Explanation

A posture policy is a collection of posture requirements, which are associated with one or more identity groups, and operating systems. We can configure ISE to check for the Windows patch at Work Centers > Posture > Posture Elements > Conditions > File.

In this example, we are going to use the predefined file check to ensure that our Windows 10 clients have the critical security patch installed to prevent the Wanna Cry malware; and we can also configure ISE to update the client with this patch.

Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) is a product that provides comprehensive and scalable access policy enforcement for wired and wireless networks. ISE supports TACACS+ for device administration, which allows for granular control over the commands and actions that network administrators can perform on network devices. ISE also supports 802.1X, MAB, and WebAuth for network access, which enables authentication and authorization of users and endpoints based on various attributes, such as identity, device type, posture, location, and time. ISE can also integrate with other Cisco security products, such as Cisco Stealthwatch and Cisco AMP for Endpoints, to provide enhanced visibility and threat detection. Therefore, ISE is the product that meets all of the requirements stated in the question. References :=

Some possible references are:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 4: Secure Network Access, Identity Management, and Secure Access

TACACS+ Configuration Guide, Configuring TACACS

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.7, Device Administration

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.7, Network Access Devices

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.7, Policy Sets

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/

Cisco AMP for Endpoints is a next generation endpoint security solution that provides prevention, detection, and response capabilities. One of its functions is to automate threat responses of an infected host by isolating it from the network, blocking malicious files, and removing them from all endpoints. This reduces the time and effort required to contain and remediate a threat, and prevents further damage or data loss. According to the source book, Cisco AMP for Endpoints can perform the following automated responses1:

Endpoint Isolation: This feature allows you to isolate an endpoint from the network if it is compromised or infected. This prevents the endpoint from communicating with other devices or servers, and stops the spread of malware or exfiltration of data. You can isolate an endpoint manually from the console, or automatically based on a policy or a detection. You can also restore the network connectivity of an isolated endpoint when it is safe to do so.

File Blocking: This feature allows you to block a file from executing on any endpoint if it is deemed malicious or suspicious. You can block a file manually from the console, or automatically based on a policy or a detection. You can also unblock a file if it is a false positive or no longer a threat.

File Removal: This feature allows you to remove a file from any endpoint if it is malicious or unwanted. You can remove a file manually from the console, or automatically based on a policy or a detection. You can also restore a file from quarantine if it is a false positive or needed for analysis.

 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 6: Endpoint Protection and Detection, Lesson 6.2: Cisco AMP for Endpoints, Topic 6.2.3: Automated Responses.

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.

 SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is the most commonly used protocol for network telemetry. SNMP is a standard protocol that allows network devices to exchange management information1. SNMP agents run on network devices and collect data about their status, performance, configuration, and events. SNMP managers run on network management systems and query the agents for data or receive notifications from them. SNMP can also be used to configure or control network devices remotely2. SNMP is widely supported by various vendors and platforms, and it provides a simple and flexible way to monitor and manage networks3.

 1: What is SNMP? | Cisco 2: SNMP Basics: What is SNMP and How It Works | SolarWinds 3: Network Telemetry Explained: Frameworks, Applications & Standards | Splunk

 Retrospective security is a feature of Cisco AMP that enables continuous analysis and alerting of files and network activity, even after the initial point of inspection. It allows an engineer to look back in time and trace the processes, file activities, and communications of an endpoint that was infected by malware. This helps to understand the full extent of an infection, establish root causes, and perform remediation. Retrospective security is different from endpoint isolation, advanced search, and advanced investigation, which are other features of Cisco AMP that provide different capabilities. Endpoint isolation allows an engineer to isolate an endpoint from the network to prevent further spread of malware. Advanced search allows an engineer to query the AMP cloud database for information about files, endpoints, events, and trajectories. Advanced investigation allows an engineer to perform deep analysis of files and endpoints using Cisco Secure Malware Analytics (formerly Threat Grid). References :=

Some possible references are:

Malware Defense with Cisco Secure Firewall Data Sheet

Best Practice Guide for Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) on Cisco Email Security

Malware Protection - Cisco AMP Advanced Malware Protection

When a Cisco WSA receives a web request, it evaluates it against the policies in the policy table. Each policy type has a predefined, global policy, which maintains default actions for that policy type. If the web request does not match any user-defined policy, the WSA applies the global policy. The global policy can be configured to allow, block, or redirect the web request based on various criteria. The global policy acts as a catch-all policy for any web request that is not explicitly handled by a user-defined policy. References :=

User Guide for AsyncOS 11.0 for Cisco Web Security Appliances - Create Policies to Control Internet Requests

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

 Cisco AMP for Endpoints provides next-generation protection by leveraging an endpoint protection platform (EPP) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities. EPP is a set of multifaceted prevention techniques that stop threats from compromising endpoints, such as behavioral analytics, machine learning, and signature-based methods. EDR is a set of powerful features that reduce the attack surface and remediate faster, such as advanced threat hunting, endpoint isolation, and dynamic malware analysis. Cisco AMP for Endpoints also integrates with SecureX, a built-in platform that offers extended detection and response (XDR) capabilities across multiple control points, such as network, cloud, email, and web. By combining EPP, EDR, and XDR, Cisco AMP for Endpoints delivers a comprehensive and resilient endpoint security solution that can detect, respond, and recover from sophisticated attacks. References:

Cisco Secure Endpoint (Formerly AMP for Endpoints) - Cisco

Cisco Secure Endpoint (Formerly AMP for Endpoints) - Cisco

Cisco Secure Endpoint (Formerly AMP for Endpoints) - Cisco

Explanation

Explanation

You specify primary and secondary actions that the appliance will take when it detects a possible DLP violation

in an outgoing message. Different actions can be assigned for different violation types and severities.

Primary actions include:

– Deliver

– Drop

– Quarantine

Secondary actions include:

– Sending a copy to a policy quarantine if you choose to deliver the message. The copy is a perfect clone of the

original, including the Message ID. Quarantining a copy allows you to test the DLP system before deployment in

addition to providing another way to monitor DLP violations. When you release the copy from the quarantine,

the appliance delivers the copy to the recipient, who will have already received the original message.

– Encrypting messages. The appliance only encrypts the message body. It does not encrypt the message

headers.

– Altering the subject header of messages containing a DLP violation.

– Adding disclaimer text to messages.

– Sending messages to an alternate destination mailhost.

– Sending copies (bcc) of messages to other recipients. (For example, you could copy messages with critical

DLP violations to a compliance officer’s mailbox for examination.)

– Sending a DLP violation notification message to the sender or other contacts, such as a manager or DLP

compliance officer.

The kind of API that is used with Cisco DNA Center to provision SSIDs, QoS policies, and update software versions on switches is the Intent API. The Intent API is a category of APIs that allows users to express their desired network outcomes or intents, such as creating a site, adding a device, or deploying a network profile. The Intent API then translates these intents into specific network configurations and commands, and applies them to the relevant network devices and services. The Intent API simplifies and automates the network provisioning and management process, and enables users to focus on the business objectives rather than the technical details. Some examples of Intent APIs are:

Site Management API: This API allows users to create, update, delete, and retrieve sites and buildings in Cisco DNA Center. A site is a logical grouping of network devices and services that share common characteristics, such as location, policies, or functions. A site can have one or more buildings, and a building can have one or more floors. Sites are used to organize and manage the network hierarchy and topology.

Network Settings API: This API allows users to configure and manage network-wide settings, such as global credentials, network discovery, IP address pools, DHCP and DNS servers, and SNMP settings. These settings are applied to all network devices and services that are managed by Cisco DNA Center.

Network Profile API: This API allows users to create, update, delete, and retrieve network profiles in Cisco DNA Center. A network profile is a collection of network settings and policies that define how a network segment or service should operate, such as SSIDs, QoS policies, security policies, and device roles. Network profiles are used to standardize and simplify the network configuration and deployment process, and to ensure consistency and compliance across the network.

Software Image Management API: This API allows users to manage the software images and versions of network devices that are managed by Cisco DNA Center. Users can import, export, delete, and retrieve software images, as well as assign them to network devices or device groups. Users can also schedule and monitor software image updates, and view the software image compliance status of network devices.

Explanation

Explanation

Depending on your company policy, you might be able to use your mobile phones, tablets, printers, Internet radios, and other network devices on your company’s network. You can use the My Devices portal to register and manage these devices on your company’s network.

Explanation

Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) protects the email infrastructure and employees who use email at work

by filtering unsolicited and malicious email before it reaches the user. Cisco ESA easily integrates into existing

email infrastructures with a high degree of flexibility. It does this by acting as a Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) within

the email-delivery chain. Another name for an MTA is a mail relay.

Using a company-managed Amazon S3 bucket for Cisco Umbrella logs allows the administrator to have full control over the access and lifecycle of the log data. This configuration can grant third-party SIEM integrations write access to the S3 bucket, which can enable more advanced analysis and correlation of the log data with other sources. This configuration also provides more flexibility in terms of how long the data can be stored offline, as opposed to the Cisco-managed S3 bucket, which has a fixed retention period of 30 days. References:

Enable Logging to Your Own S3 Bucket

Centralized Umbrella Log Management with Amazon’s S3 service for MSP, MSSP, and Multi-org customers

Explanation

An example of configuring a NetFlow exporter is shown below:

flow exporter Exporter

destination 192.168.100.22

transport udp 2055

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.

 Cisco ISE is a solution that allows an administrator to provision, monitor, and secure mobile devices on Windows and Mac computers from a centralized dashboard. Cisco ISE integrates with Mobile Device Management (MDM) servers to provide necessary insight into the posture of mobile devices and enforce network access policies. Cisco ISE can also perform device registration, remediation, and periodic compliance checks on mobile devices. Cisco ISE can also issue remote actions on the device through the MDM server, such as full wipe, corporate wipe, and PIN lock. Cisco ISE can also augment endpoint data with information from the MDM server that cannot be gathered using the Cisco ISE profiling services. References:

Integrate XenMobile Mobile Device Management (MDM) with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.4 - Mobile Device Manager Interoperability with Cisco ISE

Cisco ISE Integration with Mobile Device Management (MDM)

An application that does not validate user input is particularly susceptible to SQL injection attacks. In an SQL injection attack, an attacker can insert or "inject" a SQL query via the input data from the client to the application. Due to the lack of validation, the malicious SQL commands are executed by the database server, leading to unauthorized access or manipulation of the database.

 Installing the Cisco Umbrella root CA onto the user’s device is the action that accomplishes the goal of inspecting traffic without alerting end-users. This is because the root CA allows the user’s device to trust the certificates issued by the Cisco Umbrella intelligent proxy, which acts as a man-in-the-middle for SSL sites on Umbrella’s grey list. Without the root CA, the user’s browser would raise errors when accessing those sites, as it would detect an untrusted certificate. By installing the root CA, the user’s browser would accept the certificate and allow the traffic to be proxied and inspected by the intelligent proxy. References:

Enable SSL Decryption - Umbrella User Guide

SSL Decryption in the Intelligent Proxy – Cisco Umbrella

Cisco Umbrella Intelligent Proxy and SSL Decryption

Intelligent Proxy and SSL Decryption with Cisco Umbrella

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

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.

Explanation

All IKE policies on the device are sent to the remote peer regardless of what is in the selected policy section.

The first IKE Policy matched by the remote peer will be selected for the VPN connection. Choose which policy is sent first using the priority field. Priority 1 will be sent first.

 A flow monitor is a component of Flexible NetFlow that is used to store and export flow data. A flow monitor consists of a record, an optional exporter, and a cache. The cache is a section of memory that stores flow entries before they are exported to an external collector. The cache is created by the flow monitor when NetFlow is applied to an interface. The cache collects traffic based on the key and nonkey fields in the configured record. The key fields are used to identify a flow uniquely, while the nonkey fields are used to provide additional information about the flow. The cache can be configured with various parameters, such as the number of entries, the timeout values, and the type of cache. The cache can also be viewed and cleared using show and clear commands. References :=

Some possible references are:

Flexible Netflow Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS Release 15M&T

ASR9000/XR Netflow Architecture and overview

Cisco IOS Flexible NetFlow Command Reference - cache (Flexible NetFlow) through match flow

DHCP option 82 is a feature that allows the network access device (NAD) to insert additional information into the DHCP request packet from the endpoint. This information can include the switch ID, port number, VLAN ID, and other attributes that can help Cisco ISE to identify and profile the endpoint. Cisco ISE can use DHCP option 82 to assign the endpoint to the appropriate identity group, policy, and authorization profile. DHCP option 82 is also useful to prevent rogue DHCP servers from assigning IP addresses to endpoints, as Cisco ISE can verify the legitimacy of the DHCP request based on the option 82 data. To use DHCP option 82, the NAD must be configured to enable this feature and send the option 82 data to Cisco ISE. Cisco ISE must also be configured to accept and parse the option 82 data from the NAD. For more details on how to configure DHCP option 82 on Cisco ISE and NAD, see the references below. References:

Configuring the DHCP Probe

Securing Your Network From DHCP Risks

Can we use ISE as DHCP/DNS server to prevent guest traffic using …

Explanation

Explanation

The Cisco Application Visibility and Control (AVC) solution leverages multiple technologies to recognize,

analyze, and control over 1000 applications, including voice and video, email, file sharing, gaming, peer-to-peer

(P2P), and cloud-based applications. AVC combines several Cisco IOS/IOS XE components, as well as

communicating with external tools, to integrate the following functions into a powerful solution…

 Patching is important for security, compliance, stability, and reputation reasons. Patches are released to fix security vulnerabilities in software and systems, which can be exploited by cybercriminals to cause data breaches, data loss, or other damage. Failure to patch these vulnerabilities leaves the company’s systems exposed to potential security risks. Patch management helps to minimize these risks by ensuring that all software and systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches. Patch management also helps to comply with regulatory and industry standards that require a certain level of security, and to avoid legal consequences for non-compliance. Additionally, patches provide bug fixes and other updates that improve the stability and performance of software and systems, and prevent system crashes, downtime, and other issues that can negatively impact the business operations. Finally, patch management helps to maintain a positive reputation for the company, as a security breach or downtime caused by unpatched vulnerabilities can damage the customer trust and loyalty, and result in revenue loss. References:

5 Patch Management Best Practices for Success in 2023 - TechRepublic

Six Patch Management Best Practices [Updated 2024] - Heimdal Security

Explanation

Explanation

When Umbrella receives a DNS request, it uses intelligence to determine if the request is safe, malicious or risky — meaning the domain contains both malicious and legitimate content. Safe and malicious requests are routed as usual or blocked, respectively. Risky requests are routed to our cloud-based proxy for deeper inspection. The Umbrella proxy uses Cisco Talos web reputation and other third-party feeds to determine if a URL is malicious.

Posture is a service in Cisco ISE that checks the compliance of endpoints with corporate security policies before allowing them to connect to the network. Posture policies define the requirements that endpoints must meet to be compliant, such as having antivirus software installed and updated, or having a specific registry key value. If an endpoint is compliant, Cisco ISE can apply a Change of Authorization (CoA) to grant it access to the network resources. CoA is a mechanism that allows Cisco ISE to dynamically change the authorization attributes of an existing session, such as VLAN, dACL, or SGT, without requiring the user to reauthenticate. CoA can be triggered by various events, such as posture assessment results, profiling changes, or manual actions by the administrator. CoA can also be used to quarantine or disconnect non-compliant endpoints. Therefore, ensuring that an endpoint is compliant with a posture policy configured in Cisco ISE provides the benefit of allowing CoA to be applied if the endpoint status is compliant. References :=

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.2 - Configure Client Posture Policies

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.2 - Change of Authorization

 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

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?

 Suppression is a feature of Cisco Next Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS) that allows you to reduce false positives and unwanted alerts by filtering out specific traffic from the intrusion detection and prevention process. You can configure suppression based on different criteria, such as port, rule, source, destination, and network. The two valid suppression types for this question are port and rule. Port suppression allows you to exclude traffic based on the source or destination port number, or both. For example, you can suppress alerts for port 80 (HTTP) traffic if you are not interested in web-based attacks. Rule suppression allows you to exclude traffic based on the rule ID (SID) or the rule category. For example, you can suppress alerts for rules that belong to the policy-violations category if you are not concerned about them. You can also suppress alerts for specific rules that are not relevant to your network or generate too many false positives. References

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

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.

The mechanism that the engineer should configure to accomplish the goal of sending telemetry using the cloud provider’s mechanisms to a security device is VPC flow logs. VPC flow logs are a feature of Google Cloud that capture and record information about the network flows sent from and received by the virtual machines (VMs) inside a VPC network1. VPC flow logs can provide network telemetry data such as source and destination IP addresses, ports, protocols, bytes sent and received, and connection state1. VPC flow logs can be exported to Cloud Logging, Pub/Sub, or Cloud Storage for further analysis by security devices or tools1. VPC flow logs can help the engineer to perform behavioral analysis to detect malicious activity on the hosts, such as network scans, port sweeps, brute force attacks, data exfiltration, or lateral movement2.

The other options are not correct mechanisms to send telemetry using the cloud provider’s mechanisms to a security device. Option A is incorrect because mirror port is not a feature of Google Cloud, but rather a network device configuration that copies traffic from one port to another for monitoring purposes3. Option B is incorrect because flow is not a specific mechanism, but rather a generic term that refers to a sequence of packets between a source and a destination4. Option C is incorrect because NetFlow is not a feature of Google Cloud, but rather a network protocol developed by Cisco that collects and aggregates information about network flows5. NetFlow is not compatible with VPC flow logs, which use a different format6. References:

VPC flow logs overview

When to use 5 telemetry types in security threat monitoring

What is a Mirror Port?

What is a Network Flow?

What is NetFlow?

Exporting VPC flow logs to Pub/Sub

single methods of authentication can be compromised more easily than MFA. MFA, or multi-factor authentication, is a security process that requires users to provide two or more factors to verify their identity and access resources. MFA reduces the risk of unauthorized access by making it harder for attackers to compromise all the factors needed, especially if they are different in nature, such as something you know (password), something you have (token), and something you are (biometric).

To understand the concept of MFA and why it is important for authentication security, you can refer to the following sections of the source book:

Section 1.1.1: Describe the concepts of identity and access management

Section 1.1.1.1: Describe the concepts of identity principles

Section 1.1.1.2: Describe the concepts of authentication

Section 1.1.1.3: Describe the concepts of authorization

Section 1.1.1.4: Describe the concepts of accounting

Section 1.1.1.5: Describe the concepts of identity stores

Section 1.1.1.6: Describe the concepts of MFA

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.

 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

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/security/s1/sec-s1-xe-3se-3850-cr-book/sec-s1-xe-3se-3850-cr-book_chapter_01.html#wp3404908137

Displaying the Summary of All Auth Manager Sessions on the Switch

Enter the following:

Switch# show authentication sessions

Interface MAC Address Method Domain Status Session ID

Gi1/48 0015.63b0.f676 dot1x DATA Authz Success 0A3462B1000000102983C05C

Gi1/5 000f.23c4.a401 mab DATA Authz Success 0A3462B10000000D24F80B58

Gi1/5 0014.bf5d.d26d dot1x DATA Authz Success 0A3462B10000000E29811B94

 NetFlow is a protocol that collects and exports information about network traffic flows. NetFlow Version 9 is the latest version supported by the Cisco ASA 5500 Series firewall. To enable NetFlow on the ASA, you need to perform two main tasks: define a NetFlow collector and apply NetFlow exporter to an interface. A NetFlow collector is a device or application that receives and processes the NetFlow records sent by the ASA. You can define a NetFlow collector by using the flow-export command, which specifies the IP address, port number, and interface of the collector. A NetFlow exporter is a configuration that determines which traffic flows are monitored and exported by the ASA. You can apply NetFlow exporter to an interface by using the Modular Policy Framework (MPF), which allows you to create class maps and policy maps to match and act on interesting traffic. You can use the flow-export event-type option in the policy map to select the NetFlow events that you want to export. The other options (B, C, and D) are not required or correct for enabling NetFlow on the ASA. You do not need to create an ACL to allow UDP traffic on port 9996, because the ASA uses a random high port number to send NetFlow records to the collector. You do not need to apply NetFlow exporter to the outside interface in the inbound direction, because you can apply it to any interface and direction that you want to monitor. You do not need to create a class map to match interesting traffic, because the ASA monitors all traffic flows by default, unless you filter them by using the flow-export filters command. References:

Cisco Secure Firewall ASA NetFlow Implementation Guide, section “About NSEL”

Cisco Secure Firewall ASA NetFlow Implementation Guide, section “Configure NSEL Collectors (CLI)”

Cisco Secure Firewall ASA NetFlow Implementation Guide, section “Configure Flow-Export Actions Through Modular Policy Framework”

Configuring NetFlow on ASA with ASDM, section “Enabling NetFlow on ASA”

Add the DNS entry for the new Cisco ISE node into the DNS server. This is because the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the new Cisco ISE node, for example, ise1.cisco.com, must be DNS-resolvable from the primary Administration ISE node. Otherwise, node registration will fail. The DNS server must contain the IP addresses and FQDNs of the ISE nodes that are part of the distributed deployment1.

The other options are incorrect because:

Changing the IP address of the new Cisco ISE node to the same network as the others is not necessary, as long as the nodes can communicate with each other over the network.

Making the new Cisco ISE node a secondary PAN before registering it with the primary is not possible, as the node must be registered first before changing its persona or role.

Opening port 8905 on the firewall between the Cisco ISE nodes is not required, as this port is used for communication between the primary and secondary Monitoring ISE nodes, not for node registration.

A connector is a feature that enables a Cisco ISR to use the default bypass list automatically for web filtering. A connector is a software component that runs on the ISR and communicates with the Cloud Web Security service. The connector intercepts the web traffic from the branch users and redirects it to the Cloud Web Security service for scanning and policy enforcement. The connector also maintains a default bypass list, which contains the domains and URLs that are not redirected to the Cloud Web Security service. The default bypass list is updated automatically by the Cloud Web Security service and can be customized by the administrator. The default bypass list helps to improve the performance and reliability of the web filtering solution by avoiding unnecessary redirections of trusted or sensitive web traffic12. References: 1: Security Configuration Guide: Cloud Web Security, Cisco IOS Release 15M&T - Cisco Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 with Cisco Cloud Web Security Solution [Support] - Cisco 2: Security Configuration Guide: Cloud Web Security, Cisco IOS Release 15M&T - Configuring Cloud Web Security on Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 [Support] - Cisco

 The error 403: Forbidden indicates that the web server denied access to the requested resource, which in this case is the PCAP file. One possible reason for this error is that the HTTPS server is not enabled for the device platform policy, which is a configuration that applies to the FTD devices managed by the FMC. The device platform policy defines the settings for the management interface, the SSH access, the SNMP, the NTP, the DNS, and the HTTPS server. The HTTPS server allows the FMC to access the FTD devices via HTTPS and perform tasks such as packet capture, packet tracer, and file transfer. If the HTTPS server is not enabled for the device platform policy, the FMC cannot access the PCAP file from the FTD device via HTTPS. Therefore, the engineer must enable the HTTPS server for the device platform policy in order to resolve this issue. To enable the HTTPS server for the device platform policy, the engineer must follow these steps:

Log in to the FMC web interface and navigate to Devices > Platform Settings.

Select the device platform policy that applies to the FTD device and click Edit.

In the General tab, check the Enable HTTPS Server checkbox and click Save.

Deploy the policy changes to the FTD device and wait for the deployment to complete.

Try to access the PCAP file again from the FMC web browser using the same address.

Alternatively, the engineer can also enable the HTTPS server for the FTD device from the FTD CLI using the command configure network https-server enable. However, this method is not recommended because it may cause a configuration conflict with the FMC123

References := 1: Use Firepower Threat Defense Captures and Packet Tracer - Cisco 2: Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Configuration Guide for Firepower Device Manager, Version 6.6 - Device Management Basics [Cisco Firepower NGFW] - Cisco 3: Cisco Firepower Threat Defense Command Reference - C through D Commands [Cisco Firepower NGFW] - Cisco

Explanation

Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) for Endpoints offers a variety of lists, referred to as Outbreak Control, that allow you to customize it to your needs. The main lists are: Simple Custom Detections, Blocked Applications, Allowed Applications, Advanced Custom Detections, and IP Blocked and Allowed Lists.

A Simple Custom Detection list is similar to a blocked list. These are files that you want to detect and

quarantine.

Allowed applications lists are for files you never want to convict. Some examples are a custom application that is detected by a generic engine or a standard image that you use throughout the company Reference: https://docs.amp.cisco.com/AMP%20for%20Endpoints%20User%20Guide.pdf

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is an authentication method 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 VPN1. MFA is a core component of a strong identity and access management (IAM) policy. MFA can help prevent an attacker from stealing usernames and passwords of users within an organization by adding an extra layer of security beyond the traditional username and password. For example, a user may need to enter a one-time code sent to their phone or email, scan their fingerprint, or use a hardware token to prove their identity. This way, even if an attacker obtains the user’s credentials, they cannot access the resource without the second factor2.

The other options are not technologies that can help prevent an attacker from stealing usernames and passwords of users within an organization. RADIUS-based REAP is a protocol that allows wireless clients to authenticate with a RADIUS server, but it does not provide MFA3. Fingerprinting is a technique that identifies the operating system or application of a device based on its network characteristics, but it does not provide MFA4. Dynamic ARP Inspection is a security feature that prevents ARP spoofing attacks by validating ARP packets, but it does not provide MFA5.

References := 1: What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)? | OneLogin(https://www.onelogin.com/learn/what-is-mfa) 2: What is: Multifactor Authentication - Microsoft Support(https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/what-is-multifactor-authentication-e5e39437-121c-be60-d123-eda06bddf661) 3: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Securing the Network, Lesson 3.3: Secure Wireless Connectivity, Topic 3.3.1: Wireless Security Protocols, page 3-40. 4: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 2: Securing the Cloud, Lesson 2.2: Cloud Security Assessment, Topic 2.2.1: Cloud Security Concepts, page 2-13. 5: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: Securing the Network, Lesson 3.2: Secure Network Access, Topic 3.2.2: Layer 2 Security Features, page 3-19.

Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a security measure that requires two or more proofs of identity to grant access to a resource, such as a username and password, a one-time code, a smart card, etc.1 MFA provides stronger protection than single-factor authentication (SFA), which only requires one proof of identity, such as a password. SFA can be compromised more easily by attackers who can guess, steal, or intercept passwords, or use phishing or social engineering techniques to trick users into revealing their credentials. MFA adds an extra layer of security that makes it harder for attackers to gain access, even if they have the password. MFA can also prevent unauthorized access from lost or stolen devices, as the attacker would need another factor to authenticate. MFA can also deter attackers from targeting an organization, as they would need to invest more time and resources to bypass the security measures. Therefore, organizations should migrate to a multifactor authentication strategy to enhance their security posture and protect their data and assets. References := 1: What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)? - Auth0

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

 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

CoA (Change of Authorization) is a feature that allows ISE to dynamically change the authorization attributes of an endpoint after it has been authenticated. CoA can be triggered by various events, such as posture assessment, profiling, or manual intervention1. There are different types of CoA that ISE can send to the network access device (NAD) to perform different actions on the endpoint session. The CoA type that achieves the goal of forcing an endpoint to re-authenticate without disrupting its session is CoA Reauth. CoA Reauth instructs the NAD to initiate a new RADIUS authentication for the endpoint, which allows ISE to apply a new or updated policy based on the latest attributes of the endpoint2. The other CoA types do not achieve this goal, as they either disconnect the endpoint session or do not change the authorization attributes. Port Bounce causes the NAD to shut down and bring up the port where the endpoint is connected, which effectively disconnects and reconnects the endpoint session2. CoA Terminate causes the NAD to terminate the endpoint session and send an Accounting-Stop message to ISE2. CoA Session Query causes the NAD to send an Accounting-Request message to ISE with the current session information, but does not change the authorization attributes of the endpoint2. References:

Cisco Content Hub - Manage Network Devices, section “CoA Types”

Solved: COA and ISE Clarification - Cisco Community, answer by Tarik Admani

Configuring Profiler Policies [Cisco Identity Services Engine] - Cisco …, section “Change of Authorization”

Explanation

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

 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

Explanation

Domain name system (DNS) is the protocol that translates human-friendly URLs, such as securitytut.com, into IP addresses, such as 183.33.24.13. Because DNS messages are only used as the beginning of each communication and they are not intended for data transfer, many organizations do not monitor their DNS traffic for malicious activity. As a result, DNS-based attacks can be effective if launched against their networks. DNS tunneling is one such attack.

An example of DNS Tunneling is shown below:

The attacker incorporates one of many open-source DNS tunneling kits into an authoritative DNSnameserver (NS) and malicious payload.2. An IP address (e.g. 1.2.3.4) is allocated from the attacker’s infrastructure and a domain name (e.g. attackerdomain.com) is registered or reused. The registrar informs the top-level domain (.com) nameservers to refer requests for attackerdomain.com to ns.attackerdomain.com, which has a DNS record mapped to 1.2.3.43. The attacker compromises a system with the malicious payload. Once the desired data is obtained, the payload encodes the data as a series of 32 characters (0-9, A-Z) broken into short strings (3KJ242AIE9, P028X977W,…).4. The payload initiates thousands of unique DNS record requests to the attacker’s domain with each string as

To add a device into Cisco DNA Center with the native API, the POST method and the name attribute are required. The POST method is used to create a new resource on the server, such as a device. The name attribute is used to specify the hostname or IP address of the device to be added. The POST method requires a JSON body that contains the device information, such as the name, type, role, credentials, and other optional parameters. The Cisco DNA Center API documentation provides an example of the JSON body and the response for adding a device1. The Cisco DNA Center Platform User Guide also explains how to use the native API to add devices2. References := 1: Cisco DNA Center API Documentation - Add Device 2: Cisco DNA Center Platform User Guide, Release 2.3.5 - Manage Devices Using the Native API

Explanation

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

the Authentication.

 Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) is a security feature that protects ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) from an attack like ARP poisoning. ARP poisoning is a technique where an attacker sends forged ARP responses to trick hosts into associating IP addresses with the attacker’s MAC address. This allows the attacker to intercept, modify, or drop traffic between the victims, creating a “man-in-the-middle” scenario. DAI can prevent this attack by validating ARP packets on untrusted interfaces, using information from the DHCP snooping database and/or an ARP access-list. If the ARP packet contains invalid MAC address to IP address bindings, it will be dropped and logged. DAI can also rate-limit ARP packets to mitigate ARP flooding attacks. DAI is configured on a per-VLAN basis and requires DHCP snooping to be enabled on the same VLANs. References :=

Some possible references are:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 2: Network Security, Lesson 2.4: Implement Layer 2 Security

Understanding and Configuring Dynamic ARP Inspection

DAI (Dynamic ARP Inspection)

ZBFW stands for Zone-Based Firewall, which is a feature that allows unidirectional application of IOS firewall policies between groups of interfaces known as zones. Interfaces are assigned to zones, and firewall rules are applied to specific types of traffic moving in one direction between the zones. ZBFW enforces a secure inter-zone policy by default, meaning traffic cannot pass between security zones until an explicit policy allowing that traffic is defined. The zone itself is an abstraction of multiple interfaces with the same or similar security requirements that can be logically grouped together. ZBFW is CBAC’s replacement and offers intuitive policies for multiple-interface routers, increased granularity of firewall policy application, and a default deny-all policy that prohibits traffic between firewall security zones until an explicit policy is applied to allow desirable traffic. ZBFW is supported on IOS devices running 12.4(6)T or later, and ASR devices running 12.2(33) or later. References:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 4: Securing the Cloud, Lesson 4.1: Introducing Cisco Cloud Services Router 1000V Series, Topic 4.1.2: Zone-Based Firewall

Understand the Zone-Based Policy Firewall Design

Managing Zone-based Firewall Rules

Zone Based Firewall Overview

CBAC vs. Zone-based firewall

The WCCP-configured router identifies if the Cisco WSA is functional by exchanging periodic messages with the WSA. The WSA sends a Here-I-Am message every 10 seconds to the router, which contains information such as the WSA’s IP address, service group, and hash assignment. The router responds with an I-See-You message, which acknowledges the receipt of the Here-I-Am message and provides information such as the router’s IP address, service group, and view of the WCCP topology. These messages allow the router and the WSA to maintain a bidirectional communication and to detect any changes or failures in the WCCP network12.

Option C is the correct answer, as it describes the correct message exchange between the WCCP-configured router and the Cisco WSA. Option A is incorrect, as the router does not use ICMP ping to check the WSA’s functionality, and the traffic is not transmitted to the router, but redirected by the router. Option B is incorrect, as the router does not use ICMP ping to check the WSA’s functionality, and the traffic is not transmitted to the WSA, but redirected by the WSA. Option D is incorrect, as the router does not send a Here-I-Am message, but an I-See-You message, and the WSA does not acknowledge with an I-See-You message, but a Here-I-Am message. References: WCCP Router Configuration Example - Cisco. Cisco ASA WCCP Traffic Redirection Guide - Cisco.

 The dot1x system-auth-control command enables 802.1X globally on a Cisco switch. This command allows the switch to act as an authenticator for 802.1X clients connected to the switch ports. The switch will then communicate with a RADIUS server to authenticate the clients and grant or deny access to the network. The other commands are not related to enabling 802.1X globally. The dot1x pae authenticator command enables 802.1X authentication on a specific interface. The authentication port-control aut command enables automatic port-based authentication on an interface. The aaa new-model command enables the AAA framework for authentication, authorization, and accounting. References :=

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/smb/switches/cisco-small-business-300-series-managed-switches/smb5635-configure-global-802-1x-properties-on-a-switch-through-the-c.html

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/nfvis/switch_command/b-nfvis-switch-command-reference/802_1x_commands.html

 The RADIUS CoA feature supports the IETF attribute 24 State, which is used to identify the session for which the CoA request is intended. The State attribute is sent by the device in the Access-Accept message and must be echoed back by the RADIUS server in the CoA-Request message. The other attributes are not supported for the RADIUS CoA feature.

To understand the concept of RADIUS CoA and the supported attributes, you can refer to the following sections of the source book:

Section 1.1.2: Describe the concepts of network security

Section 1.1.2.6: Describe the concepts of RADIUS CoA

Section 1.1.2.7: Describe the concepts of supported IETF attributes

Explanation

A Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) file is a JavaScript function definition that determines whether web browser

requests (HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP) go direct to the destination or are forwarded to a web proxy server.

PAC files are used to support explicit proxy deployments in which client browsers are explicitly configured to

send traffic to the web proxy. The big advantage of PAC files is that they are usually relatively easy to create

and maintain.

 The Cisco ESA uses the Sender Domain Reputation (SDR) service to assign a reputation verdict to each message based on the sender’s domain and other attributes. The SDR verdicts range from Awful to Good, and each verdict has a corresponding reputation score. The administrator can configure a message or content filter to take action on messages based on their SDR verdict or score. For example, the administrator can set a threshold score to drop messages that have a poor or awful reputation. However, if the SDR service cannot determine a verdict for a message, it assigns an undetermined verdict with a score of -1. This means that the message will not be dropped by the filter unless the administrator explicitly sets the threshold to -1 or lower. Therefore, the reason why the Cisco ESA is not dropping files that have an undetermined verdict is because the file has a reputation score that is above the threshold. References :=

Some possible references are:

Configure Sender Domain Reputation for ESA

Sender Domain Reputation Filtering

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

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.

Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) is a security feature that validates ARP packets on untrusted interfaces by comparing the MAC address to IP address bindings in the DHCP snooping database or an ARP access-list. If the ARP packet contains invalid or spoofed information, it is dropped and logged. DAI also inspects ARP packets on trusted interfaces, but it does not drop them if they are invalid. Instead, it forwards them to the destination without validation. This allows the switch to support devices that use static IP addresses or have legitimate reasons to send ARP packets with different MAC address to IP address bindings. However, this also means that if a spoofed ARP packet is received on a trusted interface, it will bypass the DAI validation and be forwarded to the destination. This could allow an attacker to poison the ARP cache of other devices and perform a man-in-the-middle attack. Therefore, the correct answer is option B. The switch drops the packet after validation by using the IP & MAC Binding Table. References:

Understanding and Configuring Dynamic ARP Inspection

DAI (Dynamic ARP Inspection)

Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) Explanation & Configuration

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

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

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)

A Trojan malware attack is a type of malicious code or software that disguises itself as a legitimate program or file to trick users into executing it. Once executed, the Trojan can perform various harmful actions on the infected system or network, such as stealing data, deleting files, or installing other malware. There are different types of Trojan malware attacks, depending on their purpose and behavior. Two common types are:

Rootkit: A rootkit is a type of Trojan that hides itself and other malware from detection and removal by antivirus software or system tools. A rootkit can modify the operating system or the firmware of the device to gain persistent and privileged access to the system. A rootkit can also intercept and manipulate system calls, network traffic, or user input to conceal its activities or redirect them to malicious servers.

Backdoor: A backdoor is a type of Trojan that creates a secret or unauthorized access point to the infected system or network. A backdoor can allow an attacker to remotely control the system, execute commands, upload or download files, or monitor the system activity. A backdoor can also be used to install other malware or launch further attacks on other systems or networks.

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)

 Secret key cryptography, also known as symmetric key cryptography, is a type of encryption where a single secret key is used for both encryption and decryption of a message. The cryptographic key is kept secret between the sender and receiver, making it difficult for anyone else to decipher the message. Some of the functions of secret key cryptography are:

Key selection without integer factorization: Secret key cryptography does not rely on complex mathematical problems such as integer factorization or discrete logarithms to generate keys. Instead, the keys are chosen randomly or derived from a passphrase or a shared secret. This makes the key generation process faster and simpler than in public key cryptography.

Utilization of less memory: Secret key cryptography uses less memory than public key cryptography, as it only requires one key to be stored and managed. Public key cryptography, on the other hand, requires two keys (public and private) for each user, which increases the memory overhead and complexity of key management.

The other options are not functions of secret key cryptography, but rather characteristics of public key cryptography or asymmetric cryptography, which is a different type of encryption where different keys are used for encryption and decryption. Public key cryptography has the following features:

Utilization of different keys for encryption and decryption: Public key cryptography uses a pair of keys, one public and one private, for each user. The public key can be shared with anyone, while the private key must be kept secret. The public key is used to encrypt messages, while the private key is used to decrypt them. This allows users to communicate securely without having to exchange a secret key beforehand.

Utilization of large prime number iterations: Public key cryptography relies on hard mathematical problems such as integer factorization or discrete logarithms to generate keys. These problems involve finding the prime factors of large numbers or finding the discrete logarithms of numbers in a finite field. These problems are easy to solve in one direction, but hard to solve in the reverse direction. For example, it is easy to multiply two large prime numbers, but hard to find the prime factors of the product. This makes the keys hard to break by brute force or other methods.

Provides the capability to only know the key on one side: Public key cryptography enables users to encrypt messages without knowing the recipient’s key, and vice versa. This is possible because the encryption and decryption keys are different and mathematically related. For example, Alice can encrypt a message with Bob’s public key, and only Bob can decrypt it with his private key. Alice does not need to know Bob’s private key, and Bob does not need to know Alice’s key. This also enables public key cryptography to support digital signatures, which are a way of verifying the identity and integrity of a message.

References :=

What Is Secret Key Cryptography? A Complete Guide - Helenix

Definition of Secret-key Cryptography - Gartner

Explanation

Unlike the traditional software life cycle, the CI/CD implementation process gives a weekly or daily update

instead of monthly or quarterly. The fun part is customers won’t even realize the update is in their applications,

as they happen on the fly.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/sec_usr_8021x/configuration/xe-3se/3850/sec-user-8021x-xe-3se-3850-book/config-ieee-802x-pba.html

 Intelligent Multi-Scan (IMS) is a feature that enables the Cisco ESA to perform multiple anti-spam scans on each message and apply different actions based on the results. IMS also includes the Graymail Detection and Safe Unsubscribe services, which allow the ESA to identify and filter messages that are not strictly spam, but are low-priority or unwanted by the end user, such as newsletters, social media notifications, or marketing emails. The Graymail Detection service can classify messages into different categories, such as bulk, mass, or subscription, and assign different scores and verdicts to them. The Safe Unsubscribe service can provide a link for the end user to safely unsubscribe from the sender’s mailing list, without revealing their email address or opening a malicious URL. To enable the blocking of greymail for the end user, the administrator must first enable the IMS feature globally and then configure the Graymail and Safe Unsubscribe settings in the mail policies. The administrator can also enable the centralized spam quarantine and the end-user quarantine interface to allow the end user to manage their own quarantined messages. References :=

Best Practice Guide for Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus, Graymail and Outbreak Filters

Graymail Detection and Safe Unsubscribing Functionality

Explanation

Dynamic ARP inspection (DAI) is a security feature that validates ARP packets in a network. It intercepts, logs, and discards ARP packets with invalid IP-to-MAC address bindings. This capability protects the network from certain man-in-the-middle attacks. After enabling DAI, all ports become untrusted ports.

Explanation

Micro-segmentation secures applications by expressly allowing particular application traffic and, by default,

denying all other traffic. Micro-segmentation is the foundation for implementing a zero-trust security model for

application workloads in the data center and cloud.

Cisco Tetration is an application workload security platform designed to secure your compute instances across

any infrastructure and any cloud. To achieve this, it uses behavior and attribute-driven microsegmentation

policy generation and enforcement. It enables trusted access through automated, exhaustive context from

various systems to automatically adapt security policies.

To generate accurate microsegmentation policy, Cisco Tetration performs application dependency mapping to

discover the relationships between different application tiers and infrastructure services. In addition, the

platform supports “what-if” policy analysis using real-time data or historical data to assist in the validation and risk assessment of policy application pre-enforcement to ensure ongoing application availability. The

normalized microsegmentation policy can be enforced through the application workload itself for a consistent approach to workload microsegmentation across any environment, including virtualized, bare-metal, and container workloads running in any public cloud or any data center. Once the microsegmentation policy is enforced, Cisco Tetration continues to monitor for compliance deviations, ensuring the segmentation policy is up to date as the application behavior change.

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

Explanation

Cisco Security Manager provides a comprehensive management solution for:

– Cisco ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances

– Cisco intrusion prevention systems 4200 and 4500 Series Sensors

– Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client

The WSA uses a root certificate and a private key to decrypt HTTPS traffic. The root certificate must reside in the trusted store of the WSA, and it must be able to sign server certificates on the fly. The server certificates that the WSA generates must contain a SAN (Subject Alternative Name) field, which specifies the hostnames or IP addresses that the certificate is valid for. The SAN field is required by modern browsers and applications to verify the identity of the server. If the WSA does not include a SAN field in the server certificate, the browser or application may reject the connection or display a warning message.

The other options are not correct because:

A. The current date is not a criterion for the WSA to use a certificate to decrypt application traffic. The WSA checks the validity period of the certificate, which includes the start date and the end date. The current date must be within the validity period, but it does not have to be the same as the start date or the end date.

C. The root certificate that the WSA uses to decrypt HTTPS traffic does not have to reside in the trusted store of the endpoint. However, the endpoint must trust the root certificate in order to accept the server certificate that the WSA generates. This can be achieved by manually installing the root certificate on the endpoint, or by using a group policy or a certificate management system to distribute the root certificate to the endpoints.

D. The root certificate that the WSA uses to decrypt HTTPS traffic does not have to be signed by an internal CA. The WSA can generate its own self-signed root certificate, or it can use a root certificate that is signed by an external CA. However, the root certificate must be trusted by the endpoints, as explained in option C.

References := : WSA Certificate Usage for HTTPS Decryption : [User Guide for AsyncOS 12.0 for Cisco Web Security Appliances - GD (General Deployment) - Create Decryption Policies to Control HTTPS Traffic]

Explanation

Explanation

Talos Threat Source is a regular intelligence update from Cisco Talos, highlighting the biggest threats each week and other security news.

Explanation

The logging of your identities’ activities is set per-policy when you first create a policy. By default, logging is on and set to log all requests an identity makes to reach destinations. At any time after you create a policy, you can change what level of identity activity Umbrella logs.

From the Policy wizard, log settings are:

Log All Requests—For full logging, whether for content, security or otherwise

Log Only Security Events—For security logging only, which gives your users more privacy—a good setting for people with the roaming client installed on personal devices

Don’t Log Any Requests—Disables all logging. If you select this option, most reporting for identities with this policy will not be helpful as nothing is logged to report on.

 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

 Tetration is the solution that protects hybrid cloud deployment workloads with application visibility and segmentation. Tetration enables a zero-trust model using segmentation, which allows you to identify security incidents faster, contain lateral movement, and reduce your attack surface. Tetration supports both on-premises and public cloud workloads and provides real-time telemetry data, behavior analysis, software inventory, and policy enforcement. Tetration is part of the Cisco Zero Trust portfolio, which also includes solutions for securing the workforce and workplace. References:

Cisco Tetration Platform - Cisco, Topic: Cisco Tetration offers holistic workload protection for multicloud data centers by enabling a zero-trust model using segmentation.

[Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0], Module 5: Securing the Cloud, Lesson 5.3: Cloud Workload Security, Topic 5.3.1: Tetration

Cisco Zero Trust Tetration, Topic: Tetration provides zero-trust security for workloads as part of the Cisco Zero Trust portfolio.

 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

 Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a method of verifying a user’s identity by requiring two or more factors, such as something the user knows (e.g. password), something the user has (e.g. token), or something the user is (e.g. biometric). MFA can prevent or mitigate some common types of cyberattacks that rely on stealing or guessing a user’s credentials, such as phishing and brute force attacks12

Phishing is an attack where an attacker sends a fraudulent email or message that appears to come from a legitimate source, such as a bank or a government agency, and tries to trick the user into clicking on a malicious link or attachment, or providing their credentials or personal information34 MFA can prevent phishing attacks by requiring an additional factor of authentication that the attacker cannot obtain from the phishing email or message, such as a one-time password (OTP) sent to the user’s phone or email, or a biometric verification such as a fingerprint or face scan56

Brute force is an attack where an attacker tries to guess a user’s password by systematically trying different combinations of characters, words, or phrases until they find the correct one. MFA can prevent brute force attacks by requiring an additional factor of authentication that the attacker cannot guess, such as a physical token or a push notification that the user has to approve.

 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 course overview 2: What Type of Attacks Does MFA Prevent? | OneLogin 3: 5 Multi-Factor Authentication Vulnerabilities and How to Resolve Them 4: FBI warns about attacks that bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) 5: Defend your users from MFA fatigue attacks - Microsoft Community Hub 6: What type of attacks does Multi-Factor Authentication prevent? : How to Prevent Brute Force Attacks | Cloudflare : Brute Force Attack - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics : Multi-factor authentication - Wikipedia : Multi-factor authentication fatigue attacks are on the rise: How to defend against them | CSO Online

Explanation

Vendors, security researchers, and vulnerability coordination centers typically assign vulnerabilities an identifier that’s disclosed to the public. This identifier is known as the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE).

CVE is an industry-wide standard. CVE is sponsored by US-CERT, the office of Cybersecurity and

Communications at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The goal of CVE is to make it’s easier to share data across tools, vulnerability repositories, and security

services.

A passphrase is a type of protection that encrypts RSA keys when they are exported and imported. A passphrase is a sequence of characters that the user enters to decrypt the key. The passphrase acts as a symmetric key that is used to encrypt and decrypt the RSA key with a symmetric algorithm, such as AES. This way, the RSA key is protected from unauthorized access or tampering when it is transferred or stored. A passphrase can also provide additional security by adding entropy to the RSA key generation process. A file, NGE, and nonexportable are not types of protection that encrypt RSA keys when they are exported and imported. A file is a container that stores the RSA key, but does not encrypt it. NGE stands for Next Generation Encryption, which is a set of cryptographic standards and algorithms that Cisco recommends, but it is not a specific type of protection. Nonexportable is a property that prevents the RSA key from being exported at all, but it does not encrypt it. References: RSA/Schannel Key BLOBs, Common Encryption Types, Protocols and Algorithms Explained, Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0 (Module 5: Implementing Secure Communications with VPNs, Lesson 5.1: Implementing Site-to-Site VPNs, Topic 5.1.2: Implementing Site-to-Site VPNs with Pre-Shared Keys)

 File discovery is a feature of Cisco AMP that allows the engineering team to search for files across all endpoints in the network based on their SHA-256 hashes. File discovery can help identify whether a file is installed on a selected few workstations, and also provide information such as file name, path, size, date, and disposition. File discovery can be used to locate malicious files, unauthorized software, or sensitive data on the endpoints. File discovery can be accessed from the Outbreak Control menu in the AMP console1. References: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/security/amp-endpoints/215176-configure-a-simple-custom-detection-list.html

Explanation

The Southbound API is used to communicate between Controllers and network devices

One of the benefits of a Cisco Secure Email Gateway Virtual appliance compared to a physical one is the ability to allocate additional resources as needed. Virtual appliances can be easily scaled up by allocating more CPU, memory, or storage resources, providing flexibility and scalability in response to changing demands or growth.

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

https://community.cisco.com/t5/endpoint-security/amp-endpoint-isolation/td-p/4086674#:~:text=Isolating%20an%20endpoint%20blocks%20all,your%20IP%20isolation%20allow%20list

Cisco Workload Optimization Manager provides specific real-time actions that ensure workloads get the

resources they need when they need them, enabling continuous placement, resizing, and capacity decisions that can be automated, driving continuous health in the environment. You can automate the software’s decisions according to your level of comfort: recommend (view only), manual (select and apply), or automated (executed in real time by software).

Explanation

Explanation

When supporting personal devices on a corporate network, you must protect network services and enterprise

data by authenticating and authorizing users (employees, contractors, and guests) and their devices. Cisco ISE

provides the tools you need to allow employees to securely use personal devices on a corporate network.

Guests can add their personal devices to the network by running the native supplicant provisioning (Network

Setup Assistant), or by adding their devices to the My Devices portal.

Because native supplicant profiles are not available for all devices, users can use the My Devices portal to add

these devices manually; or you can configure Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) rules to register these devices.

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 debug crypto isakmp sa command shows the status of the Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP) security associations (SAs). The output of this command indicates that the ISAKMP negotiation failed after several retransmissions. The most likely cause of this failure is a mismatch in the authentication key between the two peers. The authentication key is specified by the crypto isakmp key command and must be the same on both routers. If the authentication key is different, the ISAKMP messages cannot be decrypted and verified by the peers, resulting in an error. To fix this problem, the network administrator should verify and correct the authentication key on both routers and clear the existing ISAKMP SAs with the clear crypto isakmp sa command. References: 1, 2, 3, 4

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

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

Network telemetry is the collection, measurement, and analysis of data related to the behavior and performance of a network1. It involves gathering information about routers, switches, servers, and applications to gain insights into how they function and how data moves through them. To correlate different sources of network telemetry data, it is important to enable Network Time Protocol (NTP) across all network infrastructure devices. NTP is a protocol that synchronizes the clocks of network devices to a common reference time source2. This ensures that the network telemetry data has consistent timestamps and can be compared and correlated accurately. NTP also helps with troubleshooting network issues, as it allows network administrators to pinpoint the exact time of events and anomalies. NTP is a core security technology that is covered in the Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) course3, which helps you prepare for the Cisco CCNP Security and CCIE Security certifications and for senior-level security roles. References: 1: Network Telemetry Explained: Frameworks, Applications & Standards - Splunk 2: [Network Time Protocol (NTP) - Cisco] 3: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0

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

DevSecOps is a development practice that integrates security into all phases of the software development lifecycle, from initial design through integration, testing, deployment, and software delivery. DevSecOps focuses on application development, as it aims to deliver secure and robust applications that meet the customers’ needs and expectations. DevSecOps also makes security a shared responsibility of development, security, and operations teams, rather than a separate silo. DevSecOps enables faster and safer software delivery by automating security processes and tools, and addressing security issues as they emerge, rather than at the end of the cycle.

References :=

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 6: Securing the Data Center, Lesson 6.2: DevSecOps

What Is DevSecOps? Definition and Best Practices | Microsoft Security

What is DevSecOps? | IBM

What is DevSecOps? | DevSecOps vs. DevOps | VMware

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

Sandboxing is a feature that is leveraged by advanced antimalware capabilities to be an effective endpoint protection platform. Sandboxing allows an endpoint protection platform to isolate suspect files in a safe environment and analyze their behavior and impact without affecting the rest of the system. Sandboxing can help detect and prevent unknown or zero-day malware that may evade traditional signature-based detection methods. Sandboxing can also provide valuable threat intelligence and forensic data for further investigation and response.

Big data, storm centers, and blocklisting are not features that are leveraged by advanced antimalware capabilities to be an effective endpoint protection platform. Big data refers to the large volume, variety, and velocity of data that can be used for various purposes, such as analytics, machine learning, or business intelligence. Storm centers are centralized hubs that monitor and respond to cyber incidents and threats. Blocklisting is a method of preventing access to malicious or unwanted domains, IP addresses, or files by adding them to a list of blocked entities. References:

Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) Definition

Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) for Endpoints

Cisco AMP for Endpoints: Sandboxing

Simple Custom Detection is a feature of Cisco AMP for Endpoints that allows administrators to block specific files based on their SHA-256 or MD5 hashes. This feature can be used to detect and quarantine files of unknown disposition, such as abc424400664.zip, by adding their hashes to a custom list in the AMP portal. The list can then be applied to a policy that is assigned to the endpoints. Simple Custom Detection works on files of any type, size, or platform, unlike the other options that are either platform-specific (Android Custom Detection), size-limited (Blocked Application), or signature-based (Advanced Custom Detection). References: 1, 2, 3

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.

Posture is a service in Cisco ISE that allows you to check the compliance, also known as posture, of endpoints, before allowing them to connect to your network. A posture agent, such as the AnyConnect ISE Posture Agent or Network Admission Control (NAC) Agent, runs on the endpoint and collects information about the endpoint’s security posture, such as antivirus, antispyware, firewall, and patch status. The posture agent then communicates with the ISE server, which evaluates the posture information against the posture policy and determines the compliance state of the endpoint. Based on the compliance state, the ISE server can grant or deny network access to the endpoint, or apply remediation actions to bring the endpoint into compliance. Posture service is part of the ISE solution for network access control (NAC), which aims to secure the network from unauthorized or compromised endpoints. References:

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.2 - Configure Client Posture Policies

Configuring posture services with the Cisco Identity Services Engine - Cisco Community

Cisco Content Hub - Configure Client Posture Policies

Explanation

The command “snmp-server user user-name group-name [remote ip-address [udp-port port]] {v1 | v2c | v3 [encrypted] [auth {md5 | sha} auth-password]} [access access-list]” adds a new user (in this case “andy”) to an SNMPv3 group (in this case group name “myv3”) and configures a password for the user.

In the “snmp-server host” command, we need to:

+ Specify the SNMP version with key word “version {1 | 2 | 3}”

+ Specify the username (“andy”), not group name (“myv3”).

Note: In “snmp-server host inside …” command, “inside” is the interface name of the ASA interface through which the NMS (located at 10.255.254.1) can be reached.

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

The AES encryption algorithm encrypts and decrypts data in blocks of 128 bits (block size). It can do this using 128-bit, 192-bit, or 256-bit keys

According to the NIST 800-145 guide1, a community cloud is a cloud infrastructure that is provisioned for exclusive use by a specific community of consumers from organizations that have shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be owned, managed, and operated by one or more of the organizations in the community, a third party, or some combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises. A community cloud is different from a hybrid cloud, which is a composition of two or more distinct cloud infrastructures (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities, but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load balancing between clouds). A private cloud is a cloud infrastructure that is provisioned for exclusive use by a single organization comprising multiple consumers (e.g., business units). It may be owned, managed, and operated by the organization, a third party, or some combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises. A public cloud is a cloud infrastructure that is provisioned for open use by the general public. It may be owned, managed, and operated by a business, academic, or government organization, or some combination of them. It exists on the premises of the cloud provider. References :=

Some possible references are:

1: NIST SP 800-145, The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing, 1 2: Evaluation of Cloud Computing Services Based on NIST SP 800-145, 3 3: What Is Community Cloud? Definition, Architecture, Examples, and Best Practices, 6

 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

A NetFlow version 9 template record is a record that contains information about the fields that will be present in the data records that follow the template. A template record consists of a template ID, a field count, and a list of field types and lengths. A template record is sent periodically by the NetFlow exporter to the NetFlow collector, so that the collector can parse and interpret the data records correctly. A template record can also be requested by the collector using an options template record. The purpose of a template record is to define the format of data records, which contain the actual information about the IP flows1234.

A. It specifies the data format of NetFlow processes. - This is incorrect, because a template record does not specify the data format of NetFlow processes, but rather the data format of data records. NetFlow processes are the functions that perform flow creation, aggregation, export, and analysis on the NetFlow device or the collector. B. It provides a standardized set of information about an IP flow. - This is incorrect, because a template record does not provide any information about an IP flow, but rather the information about the fields that will be present in the data records. The data records are the ones that provide the information about an IP flow, such as source and destination IP addresses, ports, protocols, bytes, packets, timestamps, and so on. C. It defines the format of data records. - This is correct, because a template record defines the format of data records by specifying the field types and lengths that will be present in the data records. A template record allows the NetFlow collector to parse and interpret the data records correctly, and also enables the NetFlow exporter to use different formats for different types of flows. D. It serves as a unique identification number to distinguish individual data records. - This is incorrect, because a template record does not serve as a unique identification number, but rather as a description of the fields. A template record has a template ID, which is a 16-bit value that identifies the template record uniquely within an export packet, but this ID is not used to distinguish individual data records. The data records are distinguished by their position within the export packet and their association with a template record.

References := 1: NetFlow Version 9 Flow-Record Format [IP Application Services] - Cisco … 2: NetFlow V9 formats - IBM 3: Netflow :: Version 9 - Caligare 4: NetFlow Versions > NetFlow for Cybersecurity | Cisco Press

FlexVPN and DMVPN are both Cisco technologies that use point-to-point GRE tunnels to create dynamic VPN networks. However, they differ in some aspects, such as:

FlexVPN is a newer solution that requires newer hardware and IOS versions, while DMVPN is more widely supported on older devices1.

FlexVPN is based on IKEv2, which is a more robust and efficient protocol than IKEv1, which is used by DMVPN (although DMVPN can also use IKEv2)2.

FlexVPN uses static or virtual access interfaces for GRE tunnels, while DMVPN uses a single multipoint GRE interface. This allows more flexibility and visibility for FlexVPN tunnels2.

FlexVPN does not require NHRP registration for spokes to communicate with the hub, while DMVPN does. This simplifies the configuration and reduces the overhead of NHRP3.

FlexVPN has only one standard mode of operation, while DMVPN has three phases with different characteristics and configurations2.

References := 1: what is the difference between dmvpn and flexvpn 2: Cisco FlexVPN DMVPN, Part 1 - Overview and Design 3: DMVPN to FlexVPN Soft Migration Configuration Example

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

The functional difference between Cisco Secure Endpoint (formerly known as AMP for Endpoints) and Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client lies in their approach to security. Cisco Secure Endpoint is designed to prevent, detect, and respond to threats on the endpoint devices. It provides comprehensive protection by stopping and tracking malicious files and activities on hosts, utilizing continuous analysis and retrospective security to address threats at various stages of the attack continuum. On the other hand, Cisco Umbrella Roaming Client is focused on DNS and IP layer enforcement to prevent internet-based threats before a connection is established. It primarily tracks and blocks URL-based threats by enforcing security at the DNS layer, thus preventing access to malicious domains. Therefore, while Secure Endpoint provides broad endpoint protection against a variety of threats, the Umbrella Roaming Client specifically targets URL-based threats.

Cisco Advanced Phishing Protection (AAP) is a solution that helps organizations protect against fraudulent senders and identity deception-based attacks, such as business email compromise (BEC) and spear phishing. AAP uses advanced machine learning techniques, real-time behavior analytics, relationship modeling, and telemetry to perform two main functions12:

It determines if the email messages are malicious by assessing the threat posture of the sender and the content of the message. It also validates the reputation and authenticity of the sender by checking various indicators, such as the domain, the IP address, the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, the display name, the reply-to address, and the header information. AAP assigns a risk score to each email message and provides a verdict of clean, malicious, or suspicious. It also adds a banner to the email message to inform the recipient of the risk level and the recommended action.

It does a real-time user web browsing behavior analysis by monitoring the user’s interaction with the email message and the links embedded in it. It tracks the user’s clicks, mouse movements, dwell time, and other indicators to detect any signs of hesitation, confusion, or curiosity. It also analyzes the destination URL of the links and compares it with the known malicious websites. If AAP detects any anomalous or risky behavior, it intervenes with a warning message or a redirect page to educate the user and prevent them from falling victim to the phishing attack. References := 1: Cisco’s Security Innovations to Protect the Endpoint and Email 2: Cisco Advanced Phishing Protection - Cisco Video Portal

DMVPN and sVTI are both VPN technologies that use IPsec to secure the tunnel traffic. However, they differ in how they establish and manage the tunnels. DMVPN supports dynamic tunnel establishment, which means that the VPN endpoints can create and delete tunnels on demand, based on the routing information. This allows for a scalable and flexible VPN topology, where the endpoints can communicate directly with each other without going through a central hub. sVTI, on the other hand, supports static tunnel establishment, which means that the VPN endpoints have to manually configure the tunnel source and destination addresses. This requires a one-to-one mapping between the endpoints, and limits the VPN topology to a hub-and-spoke model, where the endpoints can only communicate with the hub. Therefore, DMVPN is more suitable for large and dynamic VPN networks, while sVTI is more suitable for small and stable VPN networks. References:

[Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0], Module 5: Secure Connectivity, Lesson 5.2: Implementing Site-to-Site VPNs, Topic 5.2.3: Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN)

what is difference between svti and DVTI? - Cisco Community

 The management port on Cisco FMC is used to establish a secure connection with the managed Cisco FTD devices. If the default management port (8305) conflicts with other communications on the network, it must be changed on both the Cisco FMC and the Cisco FTD devices. This cannot be done automatically by the Cisco FMC, as it would lose connectivity with the devices. Therefore, the administrator must manually change the management port on the Cisco FMC and all the managed Cisco FTD devices using the command line interface (CLI). The steps to change the management port are as follows:

Log into the CLI of the Cisco FMC and the Cisco FTD devices using a console connection or SSH.

Enter the configure network {ipv4 | ipv6} manual ip_address netmask data-interfaces command to change the management port on the Cisco FMC. For example, configure network ipv4 manual 10.10.10.10 255.255.255.0 data-interfaces changes the management port to 10.10.10.10/24.

Enter the configure network {ipv4 | ipv6} manual ip_address netmask gateway management-only command to change the management port on the Cisco FTD devices. For example, configure network ipv4 manual 10.10.10.11 255.255.255.0 10.10.10.10 management-only changes the management port to 10.10.10.11/24 and sets the gateway to the Cisco FMC’s management port.

Save the configuration and restart the Cisco FMC and the Cisco FTD devices.

Verify the connectivity between the Cisco FMC and the Cisco FTD devices using the show managers command on the Cisco FTD devices and the show devices command on the Cisco FMC.

References :=

Firepower Management Center Device Configuration Guide, 7.1 - Device Management

Change management port fmc 1600 - Cisco Community

Solved: FMC 2120 FTD Management Only Port - Cisco Community

Change the FMC Access Interface from Management to Data

 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. Cloudlock integrates with cloud applications like Dropbox and Office 365 by providing visibility, compliance, threat protection, and data security. Cloudlock can detect and prevent data exfiltration by applying data loss prevention (DLP) policies, encrypting sensitive data, and alerting or blocking unauthorized activities. Cloudlock also supports cloud app discovery and risk assessment, user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA), and cloud app firewall12. References: 1: Cisco Cloudlock - Cisco 2: Cisco Cloudlock Privacy Data Sheet

Explanation

Explanation

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.

Applications can subscribe to specific data items they need, by using standard-based YANG data models over NETCONF-YANG. Cisco IOS XE streaming telemetry allows to push data off of the device to an external collector at a much higher frequency, more efficiently, as well as data on-change streaming.

Explanation

Cross site scripting (also known as XSS) occurs when a web application gathers malicious data from a user. The data is usually gathered in the form of a hyperlink which contains malicious content within it. The user will most likely click on this link from another website, instant message, or simply just reading a web board or email message.

Usually the attacker will encode the malicious portion of the link to the site in HEX (or other encoding methods) so the request is less suspicious looking to the user when clicked on.

For example the code below is written in hex:

href=javascript:alert&#

x28'XSS')>Click Here

is equivalent to:

Click Here

Note: In the format “&#xhhhh“, hhhh is the code point in hexadecimal form.

Cisco Defense Orchestrator (CDO) is a cloud-based management solution that allows you to manage security policies and device configurations with ease across multiple Cisco and cloud-native security platforms. CDO centrally manages elements of policy and configuration across Cisco ASA, Cisco Firepower, Cisco Meraki, and AWS1. CDO also provides visibility, automation, and orchestration capabilities to simplify and unify security operations2. The other options are not cloud security software that can centrally manage policies on multiple platforms. Cisco Configuration Professional is a device management tool for Cisco routers and switches. Cisco Secureworks is a security services provider that offers threat intelligence and incident response. Cisco DNAC is a network controller that automates and assures services across campus, branch, and edge networks. References :=

Cisco Defense Orchestrator Data Sheet

Cisco Defense Orchestrator

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

Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud is a cloud-delivered and SaaS-based solution that provides visibility and threat detection across the AWS network. It does not require any software agents to be installed on the AWS instances, and it relies on AWS VPC flow logs to collect network traffic metadata. Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud analyzes the flow logs using machine learning and behavioral modeling to detect anomalies and threats, such as data exfiltration, lateral movement, reconnaissance, and compromised instances. Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud also provides contextual information and actionable alerts to help users respond to incidents and remediate issues.

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-delivered and SaaS-based solution that provides DNS-layer security and web filtering for internet traffic. It does not provide visibility and threat detection for internal AWS network traffic, and it requires software agents to be installed on the endpoints or network devices to enforce policies and redirect DNS requests.

NetFlow collectors are devices or software applications that collect and analyze NetFlow records, which are generated by network devices to capture information about IP traffic flows. NetFlow collectors can provide visibility and threat detection for network traffic, but they are not cloud-delivered or SaaS-based solutions. They also require NetFlow exporters to be configured on the network devices, which may not be supported by AWS.

Cisco Cloudlock is a cloud-delivered and SaaS-based solution that provides cloud security posture management (CSPM) and cloud access security broker (CASB) capabilities for cloud applications and environments. It does not provide visibility and threat detection for AWS network traffic, and it does not rely on AWS VPC flow logs. It focuses on protecting cloud data, users, and configurations from misconfigurations, compliance violations, and malicious activities. References :=

Cisco Stealthwatch Cloud for AWS

Cisco Umbrella

NetFlow

[Cisco Cloudlock]

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

Explanation

… we will showcase Cisco Threat Intelligence Director (CTID) an exciting feature on Cisco’s Firepower

Management Center (FMC) product offering that automates the operationalization of threat intelligence. TID has the ability to consume threat intelligence via STIX over TAXII and allows uploads/downloads of STIX and simple blacklists. Reference: https://blogs.cisco.com/developer/automate-threat-intelligence-using-cisco-threat-intelligencedirector

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

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.

Contextual awareness is the ability to collect and analyze information about the network environment, such as users, devices, applications, threats, and vulnerabilities, and use it to enhance security policies and actions. Cisco Firepower is a network security device that supports contextual awareness by providing real-time visibility into network traffic and activity, security intelligence from Cisco Talos and other sources, and advanced threat protection with Cisco AMP and sandboxing. Cisco Firepower can also leverage Cisco pxGrid to share contextual data with other security solutions, such as SIEM and TD platforms, to enable faster and more accurate threat detection and response123 References := 1: Cisco Firepower NGIPS Data Sheet - Cisco 2: Cisco Identity Services Engine with Integrated Security Information and Event Management and Threat Defense Platforms At-a-Glance - Cisco 3: A Visibility-Driven Approach to Next-Generation Firewalls

Network telemetry is a technology for gaining network insight and facilitating efficient and automated network management. It encompasses various techniques for remote data generation, collection, correlation, and consumption1. Network telemetry can be used for various purposes, such as network performance monitoring, security analysis, troubleshooting, and optimization. One of the applications of network telemetry is Layer 2 device discovery, which allows network operators to discover and map the physical topology of the network, including switches, routers, hosts, and links. Layer 2 device discovery can be achieved by using protocols such as Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) or Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP), which enable network devices to advertise their identity, capabilities, and neighbors to other devices on the same network segment. To enable Layer 2 device discovery, network telemetry must be enabled on the network devices, so that they can send and receive LLDP or CDP packets. This feature requires network telemetry to be enabled, because without it, the network devices would not be able to exchange information about their topology and configuration. Therefore, the correct answer is C. Layer 2 device discovery. References: 1: RFC 9232: Network Telemetry Framework - Internet Engineering Task Force

Explanation

The HMAC-SHA-1-96 (also known as HMAC-SHA-1) encryption technique is used by IPSec to ensure that a message has not been altered. (-> Therefore answer “integrity” is the best choice). HMAC-SHA-1 uses the SHA-1 specified in FIPS-190-1, combined with HMAC (as per RFC 2104), and is described in RFC 2404.

 A security application that notifies a controller within a software-defined network architecture about a specific security threat is using a northbound API. A northbound API is an interface that enables communication between the SDN controller and the applications or management systems that use the network services1. A security application can use a northbound API to send alerts, requests, or commands to the SDN controller, which can then take appropriate actions on the network devices or policies2. For example, a security application can use a northbound API to inform the SDN controller about a malicious traffic pattern, and the SDN controller can then block or redirect the traffic using a southbound API3.

 1: What is Software-Defined Networking (SDN)? | VMware Glossary 2: Intent-Based Networking’s Next Evolution: The DNA Center Platform - Cisco Blogs 3: Cisco SDN Security: Securing the Software Defined Network - Cisco

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 …

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

 ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload) is a cryptographic process that provides origin confidentiality, integrity, and origin authentication for packets. ESP encrypts the payload of an IP packet with a symmetric key, and adds a header and a trailer to the packet. The header contains a security parameter index (SPI) and a sequence number, which are used to identify the security association (SA) and prevent replay attacks. The trailer contains padding and a next header field, which are used to align the packet and indicate the type of the original payload. ESP also adds an authentication data field at the end of the packet, which contains a message authentication code (MAC) that is computed over the entire ESP packet (except for the authentication data field itself) using a secret key and a hash function. The MAC provides data integrity and origin authentication for the packet. ESP can operate in two modes: tunnel mode and transport mode. In tunnel mode, ESP encapsulates the entire original IP packet, including the IP header, and adds a new IP header. This mode provides protection for the entire packet, but adds more overhead. In transport mode, ESP only encapsulates the payload of the original IP packet, and leaves the IP header intact. This mode provides protection only for the payload, but preserves the original IP header information. ESP is one of the two main protocols of IPsec, along with AH (Authentication Header). AH only provides data integrity and origin authentication, but not confidentiality. AH adds a header to the IP packet, which contains a MAC that is computed over the immutable fields of the IP header and the entire payload. AH does not encrypt the payload, and therefore does not protect it from eavesdropping. AH can also operate in tunnel mode or transport mode, but it is incompatible with NAT devices, which modify the IP header fields. IKE (Internet Key Exchange) is a protocol that is used to establish and manage SAs for IPsec. IKE negotiates the security parameters, such as the encryption and authentication algorithms, the keys, and the SPIs, for the IPsec protocols. IKE also performs mutual authentication between the IPsec peers, and establishes a secure channel for exchanging keying material. IKE has two versions: IKEv1 and IKEv2. IKEv1 consists of two phases: phase 1 and phase 2. In phase 1, IKEv1 establishes an IKE SA, which is a secure channel for phase 2. In phase 2, IKEv1 negotiates one or more IPsec SAs, which are used to protect the IPsec traffic. IKEv2 simplifies the IKE protocol by combining the two phases of IKEv1 into a single exchange. IKEv2 also supports more features, such as NAT traversal, EAP authentication, and MOBIKE. References :=

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 3: VPN Technologies, Lesson 3.1: Site-to-Site VPNs, Topic 3.1.1: IPsec VPNs

IPsec - Wikipedia

AH and ESP protocols - IBM

How TLS provides identification, authentication, confidentiality, and integrity - IBM

The intelligent proxy is a feature of Cisco Umbrella that allows it to selectively inspect and proxy web requests for domains that are classified as risky or potentially malicious. These domains may contain both safe and harmful content, and the intelligent proxy can filter out the malicious files or URLs while allowing the benign ones to pass through. The intelligent proxy can also apply SSL decryption to inspect encrypted traffic and enforce policies based on the content or destination of the web requests. To enable the intelligent proxy, an engineer needs to configure it within the Cisco Umbrella dashboard and select the categories of domains that should be proxied. The categories are based on the domain reputation and security risk, and range from High Risk to Low Risk. The engineer can also customize the list of domains to include or exclude from the intelligent proxy. By configuring the intelligent proxy, the engineer can achieve the objectives of identifying and proxying traffic that is categorized as risky domains and may contain safe and malicious content. References :=

Some possible references are:

Enable the Intelligent Proxy - Umbrella User Guide, Cisco

Manage the Intelligent Proxy - Umbrella User Guide, Cisco

Intelligent Proxy in Cisco Umbrella how it works, Cisco Learning Network

What is the Intelligent Proxy? - MSP User Guide, Cisco

Cisco Umbrella Intelligent Proxy and SSL Decryption implementation, Cisco Community

accomplish the task is to install and configure the Cisco DUO Authentication Proxy and configure the identity source sequence within Cisco ISE. This will allow the engineer to integrate Cisco ISE with Cisco DUO for TACACS+ device administration using Active Directory as the primary authentication source and Cisco DUO as the secondary authentication source for multi-factor authentication (MFA). The steps to configure this solution are as follows12:

Install and configure the Cisco DUO Authentication Proxy on a Windows or Linux machine. The proxy will act as a RADIUS server that communicates with Cisco ISE and a RADIUS client that communicates with Cisco DUO cloud. The proxy will also connect to Active Directory for the primary authentication of the users.

Configure the proxy by editing the authproxy.cfg file. The file should include the following sections:

[ad_client]: This section defines the connection parameters to Active Directory, such as the host, service_account_username, service_account_password, and search_dn.

[radius_server_auto]: This section defines the RADIUS server parameters for the proxy, such as the ikey, skey, api_host, radius_ip_1, radius_secret_1, and client parameters. The ikey, skey, and api_host are obtained from the Cisco DUO web portal when creating a RADIUS application. The radius_ip_1 and radius_secret_1 are the IP address and shared secret of the Cisco ISE node that will send authentication requests to the proxy. The client parameter specifies the authentication method for Cisco DUO, such as auto, push, phone, or passcode.

[main]: This section defines the global settings for the proxy, such as the debug, log_max_size, and log_max_files parameters.

Restart the proxy service after saving the authproxy.cfg file.

Configure Cisco ISE as a TACACS+ server and add the proxy as an external RADIUS server. The steps are as follows:

Navigate to Administration > System > Deployment and enable the Device Administration Service on the appropriate node.

Navigate to Work Centers > Device Administration > Network Resources and add the network devices that will use TACACS+ for device administration. Specify the device name, IP address, device type, and shared secret.

Navigate to Work Centers > Device Administration > Network Access and add the proxy as an external RADIUS server. Specify the server name, IP address, port, shared secret, and timeout. Optionally, enable the Continue for additional authorization policy option to allow Cisco ISE to perform authorization based on the user’s Active Directory attributes after successful authentication by Cisco DUO.

Navigate to Work Centers > Device Administration > Policy Elements > Results > TACACS Profiles and create a TACACS profile for device administration. Specify the profile name, type, and custom attributes, such as the shell:roles and shell:priv-lvl attributes.

Navigate to Work Centers > Device Administration > Policy Sets and create a policy set for device administration. Specify the policy set name, conditions, and results. The conditions can be based on the device type, the protocol, or the identity source sequence. The results can be the TACACS profile and the external RADIUS server (the proxy).

Configure the network devices to use TACACS+ for device administration and specify Cisco ISE as the TACACS+ server and the proxy as the RADIUS server. The configuration commands may vary depending on the device type and model, but the general syntax is as follows:

aaa new-model

aaa authentication login default group tacacs+ local

aaa authorization exec default group tacacs+ local

aaa accounting exec default start-stop group tacacs+

tacacs server ISE

address ipv4

key

radius server DUO

address ipv4 auth-port

key

Test the solution by logging into the network devices using Active Directory credentials. The user should receive a Cisco DUO prompt for the second factor authentication, such as a push notification, a phone call, or a passcode. After approving the second factor authentication, the user should be granted access to the device with the appropriate privileges based on the TACACS profile and the Active Directory attributes.

References := 1: Duo MFA Integration with ISE for TACACS+ Device Administration with Microsoft Active Directory Users - Cisco Community 2: Protecting Access to Network devices with ISE TACACS+ and DUO MFA - Cisco Community

DNS tunneling is a technique that uses the DNS protocol to exfiltrate data or establish command and control channels between a compromised host and an attacker-controlled server. DNS tunneling can bypass network security controls that allow outbound DNS traffic without inspection or filtering. To stop DNS tunneling, two recommended approaches are:

Enforce security over port 53. This means applying firewall rules, access control lists, or other mechanisms to restrict outbound DNS traffic to only authorized DNS servers and domains. Additionally, DNS traffic should be inspected and analyzed for anomalies, such as unusually large or frequent queries, non-standard encoding, or suspicious domains. This can help detect and block DNS tunneling attempts.

Use Cisco Umbrella. Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-based security service that provides DNS security, web filtering, and threat intelligence. Cisco Umbrella can prevent DNS tunneling by blocking malicious domains, enforcing policies based on content categories, and applying machine learning to identify and stop emerging threats. Cisco Umbrella can also provide visibility and reporting on DNS activity and security events.

References :=

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 5: Securing the Cloud, Lesson 5.2: DNS Security

What Is DNS Tunneling? - Palo Alto Networks

An Introduction to DNS Tunneling Detection & Data Exfiltration via DNS - Vercara

SQL injection attacks are a type of code injection technique that exploit the use of dynamic SQL queries in web applications. Attackers can inject malicious SQL statements into user input fields, such as login forms, search boxes, or URLs, and execute them on the underlying database. This can result in unauthorized access, data theft, data corruption, or denial of service.

To prevent SQL injection attacks, web developers should use the following techniques:

Use prepared statements and parameterized queries: Prepared statements are SQL queries that are precompiled and executed with user-supplied parameters. Parameterized queries are SQL queries that use placeholders for user input and bind them to actual values at runtime. Both techniques separate the SQL code from the user input, making it impossible for attackers to inject SQL commands into the query. For example, in Java, PreparedStatement is a class that implements parameterized queries. In PHP, PDO and mysqli are extensions that support prepared statements.

Block SQL code execution in the web application database login: Web applications should use a dedicated database user account with limited privileges to connect to the database. This account should only have the permissions necessary to perform the required operations, such as select, insert, update, or delete. It should not have the permissions to execute arbitrary SQL commands, such as create, drop, alter, grant, or revoke. This way, even if an attacker manages to inject SQL code into the query, the database will reject it due to insufficient privileges.

Explanation

The command “crypto isakmp identity address 172.19.20.24” is not valid. We can only use “crypto isakmp

identity {address | hostname}. The following example uses preshared keys at two peers and sets both their

ISAKMP identities to the IP address.

At the local peer (at 10.0.0.1) the ISAKMP identity is set and the preshared key is specified:

crypto isakmp identity address

crypto isakmp key sharedkeystring address 192.168.1.33

At the remote peer (at 192.168.1.33) the ISAKMP identity is set and the same preshared key is specified:

crypto isakmp identity address

crypto isakmp key sharedkeystring address 10.0.0.1

Cisco DNA Center is an open and extensible platform that allows third-party applications and processes to exchange data and intelligence with Cisco DNA Center1. One of the features of the open platform capabilities of Cisco DNA Center is the intent-based APIs, which enable DNA Center to provide automation to applications2. Intent-based APIs allow applications to express their intent or desired outcome, and let DNA Center translate that intent into network configurations and policies3. Intent-based APIs simplify the interaction between applications and the network, and enable faster and more consistent service delivery.

 1: Cisco DNA Center 2.3.5 Data Sheet - Cisco 2: Intent-Based Networking’s Next Evolution: The DNA Center Platform - Cisco Blogs 3: Unlocking the Power of Open Platforms with Cisco DNA Center Platform

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.

Threat intelligence is the term for having information about threats and threat actors that helps mitigate harmful events that would otherwise compromise networks or systems. Threat intelligence is the result of collecting, analyzing, and contextualizing data from various sources, such as network traffic, logs, feeds, reports, etc. Threat intelligence provides insights into the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of adversaries, as well as their motivations, intentions, and capabilities. Threat intelligence can help organizations to detect, prevent, and respond to cyberattacks, as well as to improve their security posture and resilience12. The other options are not correct, because they are not terms for having information about threats and threat actors. Trusted automated exchange is a concept that refers to the sharing of threat intelligence among trusted entities in a timely and secure manner3. Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) are pieces of forensic data, such as IP addresses, domains, hashes, etc., that indicate a potential intrusion or compromise of a system or network. The Exploit Database is a public repository of exploits and vulnerable software, maintained by Offensive Security. References:

1: What is Cyber Threat Intelligence? - Cisco

2: Cisco Talos Intelligence Group - Comprehensive Threat Intelligence

3: Trusted Automated Exchange of Intelligence Information (TAXII™) Version 2.0

[4]: What Are Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)? - Cisco

[5]: The Exploit Database - Exploits for Penetration Testers, Researchers, and Ethical Hackers

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

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

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.

The correct command to configure the new router to use 192.168.1.110 as its primary time source without the new router attempting to offer time to existing devices is ntp server 192.168.1.110 key 1 prefer. This command specifies that the new router will act as an NTP client and synchronize its time with the NTP server at 192.168.1.110, using the authentication key 1 and giving preference to this server over other possible servers. The prefer keyword indicates that this server is preferred over other servers with the same stratum number. The ntp server command is different from the ntp peer command, which configures the new router to act as an NTP peer and exchange time information with another NTP device. A peer relationship is bidirectional and symmetric, meaning that both devices can provide and receive time information from each other. A client-server relationship is unidirectional and asymmetric, meaning that the client only receives time information from the server and does not provide any time information to the server. Therefore, the ntp peer command is not suitable for the scenario, as it would make the new router attempt to offer time to existing devices, which is not desired. The primary keyword is not a valid option for either the ntp server or the ntp peer command, and it would cause a syntax error. References :=

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.3: Network Time Protocol

Configuring NTP - Cisco, Configuring NTP on the Switch, Configuring NTP in Client Mode

NTP Commands - Cisco, ntp server, ntp peer

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

Application layer protocols can represent the same data in a variety of ways. The Firepower System provides

application layer protocol decoders that normalize specific types of packet data into formats that the intrusion

rules engine can analyze. Normalizing application-layer protocol encodings allows the rules engine to effectively

apply the same content-related rules to packets whose data is represented differently and obtain meaningful

results.

A serverless application is one that does not require the developer to manage the underlying infrastructure or servers. Instead, the application code is executed by a cloud provider in response to events or triggers, such as HTTP requests, database changes, or messages. The cloud provider automatically provisions, scales, and manages the resources needed to run the code, and charges only for the time and resources consumed by the execution. A serverless application runs from an ephemeral, event-triggered, and stateless container that is fully managed by a cloud provider. This means that the container is created on demand when an event occurs, and is destroyed when the execution is completed. The container does not store any persistent state or data, and is isolated from other containers. The cloud provider handles the load balancing, fault tolerance, security, and monitoring of the container. A serverless application can leverage various cloud services, such as databases, storage, messaging, analytics, and machine learning, to perform complex tasks and functionalities. Serverless computing is a cloud-native development model that enables developers to focus on the business logic and deliver faster and more scalable applications. References:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 8: Cloud and Virtual Network Security, Lesson 8.1: Cloud Computing Concepts

What is serverless? - Red Hat

Serverless computing and applications | Microsoft Azure

Flood attacks are a type of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks that aim to saturate the bandwidth or resources of a target by sending a large number of packets or requests. Flood attacks can be classified into different categories based on the protocol or layer they target, such as ICMP, UDP, TCP SYN, HTTP, DNS, etc. Flood attacks can also be distributed (DDoS) if they involve multiple sources of attack traffic, such as compromised devices or servers123. References := 1: Denial of Service - OWASP Cheat Sheet Series 2: What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack? | Cloudflare 3: Types of DOS attacks - GeeksforGeeks

Cisco AnyConnect is a client-based VPN solution that provides secure remote access for individual users from their machines. It allows customization of access policies based on user identity, such as group membership, device posture, or location. This enables granular control over who can access what resources on the network. Cisco AnyConnect also supports various authentication methods, such as certificates, multifactor authentication, or single sign-on. Cisco AnyConnect can be deployed with Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) or Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) as the VPN headend.

Cisco DMVPN is a network-based VPN solution that provides dynamic, on-demand, and scalable connectivity for branch offices, teleworkers, and business partners. It uses multipoint GRE (mGRE) tunnels and Next Hop Resolution Protocol (NHRP) to establish direct spoke-to-spoke communications without traversing the hub. It also supports IPsec encryption and various routing protocols over the tunnel. Cisco DMVPN can be deployed with Cisco IOS routers as the VPN headend.

The advantages of using Cisco AnyConnect over DMVPN are:

It enables VPN access for individual users from their machines, which is useful for mobile workers or telecommuters who need to connect to the network from anywhere.

It allows customization of access policies based on user identity, which is useful for enforcing security and compliance requirements for different types of users or devices.

The advantages of using DMVPN over Cisco AnyConnect are:

It provides spoke-to-spoke communications without traversing the hub, which reduces latency and bandwidth consumption for traffic between remote sites.

It allows different routing protocols to work over the tunnel, which provides flexibility and scalability for network design and management.

Joining Cisco WSAs to an appliance group simplifies the task of patching multiple appliances. An appliance group is a collection of WSAs that share the same configuration settings and software versions. Administrators can use appliance groups to apply configuration changes and software updates to multiple WSAs at once, instead of performing these tasks individually for each appliance12. This reduces the administrative overhead and ensures consistency across the WSAs. References:

Appliance groups, section “Appliance Groups”.

What is the purpose of joining Cisco WSAs to an appliance group?

The correct answer is to enable two-factor authentication through a RADIUS server, and then join the cluster via the SEG CLI. Two-factor authentication is a security feature that requires users to provide two forms of identification before accessing the SEG, such as a username and password, and a one-time code or token. This adds an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access and phishing attacks. The SEG supports two-factor authentication through external RADIUS servers, which can be configured on the System Administration > Users page in the web interface, or the userconfig command in the CLI. See User Guide for AsyncOS 14.0 for Cisco Secure Email Gateway - GD (General Deployment) (Section: Two-Factor Authentication) for more details.

To join a cluster, the SEG must communicate with other cluster members using either SSH or CCS (Cluster Communication Service). The cluster communication port and method can be configured on the Network > Cluster Communication page in the web interface, or the clusterconfig command in the CLI. See User Guide for AsyncOS 14.0 for Cisco Secure Email Gateway - GD (General Deployment) (Section: Cluster Communication) for more details.

If two-factor authentication is enabled on the SEG, it cannot join a cluster using the web interface, because the web interface does not support two-factor authentication for cluster operations. Therefore, the SEG must join the cluster using the CLI, and provide a pre-shared key that matches the cluster’s admin passphrase. The pre-shared key can be configured using the clusterconfig > prepjoin command in the CLI. See User Guide for AsyncOS 14.0 for Cisco Secure Email Gateway - GD (General Deployment) (Section: Creating and Joining a Cluster) for more details.

The other options are incorrect because they either use the wrong authentication server (TACACS+ instead of RADIUS), or the wrong communication method (GUI instead of CLI). References:

User Guide for AsyncOS 14.0 for Cisco Secure Email Gateway - GD (General Deployment)

Configure an Email Security Appliance (ESA) Cluster - Cisco

The correct command to log all events to a destination collector is flow-export event-type all destination 209.165.201.10. This command configures a flow-export action that sends all NSEL events to the specified IP address. NSEL events include flow-create, flow-teardown, flow-denied, and flow-update events. The command must be entered in the policy-map class configuration mode, after defining a policy-map and a class-map that match the traffic and event type. The other commands are incorrect because they either specify the wrong event type (flow-update instead of all) or the wrong destination IP address (209.165.201 instead of 209.165.201.10). References :=

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 5: Securing the Cloud, Lesson 5.2: DNS Security

Cisco Secure Firewall ASA NetFlow Implementation Guide

Configuring Cisco ASA for NetFlow Export via CLI – Plixer

 The strongest security possible for SNMPv3 requires both authentication and encryption, which is achieved by using the priv security level. Authentication ensures that the message is from a valid source, and encryption scrambles the content of the packet to prevent it from being learned by an unauthorized source. The auth sha and priv aes 256 parameters specify the algorithms used for authentication and encryption, respectively. SHA is more secure than MD5, and AES 256 is more secure than DES or 3DES. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as it uses the priv security level, the SHA algorithm for authentication, and the AES 256 algorithm for encryption. The other options either use a lower security level (noauth or authNoPriv), a weaker encryption algorithm (des or 3des), or no encryption at all. References :=

SNMP Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE Release 3SE (Catalyst 3850 Switches) - SNMP Version 3

Configuration Template for SNMPv3 - Cisco Community

SNMP Version 3 - Cisco

to configure GigabitEthernet0/1 as promiscuous port, GigabitEthernet0/2 as isolated port and GigabitEthernet0/3 and GrgabitEthernet0/4 as community ports. This way, the default gateway can communicate with all servers, the isolated port can only communicate with the promiscuous port, and the community ports can communicate with each other and the promiscuous port. This prevents the file server from communicating with the DNS servers, as required by the question.

To understand the concept of private VLANs and port types, you can refer to the following sections of the source book:

Section 1.1.2: Describe the concepts of network security

Section 1.1.2.1: Describe the concepts of private VLANs

Section 1.1.2.2: Describe the concepts of port types

Section 1.1.2.3: Describe the concepts of PVLAN edge

Section 1.1.2.4: Describe the concepts of protected ports

Section 1.1.2.5: Describe the concepts of PVLAN configuration

 PAC files are scripts that tell web browsers how to use proxies on the network. They use if-else statements to determine whether to use a proxy or a direct connection for traffic between the PC and the host, based on criteria such as the destination URL, the source IP address, or the network subnet12. The WSA can host PAC files on port 9001 by default, and this port can be changed in the PAC file hosting settings2. If the WSA host port is changed, the default port does not redirect web traffic to the correct port automatically; the browser needs to point to the new port in the PAC file URL2. The WSA does not host PAC files on port 6001 by default2. PAC files do not direct traffic through a proxy when the PC and the host are on the same subnet by default; this behavior depends on the PAC file logic12. References:

PAC file format

PAC file hosting on WSA

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.

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:

Explanation

Because MAB uses the MAC address as a username and password, you should make sure that the RADIUS server can differentiate MAB requests from other types of requests for network access. This precaution will prevent other clients from attempting to use a MAC address as a valid credential. Cisco switches uniquely

identify MAB requests by setting Attribute 6 (Service-Type) to 10 (Call-Check) in a MAB Access-Request

message. Therefore, you can use Attribute 6 to filter MAB requests at the RADIUS server.

PFS stands for Perfect Forward Secrecy, which is a property of some cryptographic protocols that ensures that the compromise of a long-term key does not affect the security of past or future sessions. PFS provides the highest level of protection against brute-force attacks, because even if an attacker manages to break the long-term key, they cannot decrypt the previous or subsequent communications that use different session keys. PFS is achieved by using ephemeral or temporary keys that are derived from a Diffie-Hellman key exchange, and are not based on the long-term key. Therefore, each session has a unique and independent key that is not stored or reused. PFS is supported by some protocols such as TLS, SSH, and IPsec123. References := 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 4: Securing Networks with Cisco Firepower Next Generation IPS, Lesson 4.1: Deploying Cisco Firepower Next-Generation IPS, Topic 4.1.2: Cisco Firepower NGIPS Device Management 2: What is Perfect Forward Secrecy? | Baeldung on Computer Science4 3: Perfect Forward Secrecy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics5

The RAT (Recipient Access Table) is the list that contains the allowed recipient addresses on the Cisco ESA. The RAT controls whether the ESA accepts or rejects messages to a recipient address based on the sender group and the mail policy. The RAT can be configured to allow, relay, or reject messages to specific recipients or domains. The RAT can also be used to apply different message filters or content filters to different recipient groups12. References: 1: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) course, Module 2: Network Security, Lesson 3: Deploying Cisco Email Security Appliance, Topic: Configuring Mail Policies2: Cisco Email Security Appliance User Guide, Release 13.5 - Configuring Mail Policies [Cisco Secure Email Gateway] - Cisco.

Multiple context mode allows you to partition a single ASA into multiple virtual firewalls, each with its own security policy, interfaces, and management IP address. This mode is useful for providing security services to different customers or tenants on a shared appliance, while maintaining separation of management and configuration. Each context acts as an independent device and can be in either routed or transparent mode. You can also assign different administrators to each context and limit their access to specific commands and features. Multiple context mode is supported in Cisco ACI with the ASA device package version 1.2 or later. References: 

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/1-x/L4-L7_Service_Graph_Deployment_Guide/b_L4L7_Service_Graph_Deploy_ver122g/b_L4L7_Service_Graph_Deploy_ver122x_chapter_0110.pdf

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/asa/asa96/configuration/general/asa-96-general-config/intro-fw.html

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.

 The Decrypt for Application Detection feature within the WSA Decryption options enhances the ability of AsyncOS to detect HTTPS applications. The HTTPS Proxy can decrypt HTTPS connections to web applications. This allows the Application Visibility and Control (AVC) engine to more accurately detect and block web applications that use HTTPS. This feature can help improve the security and performance of the network by identifying and controlling the usage of web applications that may consume bandwidth, pose security risks, or violate compliance policies.

Explanation

The syntax of this command is shown below:

snmp-server group [group-name {v1 | v2c | v3 [auth | noauth | priv]}] [read read-view] [write write-view] [notify notify-view] [access access-list]

The command above restricts which IP source addresses are allowed to access SNMP functions on the router. You could restrict SNMP access by simply applying an interface ACL to block incoming SNMP packets that don’t come from trusted servers. However, this would not be as effective as using the global SNMP commands shown in this recipe. Because you can apply this method once for the whole router, it is much simpler than applying ACLs to block SNMP on all interfaces separately. Also, using interface ACLs would block not only SNMP packets intended for this router, but also may stop SNMP packets that just happened to be passing through on their way to some other destination device.

Explanation

Cisco Tetration platform studies the behavior of the various processes and applications in the workload,

measuring them against known bad behavior sequences. It also factors in the process hashes it collects. By

studying various sets of malwares, the Tetration Analytics engineering team deconstructed it back into its basic

building blocks. Therefore, the platform understands clear and crisp definitions of these building blocks and

watches for them.

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.

Microsegmentation is a technique that divides a network into smaller segments or zones, each with its own security policies and controls. This helps to isolate and protect workloads and applications from each other, and limit the lateral movement of threats within the network. Microsegmentation can be applied to different platforms and environments, such as virtual machines, containers, cloud services, and endpoints. Microsegmentation can also improve the visibility and enforcement of network traffic, as well as the performance and scalability of security solutions.

In the context of applications or containers on the same node, microsegmentation can limit the communication between them by enforcing granular policies based on attributes such as identity, context, and behavior. For example, microsegmentation can restrict which ports, protocols, or services are allowed for each application or container, and block any unauthorized or malicious traffic. Microsegmentation can also prevent the exposure of sensitive data or resources to other applications or containers on the same node, or to external attackers who may compromise one of them.

Container orchestration, microservicing, and Software-Defined Access are not directly related to limiting the communication between applications or containers on the same node. Container orchestration is a process of managing the lifecycle, deployment, and scaling of containers across a cluster of nodes. Microservicing is an architectural style of developing applications as a collection of loosely coupled, independent, and modular services. Software-Defined Access is a network architecture that abstracts the network infrastructure from the network policies, and enables consistent and secure access to any application or service across any domain. References:

Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0, Module 5: Securing the Cloud, Lesson 5.1: Describing Cloud Computing and Deployment Models, Topic 5.1.4: Microsegmentation

What Is Micro-Segmentation? - Cisco

Communicating With Docker Containers on the Same Machine - Baeldung on Ops

 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

Explanation

ETHOS is the Cisco file grouping engine. It allows us to group families of files together so if we see variants of

a malware, we mark the ETHOS hash as malicious and whole families of malware are instantly detected.

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