security Intelligence requires a Protect license on the Cisco Next Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS), which is part of the Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) software. A Protect license allows you to perform intrusion detection and prevention, file control, and Security Intelligence filtering1. The other license options (control, malware, and URL filtering) do not enable Cisco Security Intelligence on the NGIPS. References:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, section “Security Intelligence”

Firepower Management Center Configuration Guide, Version 6.0, section “Licensing the Firepower System”

Explanation

Explanation

A teardrop attack is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack that involves sending fragmented packets to a target

machine. Since the machine receiving such packets cannot reassemble them due to a bug in TCP/IP

fragmentation reassembly, the packets overlap one another, crashing the target network device. This generally happens on older operating systems such as Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, Windows NT and versions of the Linux kernel prior to 2.1.63.

Explanation

There are two possible methods to accomplish the redirection of traffic to Cisco WSA: transparent proxy mode and explicit proxy mode.

In a transparent proxy deployment, a WCCP v2-capable network device redirects all TCP traffic with a

destination of port 80 or 443 to Cisco WSA, without any configuration on the client. The transparent proxy

deployment is used in this design, and the Cisco ASA firewall is used to redirect traffic to the appliance because all of the outbound web traffic passes through the device and is generally managed by the same operations staff who manage Cisco WSA.

 Cisco Workload Optimization Manager (CWOM) is a decision-automation engine that provides workloads with the exact resources they need at the right time in accordance with business policies, freeing IT teams to focus on innovation rather than the maintenance of their IT environment1. CWOM is part of the Cisco SecureX platform, which integrates various security solutions, including endpoint protection platforms (EPPs), to provide a unified and simplified security experience2. CWOM does not deploy an AWS Lambda system, optimize a flow path, or set up a workload forensic score. These are not related to CWOM’s functionality or EPP solutions. CWOM automates resource resizing, which means it can dynamically adjust the CPU, memory, disk, and network resources allocated to each workload based on real-time demand and performance metrics1. This helps EPP solutions to solely address performance issues by ensuring that workloads have the optimal resources to run efficiently and securely, without overprovisioning or underutilizing resources3. References: 1: Cisco Workload Optimization Manager (CWOM) - Cisco, 2: Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Definition - Cisco, 3: Cisco Intersight Workload Optimizer Data Sheet

Explanation

Explanation

Denial-of-service (DDoS) aims at shutting down a network or service, causing it to be inaccessible to its

intended users.

The Smurf attack is a DDoS attack in which large numbers of Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)

packets with the intended victim’s spoofed source IP are broadcast to a computer network using an IP

broadcast address.

Explanation

To understand DHCP snooping we need to learn about DHCP spoofing attack first.

DHCP spoofing is a type of attack in that the attacker listens for DHCP Requests from clients and answers them with fake DHCP Response before the authorized DHCP Response comes to the clients. The fake DHCP Response often gives its IP address as the client default gateway -> all the traffic sent from the client will go through the attacker computer, the attacker becomes a “man-in-the-middle”.

The attacker can have some ways to make sure its fake DHCP Response arrives first. In fact, if the attacker is “closer” than the DHCP Server then he doesn’t need to do anything. Or he can DoS the DHCP Server so that it can’t send the DHCP Response.

DHCP snooping can prevent DHCP spoofing attacks. DHCP snooping is a Cisco Catalyst feature that

determines which switch ports can respond to DHCP requests. Ports are identified as trusted and untrusted.

Only ports that connect to an authorized DHCP server are trusted, and allowed to send all types of DHCP

messages. All other ports on the switch are untrusted and can send only DHCP requests. If a DHCP response

is seen on an untrusted port, the port is shut down.

Explanation

Explanation

Cisco Firepower NGFW Virtual (NGFWv) is the virtualized version of Cisco’s Firepower next generation firewall.

The Cisco NGFW virtual appliance is available in the AWS and Azure marketplaces. In AWS, it can be

deployed in routed and passive modes. Passive mode design requires ERSPAN, the Encapsulated Remote Switched Port Analyzer, which is currently not available in Azure.

In passive mode, NGFWv inspects packets like an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) appliance, but no action can be taken on the packet.

In routed mode NGFWv acts as a next hop for workloads. It can inspect packets and also take action on the packet based on rule and policy definitions.

 To add switches into the fabric, administrators can use PowerOn Auto Provisioning (POAP) or Seed IP methods. POAP is a feature that automates the process of upgrading software images and installing configuration files on Cisco switches that are being deployed in the network for the first time. Seed IP is a method that allows administrators to specify the IP address of a switch that is already part of the fabric, and then use it to discover and add other switches that are connected to it. Both methods enable administrators to control how switches are added into DCNM for private cloud management. References:

POAP, section “PowerOn Auto Provisioning (POAP)”.

Seed IP, section “Add Switches”.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/ise/1-4-1/admin_guide/b_ise_admin_guide_141/b_ise_admin_guide_141_chapter_01110.html

Explanation

In order to use AAA along with an external token authentication mechanism, set the “Method” as “Both” in

the Authentication.

Explanation

CoA Messages are sent on two different udp ports depending on the platform. Cisco standardizes on UDP port

1700, while the actual RFC calls out using UDP port 3799.

To prevent rogue NTP servers from inserting themselves as the authoritative time source, the administrator needs to configure NTP authentication and specify the interface for syncing to the NTP server. NTP authentication allows the ASA to verify the identity and integrity of the NTP packets received from the server, using a shared secret key. Specifying the interface for syncing to the NTP server ensures that the ASA uses the correct source address for sending and receiving NTP packets, and avoids potential routing issues. The other options are not required or relevant for this task. Specifying the NTP version is optional and does not affect security. Configuring the NTP stratum is only applicable for NTP servers, not clients. The ASA can only act as an NTP client, not a server. Setting the NTP DNS hostname is not recommended, as it introduces a dependency on DNS resolution and may cause synchronization problems if the DNS server changes the IP address of the NTP server. References :=

Some possible references are:

Configure NTP Authentication on Secure Network Analytics

CLI Book 1: Cisco ASA Series General Operations CLI Configuration Guide, 9.6 - Basic Settings

Cisco ASA NTP and Clock Configuration with Examples

The W32/AutoRun worm is a type of malware that spreads through removable drives, such as USB flash drives, and modifies the autorun.inf file to execute itself when the drive is inserted. The worm also attempts to connect to a remote server and download additional malicious files. One of the features of this worm is that it generates random domain names based on the current date and time, and sends DNS requests to these domains. This is a technique to evade detection and analysis, as well as to communicate with the command and control server. The DNS requests generated by the worm have a distinctive pattern, such as the length of the domain name, the number of subdomains, and the use of redacted characters. By comparing these features to the expected behavior of normal DNS requests, security analysts can identify the presence of the worm and block its traffic. References :=

Some possible references are:

W32/AutoRun worm

DNS requests malicious attack

Four major DNS attack types and how to mitigate them

Explanation

Explanation

Cisco’s DNA Center is the only centralized network management system to bring all of this functionality into a single pane of glass.

NetFlow is a baseline form of telemetry that is recommended for network infrastructure devices. NetFlow is a technology that collects and exports information about IP traffic flows on enabled interfaces. NetFlow can provide valuable insight into the network performance, utilization, behavior, and security. NetFlow can help identify anomalies, such as DDoS attacks, malware, or misconfigurations, by comparing the current traffic patterns with the normal or baseline ones. NetFlow can also help with capacity planning, troubleshooting, and forensic analysis. NetFlow is supported on various Cisco platforms, such as routers, switches, firewalls, and IPS sensors. NetFlow can export data to different collectors and analyzers, such as Cisco Security Monitoring, Analysis and Response System (CS-MARS), Cisco Traffic Anomaly Detectors and Cisco Guard DDoS Mitigation Appliances, Cisco Network Analysis Module (NAM), and other third-party tools. References:

 The Cisco Umbrella package that supports selective proxy for inspection of traffic from risky domains is SIG Advantage. SIG stands for Secure Internet Gateway, and it is a cloud-based service that provides comprehensive web security and threat intelligence. SIG Advantage includes all the features of DNS Security Advantage, such as DNS-layer protection, intelligent proxy, and cloud-delivered firewall, plus additional features such as full proxy, SSL decryption, advanced malware protection, and data loss prevention. Selective proxy is a feature that allows Umbrella to route risky domain requests to a proxy for deeper URL and file inspection, without impacting the performance or latency of legitimate traffic. Selective proxy is based on the reputation of the domains, which are classified into three categories: good, bad, and grey. Good domains are allowed without proxying, bad domains are blocked at the DNS layer, and grey domains are proxied for further inspection. Selective proxy is available in both DNS Security Advantage and SIG Advantage packages, but only SIG Advantage offers full proxy for all web traffic, which provides more granular control and visibility over web transactions and file types. References:

Cisco Umbrella Packages

Why Umbrella DNS Security?

Manage the Intelligent Proxy

Cisco Umbrella - Selected Proxy versus Full Proxy

Explanation

We choose “Chat and Instant Messaging” category in “URL Category”:

To block certain URLs we need to choose URL Reputation from 6 to 10.

The function of the crypto is a kmp key cisc406397954 address 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 command when establishing an IPsec VPN tunnel is to configure the pre-shared authentication key. This command specifies the key that will be used to authenticate the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) phase 1 negotiation between the IPsec peers. The key is associated with the address 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0, which means that it will apply to any peer that initiates or responds to the IKE negotiation. This is a common configuration for dynamic IPsec VPN scenarios, such as Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN) or Easy VPN, where the IP addresses of the peers are not known in advance. However, this is also a less secure configuration, as it exposes the VPN server to potential brute-force attacks from any source. A more secure configuration would be to specify the exact IP address or subnet of the peer, or to use certificates instead of pre-shared keys.

ESA stands for Email Security Appliance, which is a Cisco product that provides comprehensive email security solutions. ESA can be deployed in different modes, such as gateway, hybrid, or cloud, depending on the customer’s needs and preferences. One of the key components of ESA configuration is the listener, which is a service that listens for incoming SMTP connections on a specific port and interface. A listener can be configured to handle inbound or outbound email, or both, depending on the mail flow policies and sender groups that are applied to it.

One way to segregate inbound and outbound email on ESA is to use a pair of logical listeners on a single physical interface with two unique logical IPv4 addresses and one IPv6 address. This method allows the ESA to have two separate listeners for inbound and outbound email, each with its own IP address and mail flow policies, while using the same physical interface and port. This can simplify the network configuration and reduce the hardware requirements for ESA deployment. The IPv6 address can be used to support dual-stack IPv4 and IPv6 environments, or to provide redundancy in case of IPv4 address exhaustion.

The other options are incorrect because:

A is false, as one listener on a single physical interface cannot segregate inbound and outbound email, unless it uses different sender groups and mail flow policies for different hosts, which is not a recommended practice.

C is false, as pair of logical IPv4 listeners and a pair of IPv6 listeners on two physically separate interfaces is an unnecessary and complex configuration that does not provide any additional benefits over option B.

D is false, as one listener on one logical IPv4 address on a single logical interface cannot segregate inbound and outbound email, unless it uses different sender groups and mail flow policies for different hosts, which is not a recommended practice.

Explanation

Explanation

Customers must manage applications and data in PaaS.

A CoA request is a network protocol message used in the context of network access control and authentication systems. It is typically employed in scenarios where a user’s access privileges or attributes need to be modified during an active network session. CoA requests are commonly used in conjunction with the RADIUS protocol, which is widely used for managing user authentication and authorization in network environments. When a CoA request is initiated, it is sent by a network access server (NAS) to a RADIUS server to request a change in the user’s authorization state or attributes. The CoA request contains information specifying the desired change, such as granting additional access privileges, revoking existing privileges, modifying session parameters, or updating user attributes. The RADIUS server processes the CoA request and applies the necessary changes to the user’s session in real-time, allowing dynamic adjustments to the user’s authorization and network access. CoA requests are often utilized in scenarios where an administrator needs to promptly update a user’s access rights without requiring them to terminate their current session. This flexibility is particularly valuable in environments that demand fine-grained access control or where access privileges need to be adjusted based on changing circumstances or policies. References :=

Some possible references for this answer are:

RADIUS Change of Authorization - Cisco

What is a CoA Request? - Portnox

RADIUS Change of Authorization: Explained - Cloud RADIUS

Explanation

The Cisco Umbrella Multi-Org console has the ability to upload, store, and archive traffic activity logs from your organizations’ Umbrella dashboards to the cloud through Amazon S3. CSV formatted Umbrella logs are compressed (gzip) and uploaded every ten minutes so that there’s a minimum of delay between traffic from the organization’s Umbrella dashboard being logged and then being available to download from an S3 bucket.

By having your organizations’ logs uploaded to an S3 bucket, you can then download logs automatically to keep in perpetuity in backup storage.

The main difference between an on-premise solution and a cloud-based solution is the distribution of responsibilities between the customer and the provider. With an on-premise solution, the customer has full control over the installation, configuration, maintenance, and security of the product, but also bears the costs and risks associated with it. With a cloud-based solution, the provider takes care of most of these aspects, while the customer pays a subscription fee and accesses the product over the internet. Therefore, when choosing between the two options, the customer must consider factors such as cost, scalability, performance, availability, security, compliance, and customization. For example, an on-premise solution may be preferred if the customer has strict security or regulatory requirements, or needs a high level of customization. A cloud-based solution may be preferred if the customer wants to reduce capital expenditure, or needs a flexible and scalable solution that can adapt to changing demands. References :=

Some possible references are:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1: Describing Information Security Concepts, Topic: Cloud Security

350-701 SCOR - Cisco, Exam Topics, 1.0 Security Concepts, 1.6 Compare and contrast the characteristics of a data center and the cloud

Cloud vs. On-Premise Software Comparison

Explanation

TAXII (Trusted Automated Exchange of Indicator Information) is a standard that provides a transport

https://confluence.netvizura.com/display/NVUG/Traditional+vs.+Flexible+NetFlow

Explanation

SSL Decryption is an important part of the Umbrella Intelligent Proxy. he feature allows the Intelligent Proxy to go beyond simply inspecting normal URLs and actually proxy and inspect traffic that’s sent over HTTPS. The SSL Decryption feature does require the root certificate be installed.

The FMC and managed devices communicate using a two-way, SSL-encrypted communication channel, which by default is on port 8305.

Cisco strongly recommends that you keep the default settings for the remote management port, but if the

management port conflicts with other communications on your network, you can choose a different port. If you change the management port, you must change it for all devices in your deployment that need to communicate with each other.

 To enable CWA for wireless guest access, the ISE engineer needs to configure the following steps on the ISE server:

Create a guest portal with the desired settings and appearance.

Create an authorization profile that references the guest portal and the DACL name for the Airespace ACL configured on the WLC. The DACL name must match the name of the ACL on the WLC exactly. The authorization profile also needs to have the common tasks of Web Redirection and Web Authentication enabled.

Create an authorization policy that matches the unauthenticated devices based on the MAC address or other criteria and applies the authorization profile created in the previous step.

The DACL name is required for the WLC to apply the correct ACL to the guest endpoints and redirect them to the guest portal. Without the DACL name, the WLC will not know which ACL to use and may grant full guest access to the endpoints. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

References :=

Some possible references are:

Central Web Authentication (CWA) for guests with ISE

Understand And Troubleshoot Central Web-Authentication (CWA) In Guest Anchor Set-Up

Cisco Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller Software Configuration Guide, Release 17.3.0 - Guest Access

 Cisco Duo is a multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution that verifies the identity of all users with Duo’s easy, one-tap-approval MFA app. It also provides device visibility and adaptive policies to ensure that only trusted devices can access corporate applications and networks. Some of the benefits of using Cisco Duo as an MFA solution are:

It provides a simple and streamlined login experience for multiple applications and users. Users can access all their applications from a single dashboard, and authenticate with a simple push notification or other convenient methods. Duo also supports single sign-on (SSO) for integrated applications, reducing the need for multiple passwords and logins12.

It offers native integration that helps secure applications across multiple cloud platforms or on-premises environments. Duo can be easily integrated with most major apps and custom applications, enabling a secure access solution that can be implemented with minimal IT involvement. Duo also supports various protocols and standards, such as SAML, RADIUS, LDAP, and WebAuthn, to enable seamless integration with different environments13.

 1: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) | Duo Security 2: Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) | Duo Security - Cisco 3: What Is Duo? Two-Factor Authentication From Cisco - Cisco

ISE posture assessment allows you to inspect the security “health” of your PC and MAC clients. This includes checking for the installation, running state, and last update for security software, such as anti-virus, anti-malware, personal firewall, and so on1. Windows service and Windows firewall are examples of such security software that can be checked by ISE posture assessment. Computer identity and user identity are not conditions that can be checked by ISE posture assessment, as they are related to authentication and authorization, not security posture. Default browser is also not a condition that can be checked by ISE posture assessment, as it is not a security software or a security risk. References: 1: Chapter 15. Device Posture Assessment - Cisco ISE for BYOD and Secure Unified Access, 3

The crypto isakmp key command is used to configure a preshared key for ISAKMP authentication between two peers. The address 0.0.0.0 indicates that the key is valid for any peer address. Therefore, the same command must be entered on hostB with the same password in order to establish the tunnel with hostA. Changing the protocol to ikev2, using a different password, or changing the password to the default will not solve the problem, as they will create a mismatch in the authentication parameters. References:

Dynamic Multipoint VPN Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS Release 15M&T, section “Prerequisites for Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN)”

DMVPN - Concepts & Configuration, section “DMVPN - What is it?”

DMVPN Hub as the CA Server for the DMVPN Network Configuration Example, section “Prerequisites”

GETVPN and IPsec are both VPN technologies that use ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload) to encrypt and authenticate data packets. However, they differ in the following aspects:

GETVPN uses a group IPSec security paradigm, which means that all group members share the same IPSec SA (Security Association) and can communicate with each other without having to establish point-to-point tunnels. IPsec, on the other hand, uses a pair-wise IPSec security paradigm, which requires each pair of devices to negotiate and maintain their own IPSec SAs and tunnels.

GETVPN uses GDOI (Group Domain of Interpretation) as a key management protocol, which allows a Key Server (KS) to distribute the encryption keys and policies to all group members. IPsec uses IKE (Internet Key Exchange) as a key management protocol, which involves two phases of negotiation between each pair of devices to establish the IPSec SAs.

GETVPN supports multicast traffic without the need for GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) tunneling, as it preserves the original IP header of the packet. IPsec does not support multicast traffic natively, and requires GRE tunneling to encapsulate the multicast packets with a new IP header.

GETVPN relies on the underlying WAN routing to deliver the encrypted packets to the destination, as it does not create any overlay routing. IPsec creates an overlay routing, which may introduce additional latency and complexity.

References :=

Some possible references are:

[Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0], Module 6: Secure Connectivity, Lesson 6.2: Implementing Site-to-Site VPNs, Topic 6.2.2: Group Encrypted Transport VPN

Group Encrypted Transport VPN (GETVPN)

GETVPN - Cisco Community

Cisco Get VPN vs DMVPN: Difference and Comparison

What is a difference between GETVPN and IPsec?

Explanation

Diffie Hellman (DH) uses a private-public key pair to establish a shared secret, typically a symmetric key. DH is not a symmetric algorithm – it is an asymmetric algorithm used to establish a shared secret for a symmetric key algorithm.

Microsegmentation is a network security strategy that breaks a network into smaller network “segments” to boost security and control over data traffic1. Unlike traditional network security, which primarily defends the network’s outer boundaries, microsegmentation focuses on securing individual workloads and devices within the network2. Microsegmentation uses an allow-list model to significantly reduce the attack surface across different workload types and environments3. Microsegmentation is also referred to as application segmentation or east-west segmentation in a multicloud data center4.

Option B is the correct description of microsegmentation, as it captures the essence of applying a zero-trust model and specifying how applications on different servers or containers can communicate. Option A is incorrect, as deploying a container orchestration platform is not a sufficient condition for microsegmentation. Option C is incorrect, as deploying host-based firewall rules is not a necessary condition for microsegmentation. Option D is incorrect, as implementing private VLAN segmentation is a different technique from microsegmentation. References: An Introduction to Microsegmentation in Network Security. What Is Micro-Segmentation? - Cisco. What Is Microsegmentation? - Palo Alto Networks. What Is Microsegmentation in Networking? Beginner’s Guide.

Explanation

DTLS is used for delay sensitive applications (voice and video) as its UDP based while TLS is TCP based.

Therefore DTLS offers strongest throughput performance. The throughput of DTLS at the time of AnyConnect connection can be expected to have processing performance close to VPN throughput.

Explanation

Cloud computing can be broken into the following three basic models:

+ Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS describes a cloud solution where you are renting infrastructure. You purchase virtual power to execute your software as needed. This is much like running a virtual server on your own equipment, except you are now running a virtual server on a virtual disk. This model is similar to a utility company model because you pay for what you use.

+ Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS provides everything except applications. Services provided by this

model include all phases of the system development life cycle (SDLC) and can use application programming interfaces (APIs), website portals, or gateway software. These solutions tend to be proprietary, which can cause problems if the customer moves away from the provider’s platform.

+ Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS is designed to provide a complete packaged solution. The software is rented out to the user. The service is usually provided through some type of front end or web portal. While the end user is free to use the service from anywhere, the company pays a peruse fee.

Cisco ISE uses probes to collect endpoint attributes that are used in profiling. Probes are software modules that run on the ISE Policy Service Nodes (PSNs) and gather information about the endpoints connected to the network. Probes can use various protocols and methods to collect endpoint attributes, such as RADIUS, DHCP, SNMP, HTTP, DNS, NetFlow, NMAP, Active Directory, and Cisco pxGrid. The collected attributes are then matched to predefined or custom conditions that define the endpoint profiles. Endpoint profiling enables ISE to identify and classify the endpoints and apply the appropriate policies based on their identity, role, and context12. References: 1: Cisco ISE 2.4 Endpoint Profiling - Cisco 2: How To Create an Endpoint Profile - Cisco Community

MAB is a fallback mechanism for IEEE 802.1X that allows network access based on the MAC address of the endpoint. However, MAB does not prevent MAC address spoofing, which is a technique used by attackers to impersonate authorized devices and bypass authentication. To mitigate this risk, two catalyst switch security features can be used in conjunction with MAB: 802.1AE MacSec and port security.

802.1AE MacSec is a standard that provides encryption and integrity protection for data frames between two MACsec-capable devices. MacSec also uses a secure key exchange protocol called MKA (MACsec Key Agreement) to establish and maintain cryptographic keys between the peers. By enabling MacSec on the switch ports, the switch can verify the identity and authenticity of the endpoints and prevent unauthorized access or tampering with the data frames.

Port security is a feature that allows the switch to limit the number and type of MAC addresses that can access a port. Port security can be configured to allow only a specific MAC address or a maximum number of MAC addresses per port. Port security can also be configured to take an action when a violation occurs, such as shutting down the port, sending a trap, or dropping packets. By enabling port security on the switch ports, the switch can prevent multiple devices from accessing the same port or deny access to devices with spoofed MAC addresses.

 Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) for Endpoints is a cloud-based solution that provides endpoint protection against malware and advanced threats. It can be deployed in different architectures depending on the customer’s needs and preferences. One of the deployment options is the private cloud, which is designed to keep data within a network perimeter. In this option, the customer hosts the AMP for Endpoints console and the AMP cloud on their own infrastructure, and the endpoints connect to the private cloud for analysis and policy enforcement. This option provides more control and privacy over the data, but also requires more resources and maintenance from the customer. The other deployment options are the public cloud, which uses the Cisco-hosted AMP cloud and console, and the hybrid cloud, which uses a combination of the public and private clouds123 References: 1: Protecting Against Malware Threats with Cisco AMP for Endpoints (SSFAMP) course overview 2: Cisco Secure Endpoint (Formerly AMP for Endpoints) - Cisco 3: Cisco Advanced Malware Protection for Endpoints - Zones

create an application control blocked applications list. This option allows you to specify a list of files that you want to prevent from running on the endpoints that have the AMP connector installed. The files are identified by their SHA-256 hashes, and you can upload them individually or in a batch. The files are not quarantined, but they are blocked from execution and reported as events in the AMP console1. This option is different from the simple custom detection list, which is used to detect and quarantine specific files that are considered malicious2. The advanced custom detection list is also used to detect and quarantine files, but it allows you to specify more criteria such as file size, file name, and file path3. The IP block and allow lists are used to control the network traffic to and from the endpoints, not the file execution4. References: 1: Configure Application Control on the AMP for Endpoints Portal 2: Configure a Simple Custom Detection List on the AMP for Endpoints Portal 3: [Configure an Advanced Custom Detection List on the AMP for Endpoints Portal] 4: [Configure IP Block and Allow Lists on the AMP for Endpoints Portal]

The Python script in the exhibit uses the Cisco AMP for Endpoints API to get information about the computers in the deployment. It imports the requests library, which allows it to make HTTP requests. It then defines three variables: client_id, api_key, and url. These are used to authenticate and access the API endpoint. The url is set to ‘1’, which returns a list of computers in JSON format. The script then makes a GET request using the requests.get() method, passing the url and the authentication details as parameters. The response from the API is stored in the response variable, and converted to JSON using the response.json() method. The script then loops over each computer in the ‘data’ field of the JSON response, using a for loop. Inside the loop, it extracts the hostname of each computer using the ‘hostname’ key, and prints it using the print() function. Therefore, the script will pull all computer hostnames and print them, which is option C. References:

Overview of the Cisco AMP for Endpoints API

Secure Endpoint API - Cisco DevNet

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0

The switch port MAC address security setting that must be used is sticky. This option allows the switch to dynamically learn the MAC addresses of the devices connected to the port and add them to the running configuration. If the port is shut down or the switch is restarted, the MAC addresses remain associated with the port and are not aged out. This way, the engineer can limit the number of MAC addresses per port and prevent unauthorized devices from accessing the network. The sticky option also allows the engineer to manually configure some MAC addresses and let the switch learn the rest. References:

Configuring Port Security - Cisco (Section: Allowing Traffic Based on the Host MAC Address)

How to configure port-security on Cisco Switch - NetworkLessons.com (Section: Sticky MAC addresses)

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 (Module 5.1.1)

The access control rule in the exhibit has the following characteristics:

The rule name is DMZ_Rule and it is enabled.

The action set for this rule is Trust, meaning traffic matching this rule will not be subjected to further inspection.

The source zones are not specified, meaning any zone can match this rule.

The destination zone is DMZ_Inside, meaning only traffic destined to this zone can match this rule.

Therefore, the effect of this rule is that all traffic from any zone to the DMZ_Inside zone will be permitted with no further inspection. This is the correct answer, option A.

The other options are incorrect because they do not match the configuration of the rule or the behavior of the Trust action. Option B is incorrect because traffic will be allowed through to the DMZ_Inside zone, not blocked. Option C is incorrect because traffic will not be inspected before being allowed to the DMZ_Inside zone. Option D is incorrect because traffic does not need to be trusted to be allowed to the DMZ_Inside zone. References:

Firepower Management Center Configuration Guide, Version 6.6 - Access Control Rules

Firepower Management Center Device Configuration Guide, 7.1 - Access Control Policies

How to Deploy FMC/FTD part 2 – Access Control Policies

 Firepower NGIPS inline deployment mode is a mode where the NGIPS device is placed in the traffic path and can take actions such as blocking, modifying, or redirecting traffic based on the policies and rules. In this mode, the NGIPS device must have inline interface pairs configured, which are pairs of physical or logical interfaces that act as a single logical interface. The inline interface pairs are connected to the network devices on both sides of the NGIPS device, and the traffic flows through the NGIPS device from one interface to the other. The NGIPS device can inspect and modify the traffic as it passes through the inline interface pairs12. References := 1: Firepower Management Center Configuration Guide, Version 6.6 - Device Management Basics 2: Configure FTD Interfaces in Inline-Pair Mode

Explanation

The telemetry information consists of three types of data:

+ Flow information: This information contains details about endpoints, protocols, ports, when the flow started,

how long the flow was active, etc.

+ Interpacket variation: This information captures any interpacket variations within the flow. Examples include

variation in Time To Live (TTL), IP and TCP flags, payload length, etc

+ Context details: Context information is derived outside the packet header. It includes details about variation in buffer utilization, packet drops within a flow, association with tunnel endpoints, etc.

The service password-encryption command is used to encrypt all passwords in the router configuration file, such as the enable password, the console password, the vty password, and the username password. This command prevents credentials from being seen if the router configuration was compromised, for example, by an attacker who gained access to the router or the backup files. The encryption used by this command is a weak algorithm that can be easily reversed, but it provides some level of protection against casual observers1.

The other commands are not used to encrypt passwords in the router configuration file. The username privilege 15 password and the username password commands are used to create local user accounts with or without administrative privileges, respectively. These commands store the passwords in clear text unless the service password-encryption command is enabled2. The service password-recovery command is used to enable or disable the password recovery mechanism on the router. This command does not affect the encryption of passwords in the configuration file3.

References := 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.2: Securing Network Devices, Topic 1.2.1: Device Hardening, page 1-14. 2: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.2: Securing Network Devices, Topic 1.2.2: Management Plane Security, page 1-17. 3: Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference, Release 12.2, Chapter: service password-recovery, page 1.

 TAXII, short for Trusted Automated eXchange of Intelligence Information, is a protocol that defines how cyber threat information can be shared via services and message exchanges. It is designed specifically to support STIX information, which is a standardized language for expressing and exchanging cyber threat information. TAXII enables organizations to share STIX information by defining an API that aligns with common sharing models, such as hub and spoke, source/subscriber, and peer-to-peer. TAXII also defines four services that allow users to discover, manage, receive, and request STIX information. Therefore, TAXII supports STIX information and determines how threat intelligence information is relayed. TAXII does not determine the “what” of threat intelligence, as that is the role of STIX. TAXII does not allow users to describe threat motivations and abilities, as that is also part of STIX. TAXII does not exchange trusted anomaly intelligence information, as that is a specific type of threat intelligence that may or may not be represented in STIX. References:

What are STIX/TAXII Standards I Resources I Anomali

Cyber Threat Intelligence Technical Committee - GitHub Pages

Explanation

Cisco Umbrella protects users from accessing malicious domains by proactively analyzing and blocking unsafe destinations – before a connection is ever made. Thus it can protect from phishing attacks by blocking suspicious domains when users click on the given links that an attacker sent. Cisco Umbrella roaming protects your employees even when they are off the VPN.

Explanation

Only in On-site (on-premises) and IaaS we (tenant) manage O/S (Operating System).

Explanation

Explanation

To let FMC manages FTD, first we need to add manager from the FTD and assign a register key of your

choice. The command configure manager add 1.1.1.2 the_registration_key_you_want, where 1.1.1.2 is the IP

address of the FMC, you need to use the same registration key in FMC when adding this FTD as a managed

device.

Patching helps to mitigate vulnerabilities by applying fixes or updates to software or firmware that have known security flaws. Vulnerabilities can be exploited by cybercriminals to compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the IT systems and data. Patching endpoints consistently reduces the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches by closing the gaps that attackers can use to gain unauthorized access or cause damage. Patching also improves the performance and functionality of the IT systems by addressing bugs or errors12.

Option B is the correct answer, as it explains the main benefit of patching endpoints consistently. Option A is incorrect, as patching does not necessarily reduce the attack surface of the infrastructure, which is the total number of possible entry points for an attacker. Patching only addresses the existing vulnerabilities in the software or firmware, but does not eliminate the attack surface itself. Option C is incorrect, as patching is not always required per the vendor contract, although some vendors may provide support or incentives for patching. Option D is incorrect, as patching does not allow for creating a honeypot, which is a decoy system that is intentionally left vulnerable to lure and trap attackers. References: Patch Management Overview, Challenges, and Recommendations. Patch Management Explained: Challenges, Best Practices & Steps.

A DoS (Denial of Service) attack is a type of cyberattack that aims to disrupt the normal functioning of a server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a large amount of traffic or requests. A DoS attack typically uses a single computer or device to launch the attack, sending TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram Protocol) packets to the target server. TCP and UDP are two common protocols used to send data over the internet. TCP packets require a connection to be established between the sender and the receiver, and ensure that the data is delivered reliably and in order. UDP packets do not require a connection, and do not guarantee the delivery or order of the data. Both TCP and UDP packets can be used to flood a server with requests, consuming its resources and bandwidth, and preventing legitimate users from accessing the service.

A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a type of DoS attack that uses multiple computers or devices to launch the attack, creating a large network of attackers that can generate more traffic or requests than a single source. A DDoS attack often involves a botnet, which is a network of compromised computers or devices that are controlled by a malicious actor, usually through malware or hacking. The botnet can send TCP or UDP packets to the target server from different locations and IP addresses, making it harder to trace and block the attack. A DDoS attack can also target multiple servers or services that are distributed over a LAN (Local Area Network), such as a web hosting service or a cloud computing platform, affecting the availability and performance of the entire network.

The main difference between a DoS attack and a DDoS attack is the number and diversity of the sources that are involved in the attack. A DoS attack comes from a single source, while a DDoS attack comes from multiple sources. This makes a DDoS attack more powerful, faster, and harder to stop than a DoS attack.

Group Encrypted Transport VPN (GET VPN) is used to implement secure VPN connectivity among company branches over a private IP cloud with any-to-any scalable connectivity. GET VPN provides a way to encrypt traffic between sites without the need for point-to-point tunnels, supporting efficient, scalable, and secure communication across a broad network infrastructure.

Cisco ISE is a platform that can onboard the endpoint and can issue a CA signed certificate while also automatically configuring endpoint network settings to use the signed endpoint certificate, allowing the endpoint to gain network access. Cisco ISE has an internal CA service that can validate and sign certificate requests from endpoints, generate and store keys and certificates, and provide an OCSP responder to check the validity of certificates. Cisco ISE also supports Enrollment over Secure Transport (EST), which is a protocol that allows endpoints to securely enroll with a CA and obtain certificates. Cisco ISE can use EST to provision certificates to endpoints and configure their network settings to use EAP-TLS authentication. Cisco ISE can also use BYOD workflows to onboard endpoints and issue certificates to them. References:

Understand ISE Internal Certificate Authority Services

Endpoint On-boarding using Internal ISE CA

Cisco ISE BYOD Prescriptive Deployment Guide

REST stands for Representational State Transfer, which is an architectural style for designing web services. RESTful web services use HTTP as the application protocol and support the standard HTTP methods, such as GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE, to perform CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations on resources. Cisco DNA Center exposes its functionality through a set of RESTful APIs that allow external applications to interact with the network controller and automate various tasks. The RESTful architecture used within Cisco DNA Center has the following characteristics12:

It is simple, extensible, and secure to use. The APIs are based on open standards and use JSON as the data format. The APIs also support HTTPS for secure communication and authentication.

It is stateless, meaning that each request contains all the information necessary to process it, and the server does not store any session or client state. This improves scalability and performance of the web services.

It is resource-oriented, meaning that each API endpoint represents a logical entity or a resource that can be manipulated by the HTTP methods. For example, the /dna/intent/api/v1/network-device endpoint represents the network devices resource, and the GET method can be used to retrieve the list of network devices from Cisco DNA Center.

It is uniform, meaning that the same interface and conventions are used across all the APIs. For example, the APIs use the same authentication mechanism, error handling, pagination, filtering, and sorting parameters. References:

1: Introduction to Cisco DNA Center REST APIs - Cisco DevNet Learning Labs

2: Cisco DNA Center Platform User Guide, Release 2.2.3

Cisco AMP (Advanced Malware Protection) is a technology that provides a combination of endpoint protection, endpoint detection, and response. Cisco AMP protects endpoints from malware and other threats by using multiple prevention engines, including signatures, machine learning, and file reputation. Cisco AMP also continuously monitors and analyzes endpoint activity to detect malicious behavior and indicators of compromise. Cisco AMP can respond to threats by blocking, isolating, or removing malicious files, processes, or devices across the network. Cisco AMP leverages the cloud-based intelligence of Cisco Talos and Cisco Threat Grid to provide global threat visibility and analysis. Cisco AMP can also integrate with Cisco Umbrella and other security solutions to provide a comprehensive and unified approach to endpoint security. References:

Cisco Secure Endpoint (Formerly AMP for Endpoints)

Prevent, Detect and Respond with Cisco AMP for Endpoints

Provide State-of-the-Art Endpoint Protection as a Managed Service

Explanation

Explanation

Southbound APIs enable SDN controllers to dynamically make changes based on real-time demands and

scalability needs.

Traffic storm control is a feature that prevents LAN ports from being disrupted by a broadcast, multicast, or unicast traffic storm on physical interfaces. Traffic storm control monitors the level of each traffic type for which it is enabled in 1-second intervals and compares it with the configured threshold, which is a percentage of the total available bandwidth of the port. When the ingress traffic reaches the threshold, traffic storm control drops the traffic until the end of the interval. Traffic storm control uses the Individual/Group bit in the packet destination address to determine if the packet is unicast or broadcast. This bit is set to 0 for unicast addresses and 1 for multicast or broadcast addresses. Traffic storm control does not use the source address to classify the traffic type. References := Configuring Traffic Storm Control - Cisco, Understanding Cisco Traffic Storm Control - NetCraftsmen

Explanation

Cisco Hybrid Email Security is a unique service offering that combines a cloud-based email security deployment

with an appliance-based email security deployment (on premises) to provide maximum choice and control for

your organization. The cloud-based infrastructure is typically used for inbound email cleansing, while the onpremises appliances provide granular control – protecting sensitive information with data loss

prevention (DLP) and encryption technologies.

Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) is a security feature that validates ARP packets in a network. DAI allows a network administrator to intercept, log, and discard ARP packets with invalid MAC address to IP address bindings. This capability protects the network from certain “man-in-the-middle” attacks. DAI determines the validity of an ARP packet based on valid IP to MAC address bindings from the DHCP snooping binding database. DAI also supports static ARP ACLs for hosts with static IP addresses. DAI checks all ARP packets on untrusted interfaces, and only forwards the packets that have valid bindings. DAI can also rate-limit the ARP packets on untrusted interfaces to prevent DoS attacks. The other options are incorrect because:

B. In a typical network, DAI should be configured to make all ports as untrusted except for the ports connecting to trusted hosts or switches, which are trusted.

C. DAI does not associate a trust state with each switch, but with each interface on the switch.

D. DAI intercepts all ARP requests and responses on untrusted ports only, not on trusted ports. References :=

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst4500/12-2/25ew/configuration/guide/conf/dynarp.html

https://study-ccna.com/dynamic-arp-inspection-dai/

 IOS zone-based firewalls (ZBFW) are a feature that provides stateful firewall policies between groups of interfaces known as zones. A zone is a logical grouping of one or more interfaces that have similar security requirements. A zone can be applied to physical interfaces, subinterfaces, port channels, VLAN interfaces, or tunnel interfaces. However, an interface can be assigned only to one zone, and it cannot be shared between zones. This is because the ZBFW policy is applied between zones, not interfaces, and it controls the bidirectional traffic flow between them. Therefore, an interface can belong to only one zone at a time, and it must be removed from one zone before it can be added to another zone. This ensures that the firewall policy is consistent and unambiguous for each interface.

References :=

Security Configuration Guide: Zone-Based Policy Firewall, Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.12.x, Configuring Zones

Understand the Zone-Based Policy Firewall Design, Zone-Based Policy Overview

IOS Zone Based Firewall Step-by-Step Basic Configuration, Zone Based Firewall Vs CBAC

Cisco Stealthwatch is a network security and visibility platform that provides an agentless solution to monitor network traffic and detect threats, including those in encrypted traffic. Stealthwatch uses Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), a technology that leverages network telemetry and machine learning to identify malicious patterns and behaviors in encrypted traffic without decryption. ETA can also assess the cryptographic strength and compliance of the encryption protocols used in the network. Stealthwatch integrates with other Cisco security products, such as Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP), to provide contextual information and threat intelligence for faster and more effective response. Stealthwatch is the only Cisco platform that offers ETA as a solution to provide visibility across the network, including encrypted traffic analytics, to detect malware in encrypted traffic without the need for decryption. References :=

Some possible references are:

Cisco Secure Network Analytics (Stealthwatch) - Cisco, Cisco

Encrypted Traffic Analytics > Security | Cisco Press, Cisco Press

Solutions - Encrypted Traffic Analytics with the New Cisco Network and Secure Network Analytics At-a-Glance - Cisco, Cisco

Cisco Encrypted Traffic Analytics White Paper, Cisco

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) are both important components of an endpoint security strategy, but they have different goals and capabilities. EPP is designed to act as a preventive security measure, blocking known and unknown malware and malicious activity on endpoint devices using various techniques such as antivirus, data encryption, and data loss prevention. EPP solutions are mainly cloud-managed and assisted by cloud data, and use multiple detection engines such as signature-based, machine learning, and behavioral analysis. EPP solutions prevent breaches by leveraging threat intelligence and sandboxing capabilities to continuously protect endpoints from emerging threats12.

EDR, on the other hand, focuses on detecting and responding to advanced threats that have already evaded the front-line defenses and infiltrated the environment. EDR solutions provide continuous and comprehensive visibility into endpoint activity in real time, allowing security teams to quickly and effectively identify and remediate cyberattacks such as ransomware and fileless malware. EDR solutions offer advanced threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities, including incident data search and investigation, alert triage, suspicious activity validation, threat hunting, and malicious activity detection and containment. EDR solutions serve as a safety net to capture threats that go undetected by traditional antivirus software and uncover incidents that would otherwise remain invisible34.

Therefore, the primary difference between an EPP and an EDR is that EPP focuses on prevention, and EDR focuses on advanced threats that evade perimeter defenses. References: 1: Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Definition - Cisco 2: EPP vs. EDR: Why You Need Both - CrowdStrike 3: Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Definition - Cisco 4: EDR vs EPP: Why Should You Have to Choose? - Check Point Software

P2, P3, and P6 only. Dynamic ARP inspection (DAI) is a security feature that validates ARP packets in a network and prevents ARP spoofing attacks. DAI relies on the DHCP snooping database to verify the IP-to-MAC bindings of hosts on the network. DAI operates on untrusted ports, which are ports that connect to hosts or devices that generate ARP traffic. Trusted ports are ports that connect to other switches or routers that do not generate ARP traffic.

In this scenario, the DHCP snooping database resides on router R1, which means that switch SW2 needs to trust the port P3 that connects to R1. This way, SW2 can receive the DHCP snooping information from R1 and populate its own database. The port P4 that connects to switch SW3 also needs to be trusted, because SW3 does not generate ARP traffic. The ports P2 and P6 that connect to hosts P6 and P7 need to be untrusted, because they generate ARP traffic and need to be validated by DAI. The port P1 that connects to host P5 does not need to be configured as untrusted, because DAI is not enabled on switch SW1.

To understand the concept of DAI and how to configure it, you can refer to the following sections of the source book:

Section 1.1.2: Describe the concepts of network security

Section 1.1.2.8: Describe the concepts of DAI

Section 1.1.2.9: Describe the concepts of DHCP snooping

Section 1.1.2.10: Describe the concepts of trusted and untrusted ports

Section 1.1.2.11: Describe the concepts of DAI configuration