In Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) Application Control policies, applications are managed through lists: an Allowed list (applications approved for use) and a Blocked list (applications restricted or prohibited). When a user encounters an application that is not explicitly on either the Allowed or Blocked list, it falls into a neutral category.

For accessing this application, the typical process includes:

Requesting an Override:The user can initiate a request to temporarily or permanently allow access to the application. This process usually involves contacting the administrator or following a specified override protocol to gain necessary permissions.

Administrator Review:Upon receiving the override request, the administrator evaluates the application to ensure it aligns with organizational security policies and compliance standards.

Override Approval:If deemed safe, the application may be added to the Allowed list, granting the user access.

This request mechanism ensures that unlisted appli

Living off the land(LOTL) is a tactic where adversaries leverageexisting tools and resources within the environmentfor malicious purposes. This approach minimizes the need to introduce new, detectable malware, instead using trusted system utilities and software already present on the network.

Characteristics of Living off the Land:

LOTL attacks make use of built-in utilities, such as PowerShell or Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), to conduct malicious operations without triggering traditional malware defenses.

This method is stealthy and often bypasses signature-based detection, as the tools used are legitimate components of the operating system.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

Opportunistic attack(Option A) refers to attacks that exploit easily accessible vulnerabilities rather than using internal resources.

File-less attack(Option B) is a broader category that includes but is not limited to LOTL techniques.

Script kiddies(Option C) describes inexperienced attackers who use pre-made scripts rather than sophisticated, environment-specific tactics.

References: Living off the land tactics leverage the environment’s own tools, making them difficult to detect and prevent using conventional anti-malware strategies​.

In Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) Application Control policies, applications are managed through lists: an Allowed list (applications approved for use) and a Blocked list (applications restricted or prohibited). When a user encounters an application that is not explicitly on either the Allowed or Blocked list, it falls into a neutral category.

For accessing this application, the typical process includes:

Requesting an Override:The user can initiate a request to temporarily or permanently allow access to the application. This process usually involves contacting the administrator or following a specified override protocol to gain necessary permissions.

Administrator Review:Upon receiving the override request, the administrator evaluates the application to ensure it aligns with organizational security policies and compliance standards.

Override Approval:If deemed safe, the application may be added to the Allowed list, granting the user access.

This request mechanism ensures that unlisted appli

TheIntrusion Prevention System (IPS)in Symantec Endpoint Security (SES) plays a crucial role in defending against data leakage during a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. Here’s how IPS protects in such scenarios:

Threat Detection:IPS monitors network traffic in real-time, identifying and blocking suspicious patterns that could indicate an MITM attack, such as unauthorized access attempts or abnormal packet patterns.

Prevention of Data Interception:By blocking these threats, IPS prevents malicious actors from intercepting or redirecting user data, thus safeguarding against data leakage.

Automatic Response:IPS is designed to respond immediately, ensuring that attacks are detected and mitigated before sensitive data can be compromised.

By providing proactive protection, IPS ensures that data remains secure even in the face of potential MITM threats.

If an administrator modifies theVirus and Spyware Protection policyto disable Auto-Protect, but finds it still enabled on the client, the likely cause is that the setting was not locked. In Symantec EndpointProtection policies, enabling thepadlock iconnext to a setting ensures that the policy is enforced strictly, overriding local client configurations. Without this lock, clients may retain previous settings despite the new policy. Locking the setting guarantees that the desired configuration is applied consistently across all clients within the specified group.

ThePush Discoveryprocess in Symantec Endpoint Protection requires theLocalAccountTokenFilterPolicyregistry value to be configured on Windows endpoints. This registry setting enables remote management and discovery operations by allowing administrator credentials to pass correctly when discovering and deploying SEP clients.

Purpose of LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy:

By adding this value to the Windows registry, administrators ensure that SEP can discover endpoints on the network and initiate installations or other management tasks without being blocked by local account filtering.

How to Configure the Registry:

The administrator should addLocalAccountTokenFilterPolicyin the Windows Registry underHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System and set it to 1.

This configuration allows for remote actions essential forPush Discovery.

Reasoning Against Other Options:

Push EnrollmentandDevice Enrollmentare distinct processes and do not require this registry setting.

Auto Discoverypassively finds systems and does not rely on registry changes for remote access.

References: Configuring theLocalAccountTokenFilterPolicyregistry value is necessary for enabling remote management functions during the Push Discovery process in SEP​.

Totemporarily or permanently block a file, the administrator should use theDeny Listoption. Adding a file to the Deny List prevents it from executing or being accessed on the system, providing a straightforward way to block suspicious or unwanted files.

Functionality of Deny List:

Files on the Deny List are effectively blocked from running, which can be applied either temporarily or permanently depending on security requirements.

This list allows administrators to manage potentially malicious files by preventing them from executing across endpoints.

Why Other Options Are Not Suitable:

Delete(Option A) is a one-time action and does not prevent future attempts to reintroduce the file.

Hide(Option B) conceals files but does not restrict access.

Encrypt(Option C) secures the file’s data but does not prevent access or execution.

References: The Deny List feature in Symantec provides a robust mechanism for blocking files across endpoints, ensuring controlled access​.