350-201 Performing CyberOps Using Core Security Technologies (CBRCOR) Question and Answers

One limitation of cyber security risk insurance is that it often does not cover the costs of damage done by third parties as a result of a cyber attack. This can include damages that result from the actions of partners, suppliers, or other external entities affected by the attack

The command that was executed in PowerShell to generate the log shown in the exhibit is Get-WinEvent -ListLog* -ComputerName localhost. This command is used to list all event logs and their properties on the local computer. The inclusion of -ComputerName localhost specifies that the command should target the local machine, which is consistent with the details provided in the log exhibit. The output format displayed in the exhibit, showing details such as “Max (K)”, “Retain”, “OverflowAction”, “Entries”, and “Log”, matches the typical output of the Get-WinEvent cmdlet when used with the -ListLog parameter.

References :=

PowerShell documentation on the Get-WinEvent cmdlet.

Best practices for using PowerShell to manage Windows event logs.

 In this scenario, the employee’s installation of remote access software at the behest of a fraudulent “MS Support” technician and the subsequent suspicious request for payment in gift cards are strong indicators of a social engineering attack. The presence of unencrypted database files on the system, coupled with the technician’s remote access, raises legitimate concerns about data disclosure. While HTTPS encrypts the data in transit, it does not prevent the remote user from copying files. Without concrete evidence, such as network logs showing data transfer, it is challenging to confirm the disclosure. However, given the circumstances, it is prudent to operate under the assumption that the database files could have been accessed and potentially copied during the remote session. The organization should follow its incident response protocol, which includes conducting a thorough investigation, changing passwords, and monitoring for potential data misuse.

References:

Cisco’s CyberOps curriculum emphasizes the importance of understanding security procedures and incident handling, which would include responding to potential data disclosure incidents1.

The Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview outlines knowledge areas such as security concepts and intrusion analysis, relevant to investigating and responding to security incidents

Threat intelligence tools primarily search the Internet to identify potential malicious IP addresses, domain names, and URLs. They scour various online sources, including databases of known threats, security forums, and other cyber threat intelligence feeds to gather information. This data is then used to update their internal databases and protect against known and emerging threats.

 To review packet overviews of SNORT alerts without including all the packet headers, which can result in excessively large files, the engineer should modify the output module rule to use the “alert_fast” option. This option allows SNORT to log alerts in a ‘fast’ format, which includes the timestamp, alert message, and the IP addresses and ports involved, but omits the packet headers. The correct syntax for this action would be output alert_fast: output filename, where ‘filename’ is the desired name for the alert log file.

 Data ingestion is the process of moving data from one or more sources to a destination where it can be stored and further analyzed. When an engineer moves data from NAS servers in different departments to a combined storage database, they are engaging in data ingestion. This process allows the data to be centralized and made readily accessible for on-demand analysis by the organization1.

The connection status of the ICMP event is indicated as “allowed” by a configured access policy rule. This is determined by the Access Control Rule Action column in the security event monitoring interface, which shows that the event was not blocked but permitted through the network based on an existing access policy rule. This suggests that the ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) traffic was evaluated against the access policy and was found to comply with the rules set within the policy, thus being allowed to proceed.

References:

The Performing CyberOps Using Cisco Security Technologies (CBRCOR) course guides learners through cybersecurity operations fundamentals, including how to interpret security event logs and understand access control policies1.

The Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate certification provides knowledge on monitoring, detecting, and responding to cybersecurity threats, which includes understanding the significance of access control rules in network traffic management2.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, engineers should configure shorter timeout periods to reduce the number of inactive sessions that can accumulate and potentially crash the system. Additionally, determining API rate-limiting requirements will help control the spike of API call requests by limiting the number of calls a user can make within a given time frame, thus preventing overloading the system

In the context of REST API authentication, the process typically involves the REST client first obtaining an access token by providing the necessary credentials, which usually include a password. Once the REST client has the access token, it uses this token to request access to a specific resource on the server. The REST API then validates the provided access token to ensure it is correct and has not expired. If the token is valid, the REST API grants the client access to the requested resource. This method ensures that only authenticated clients can access resources, providing a layer of security for the API.

When an intrusion event is detected and personal data has been accessed, the immediate action to contain the attack is to disconnect the affected server from the network. This prevents the attacker from accessing more resources or causing further damage and allows the organization to begin the process of investigating and eradicating the threat

If management decides not to prioritize fixing the vulnerabilities and accepts them, the next step for the engineer is to acknowledge the vulnerabilities and document the risk. This involves recording the decision and the rationale behind it, assessing the potential impact, and ensuring that there is a clear understanding of the risks being accepted. This documentation is crucial for future reference and accountability, and it may also include recommendations for mitigating the risk where possible

 When addressing detected vulnerabilities, it is crucial to first evaluate the potential service disruption and associated risks before prioritizing patches. This approach ensures that the most critical services remain operational and that the patches are applied in a manner that minimizes impact on business operations. It is important to consider the severity of the vulnerabilities, the importance of the affected systems, and the potential consequences of applying patches, which may require system reboots or could lead to compatibility issues with other applications123.

References:

Cisco’s Performing CyberOps Using Cisco Security Technologies (CBRCOR) course provides guidance on cybersecurity operations, including vulnerability management and mitigation strategies1.

The CBRCOR Exam Topics outline the importance of evaluating the security posture of an asset and determining patching recommendations based on scenarios, which aligns with the recommended mitigation step of evaluating service disruption and associated risk2.

Industry best practices for vulnerability management also emphasize the need to assess the impact of patches and to prioritize them based on the risk to the organization

 Once the SOC analyst has stopped the malware from spreading and identified the attacking host, the next step in the incident response workflow is eradication and recovery. This involves removing the malware from all infected systems and restoring affected systems to normal operation. It’s important to ensure that the malware is completely eradicated to prevent it from reactivating or spreading

The chmod command is used in Unix and Unix-like operating systems to change the file system modes of files and directories. The modes determine the permissions granted to the owner, group, and others. The command chmod 777 sets the mode of the file to be readable, writable, and executable by everyone. The number 777 corresponds to the permissions rwxrwxrwx, where r is read, w is write, and x is execute. This command is generally not recommended for use on a production system as it gives full permissions to every user, which can pose a significant security risk1.

A European-based advertisement company that collects tracking information from partner websites must adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). GDPR is the standard that governs data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. It provides guidelines on how personal data should be collected, processed, and stored, ensuring that individuals’ data is protected and that companies are transparent about their data handling practices

 One of the principles of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is that system maintenance tasks, which were traditionally performed manually, are now automated and managed bysoftware systems567. This allows for consistent, repeatable routines for provisioning and changing systems and their configuration, with changes made to definitions and then rolled out to systems through unattended processes that include thorough validation7.

The behaviors that triggered the User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) are the employee logging in during non-working hours and from a first-seen country. UEBA systems are designed to detect anomalies in user behavior that could indicate security threats. Logging in from a new location, especially during unusual hours, deviates from the user’s typical behavior patterns and raises flags about potential unauthorized access or compromised credentials.

When an unauthorized person gains access to a secured premise, the immediate step is to understand the extent of the breach. This involves tracking the movement of the attacker within the enterprise to determine which areas were compromised. Identifying the attacker’s movement helps in assessing the potential impact and aids in the development of an appropriate response plan. It is crucial to understand where the attacker went and what they had access to before further steps can be taken, such as changing access controls or determining the assets that might have been handled or acquired

The sudo sysdiagnose command is a comprehensive diagnostic tool on macOS that gathers system logs and other detailed information which can be useful for troubleshooting issues such as missing files and high network usage12. It can help identify any system anomalies or security issues that may have led to the disappearance of files and the clearing of browser history.

The Cisco Advanced Malware Protection report indicates several behavioral indicators with high severity scores, which suggests that malicious activity has been detected. However, there is no specific indicator in the report that states that files have been modified. Therefore, while the threat scores are high due to the detected malicious activity, we cannot conclude that any files have been modified based on the information provided in the report. This underscores the importance of analyzing the detailed indicators in such reports to accurately understand the nature of the threat and the actions taken by the malware.

 To automate the task of receiving alerts and processing data for further investigations, the script must include the variables that allow it to communicate with the SIEM console. These would typically be the console’s IP address (console_ip) and an authentication token (api_token) to establish a secure connection and access the necessary data2.

Idempotence is a property of certain operations in mathematics and computer science whereby they can be applied multiple times without changing the result beyond the initial application1. In the context of system operations, particularly in software deployment, an idempotent operation will produce the same result whether it is executed once or multiple times. This means that the operation can set the target environment configuration to a desired state no matter what the current state is

The error message “The Group Policy Client service failed to logon – Access is denied” suggests a problem with user permissions, which are managed by group policies in Windows environments. The unexpected modifications to system settings further indicate that an unauthorized user or process has gained higher-level permissions than originally assigned. This scenario is characteristic of an elevation of privileges breach, where an attacker gains elevated access to resources that are normally protected from an application or user. This can be achieved through various methods, including exploiting software vulnerabilities, configuration errors, or using social engineering techniques.

References:

Cisco’s CyberOps Using Core Security Technologies course would cover the identification and handling of security breaches, including elevation of privileges.

The CyberOps Associate certification materials provide detailed information on various types of breaches and their indicators.

Cisco’s official blogs and learning resources offer insights into the latest cybersecurity threats and how to mitigate them, including privilege escalation incidents.

The threat model for the SQL database, given that it manages transactions, access control, and atomicity, is primarily concerned with the confidentiality and integrity of the data. An attacker who gains access to the database could potentially read sensitive information or modify data, which could lead to unauthorized transactions, access control breaches, or compromise the atomicity of database operations. Therefore, the most pertinent threat is that an attacker can read or change data within the database.

References:

Understanding Cisco CyberOps Using Core Security Technologies (CBRCOR) course material would cover the various threats to databases and the importance of securing them against unauthorized access or modification.

The Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate certification includes knowledge about identifying and protecting against threats to critical infrastructure, such as SQL databases.

 The script provided in the exhibit is indicative of a Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA), which is commonly used by cyber threats to dynamically generate a large number of domain names. These domain names can serve as potential communication points with command and control (C2) servers. The script takes a list of seeds and applies a transformation to generate new domain names. It then checks these domains against a set of rules, such as not starting with “www.” If a domain does not meet the specified criteria, it is flagged as a potential C2 domain. This process is crucial in cyber operations for identifying and mitigating threats that use DGAs for evasion and maintaining persistence.

References :=

Understanding Cisco CyberOps Using Core Security Technologies (Official Cisco course material)

Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Certification Overview (Cisco Learning Network)

The STIX (Structured Threat Information eXpression) in the context of the exhibit indicates a scenario where a Google Chrome extension is initiating direct IP connections using the WebSocket protocol, and the payloads are obfuscated and unreadable. This behavior is suspicious and suggests that the extension could be a front for malware that is using encrypted channels to communicate with a command and control server. The use of WebSockets and the obfuscation of payloads are common tactics used by malware authors to evade detection and maintain persistent control over compromised systems. The fact that the payloads cannot be decoded or read as UTF-8 text further supports the likelihood of malicious activity, as legitimate extensions would not typically need to obfuscate their communications.

References :=

STIX/TAXII is a framework for sharing cyber threat intelligence, which would include indicators of such suspicious activities1.

Understanding the implications of obfuscated payloads in network traffic, as described in cybersecurity resources23.

The stage of the threat kill chain indicated by the URIs of inbound web requests from known malicious Internet scanners is reconnaissance. During this stage, attackers are gathering information about the target system, looking for vulnerabilities or weak points that can be exploited. The URIs provided in the exhibit suggest attempts to discover administrative interfaces, exploit known vulnerabilities, and test for common web application weaknesses such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. These activities are characteristic of the reconnaissance phase, where attackers are probing and mapping out the target environment to plan their subsequent moves.

Implementing a confirmation step in the SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) workflow can significantly reduce false positives and improve the accuracy of threat detection. By adding a mechanism that informs the affected user of the detected activity and asks for their confirmation, the system can distinguish between legitimate and malicious actions more effectively. This approach respects the user’s context and behavior patterns, allowing for a more nuanced response to security alerts. It also reduces the inconvenience caused to legitimate users by avoiding unnecessary account blocks or credential resets.

The other options, while potentially useful in certain contexts, do not address the immediate issue of distinguishing between false positives and actual threats as effectively as a confirmation step does. Meeting with privileged users (option A) and increasing incorrect login tries (option D) may help to some extent but do not provide an immediate verification mechanism. Changing the SOAR configuration flow (option B) could reduce automatic remediation, but it might also reduce the system’s ability to respond to actual threats promptly.

Therefore, adding a confirmation step is the most direct and effective way to improve the workflow and resolve the issues described. It enhances the precision of the SOAR system and maintains a balance between security and user convenience.

 The indicator of compromise (IOC) event triggered by the abuse of PowerShell commands and script interpreters, leading to the execution of a known malicious file, is most likely generated by an ExecutedMalware.ioc. This type of IOC is specifically designed to detect the execution of malicious software on a system, which aligns with the scenario described4.

Upon discovering confidential information posted on a competitor’s website, the next step is to determine if there is internal knowledge of this incident. This involves investigating within the organization to find out if any employees were aware of or involved in the data breach. Understanding the source of the leak is essential for addressing the issue and preventing future occurrences5.

When analyzing a possible compromise that occurred in the past, tools like Wireshark and Autopsy can be instrumental. Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that can capture and display the data traveling back and forth on a network in real-time. It’s useful for understanding what happened during the compromise by analyzing the packets for signs of malicious activity. Autopsy is a digital forensics platform that cananalyze hard drives and smartphones to recover evidence of a compromise, such as malware artifacts or suspicious file changes. Both tools would provide an engineer with the necessary data to analyze the events leading up to and during the compromise.

When multiple shortcuts in the system’s startup folder redirect to malicious URLs, the next step is to identify all affected systems. This is crucial to understand the scope of the issue and to prevent further spread of the malware. Removing the shortcuts (option A) is a necessary step but should be done after identifying all affected systems to ensure a comprehensive response. Checking the audit logs (option B) and investigating the malicious URLs (option D) are also important steps, but they come after identifying all systems that might be compromised