Cisco 200-201 Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) Exam Practice Test

The logs indicating multiple local TCP connection events are typically provided by a firewall. Firewalls are responsible for monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules, and they generate logs that detail such events, which can be used for further analysis and incident response. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals

The exhibit shows a high rate of SYN packets being sent from multiple sources towards a single destination IP. This is indicative of a SYN flood attack, where the attacker sends a succession of SYN requests to a target’s system in an attempt to consume enough server resources to make the system unresponsive to legitimate traffic. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 4: Network Intrusion Analysis

A buffer overflow attack occurs when more data is written to a buffer than it is designed to hold. This excess data can overwrite adjacent memory locations, leading to the execution of malicious code or crashing the system. Buffer overflows are a common vulnerability that attackers exploit to gain unauthorized access to systems.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

Encryption is an evasion technique that is a function of ransomware, which is a type of malware that encrypts the victim’s files or system and demands a ransom for the decryption key. Encryption is used by ransomware to prevent the victim from accessing their data and to avoid detection by antivirus or other security tools. Encryption can also be used by other types of malware to hide their communication, configuration, or payload from analysis. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 3: Network Intrusion Analysis, Lesson 3.4: Malware
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview, Exam Topics, 3.4 Compare and contrast types of malware

A host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS) monitors a computer system for suspicious activity by analyzing events occurring within that host. It can detect malicious activities and security policy violations by examining system calls, application logs, file-system modifications (such as rootkit installations), and other host activities. HIDS is an essential component in safeguarding the IT infrastructure against unauthorized access and security breaches.

References := The Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course material covers the monitoring of alerts and breaches, and the understanding and following of established procedures for response to alerts converted to incidents, which includes the use of host-based intrusion detection systems

The log in the exhibit is generated by a firewall. It shows a deny action taken on TCP traffic, specifying the source and destination addresses and ports, which is characteristic of firewall logs. Firewalls are designed to control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules, and this log entry reflects the enforcement of such a rule.

References :=

• Cisco’s official documentation on firewall technologies and their log formats.

NetFlow is a network protocol developed by Cisco for collecting IP traffic information and monitoring network flow. It provides valuable data about the network sessions occurring within the network, such as source and destination IP addresses, port numbers, and protocols used. This session data is useful for understanding traffic patterns, volume, and usage.

References: Cisco’s training and certification materials on NetFlow would discuss how it is used to obtain session data for network analysis.

 CDFS stands for Compact Disc File System, which is a file system used by Mac OS to store data on CDs. CDFS is also known as ISO 9660, which is a standard format for data interchange on optical discs. CDFS allows files to be accessed by different operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. Therefore, an ISO file that is stored in CDFS format is data from a CD copied using Mac-based system. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 4: Network Intrusion Analysis, Lesson 4.4: File Type Analysis, Topic 4.4.1: File Systems, page 4-40.

 Profiling a network involves various elements that provide insights into its characteristics and behaviors. Total throughput is crucial as it measures the amount of data passing from a source to a destination in a given period, reflecting the network’s capacity and usage patterns1. Listening ports are also essential for profiling because they represent the entry points for network services, indicating which services are available and potentially vulnerable1.

References :=

• Network profiling tools and techniques discussed in online resources23.
• Direct explanations of network profile elements

 To analyze both payload and header information, an engineer must capture the full packet data. This includes all protocol and payload information for the traffic, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the data being transmitted5678. References: Full packet capture is a common practice in network monitoring and security, as it provides detailed insights into the data transmitted over the network, including both payload and header information

Transaction data consists of connection level, application-specific records generated from network traffic. It provides information about the source, destination, protocol, and application of each network connection. Transaction data can be used to identify anomalies, malicious activities, and user behaviors on the network. References := Cisco CyberOps Engineer

 A sandbox interprocess communication service refers to the mechanisms that allow different processes within a sandboxed environment to communicate with each other. These interfaces are crucial for coordinating activities among processes, especially in a restricted environment like a sandbox where direct interaction with the operating system or other processes might be limited for security reasons. This communication is essential for complex applications that require different processes to work together to perform tasks.

References := The Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) material covers various security technologies and how they can be used to protect systems, which includes the use of sandboxing to isolate and monitor potentially malicious code

The correct display filter for analyzing FTP traffic in a PCAP file is “tcp.port==21”. This filter will show all TCP packets where the port number is 21, which is the standard port for FTP control messages.

 In TCP/IP networking, the ACK flag is used to acknowledge the receipt of a packet. It’s a way to confirm that the previous packets have been received and that the connection is proceeding as expected. The RST flag, on the other hand, is used to reset the connection. It is sent if a segment arrives which is not intended for the current connection, or if a connection request is to be denied. Essentially, the ACK flag is about maintaining the established connection, while the RST flag is about aborting connections that are not valid or are no longer needed123.

References: The information provided is based on standard TCP/IP protocol behavior as described in networking resources and Cisco’s cybersecurity documentation

 tcpdump is an open-source packet capture tool that uses the libpcap library to capture network traffic on Linux and Mac OS X operating systems. It can display the contents of packets in various formats, filter packets based on criteria, and save packets to a file. tcpdump is a command-line tool that can be run on a terminal or a remote shell1 References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Module 2: Security Monitoring

 The principle of least privilege is a security best practice that states that an employee should have access to only the minimum amount of resources and permissions needed to perform their job function. This principle reduces the attack surface and the potential damage that can be caused by a compromised account, a malicious insider, or human error. The principle of least privilege can be enforced by using role-based access control (RBAC) and regular audits. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 1-10; 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, exam topic 1.2.a

This event category is exploitation because the HTTP requests contain PHP code that attempts to execute commands on the web server and create a backdoor. Exploitation is the phase of the attack where the threat actor gains access to the target system and executes malicious code. References: https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1-0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html (Module 2, Lesson 2.1.3)

 ARP cache poisoning is a type of attack that intercepts traffic on a switched network by sending spoofed ARP messages to associate the attacker’s MAC address with the IP address of a legitimate host or gateway. This way, the attacker can redirect the traffic intended for the legitimate host or gateway to his own device and perform a man-in-the-middle attack. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals

A threat actor is a person or entity that is responsible for an incident that impacts or has the potential to impact an organization’s security. A threat actor can have various motivations, such as financial gain, espionage, sabotage, or activism. A threat actor can use various methods, such as malware, phishing, denial-of-service, or social engineering, to perform an attack. A threat actor is not the same as a malware author, a bug bounty hunter, or a direct competitor, although they may be related or associated. A malware author is someone who creates malicious software that can be used by threat actors. A bug bounty hunter is someone who finds and reports vulnerabilities in software or systems for a reward. A direct competitor is someone who offers similar products or services as the organization and may seek to gain an advantage over it. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 87; CNSSI 4009-2015, page 77

The Cuckoo report indicates that the file is a PE32 executable for MS Windows, which is typically an executable file format. The presence of the watermark “CHINESEDUMPS” and the detection ratio from VirusTotal suggest that the file is recognized by multiple antivirus engines as potentially harmful. This aligns with option A, suggesting that the file, named Win32.polip.a.exe, should be considered malicious and flagged accordingly.

References: The information provided is based on standard practices for analyzing potentially malicious files using tools like Cuckoo and services like VirusTotal, which are commonly referenced in cybersecurity documentation, including Cisco’s cybersecurity training materials.

Port scanning is a technique that an attacker uses to discover which network ports are open, closed, or filtered on a target device. By sending packets to different ports and observing the responses, an attacker can identify the services and applications running on the device, as well as potential vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Port scanning is a common reconnaissance activity that precedes an attack. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 2-6; 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, exam topic 1.1.a

Full packet capture (FPC) is a valuable tool for investigating security breaches because it provides comprehensive data that can be used to reconstruct the event and identify the root cause. By capturing every packet, FPC allows engineers to see exactly what took place during the breach, including the TCP flags set within each packet, which can help focus on suspicious packets to identify malicious activity. It also collects metadata, including IP traffic packet data that is sorted, parsed, and indexed, and provides the full TCP streams to follow the metadata to identify the incoming threat

The file in question, which contains logs of unsuccessful login attempts from an unknown IP address, is considered indirect evidence. It suggests that there may have been an attempt to gain unauthorized access, but it does not directly prove who was responsible for the attempts. Indirect evidence can be used to support other evidence that may lead to a direct identification of the threat actor. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) and other Cisco cybersecurity resources provide information on how to analyze and categorize different types of evidence in the context of security incidents.

 Rule-based detection is a type of intrusion detection system (IDS) that uses predefined rules or signatures to identify malicious or suspicious activity. Rule-based detection can provide proof of a user’s action, such as an attempt to exploit a known vulnerability or execute a malicious command. Rule-based detection can also provide a high level of accuracy and specificity, but it requires constant updates and maintenance of the rules or signatures. References: https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1.0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html (Module 4: Attack Methods, Lesson 4.2: Attack Techniques)

• The security scenario involves protecting the company from known issues that trigger adware and addressing a recent incident that could harm the system.
• This scenario involves identifying vulnerabilities (weaknesses in the system that can be exploited) and threats (potential harm that can exploit these vulnerabilities).
• A vulnerability is an inherent flaw in the system, while a threat is an event or condition that has the potential to exploit the vulnerability.
• The security engineer needs to assess both the vulnerabilities present and the threats that could exploit these vulnerabilities to implement effective protection measures.

References

• Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals
• Concepts of Vulnerability and Threat in Cybersecurity
• Best Practices in Vulnerability Management

The #netstat -an command output typically displays a list of all open ports and associated connections. If the web application is slowed down, the engineer would look for unusual patterns such as an excessive number of connections to the web server which could indicate a denial-of-service attack. However, without specific details from the #netstat -an output, it’s not possible to determine the exact cause of the issue. Therefore, the engineer would need to gather more data, possibly including checking server logs, resource usage, and network traffic patterns to diagnose the problem accurately.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) provides knowledge on network monitoring tools and interpreting their output to identify potential security incidents.

Symmetric encryption is a type of encryption that uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt data. Asymmetric encryption is a type of encryption that uses a pair of keys: a public key and a private key. The public key can be used to encrypt data, but only the private key can decrypt it, and vice versa. An advantage of symmetric encryption over asymmetric encryption is that it is faster and more efficient for encrypting large amounts of data, such as in sessions or bulk transfers. Asymmetric encryption is slower and more computationally intensive, but it is more secure and suitable for key exchange or digital signatures. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 2: Security Monitoring, Lesson 2.3: Cryptography and PKI, Topic 2.3.1: Cryptography

 According to the NIST Computer Security Incident Handling Guide, the next step in handling an event after confirming a potential indicator of compromise on an endpoint is to collect public information on the malware behavior. This step involves searching for information from various sources, such as antivirus vendors, security blogs, threat intelligence feeds, and online forums, to learn more about the characteristics, capabilities, and impact of the malware. This information can help the SOC team to identify the type, severity, and scope of the incident, as well as to determine the appropriate response actions and mitigation strategies. Isolating the infected endpoint, performing forensics analysis, and prioritizing incident handling are subsequent steps that follow after collecting public information on the malware behavior. References:

• Computer Security Incident Handling Guide
• SP 800-61 Rev. 2, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide

The attack vector score in the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) reflects how a vulnerability can be exploited. A higher score is given when the attack can be conducted remotely, making it easier for an attacker to exploit the vulnerability without physical access to the vulnerable component3. References: The CVSS specification document provides a detailed explanation of how the attack vector score is determined, emphasizing the impact of the ease of exploitation on the score

Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provides a unified way for users to request system information, including hardware and software inventory data. The Common Information Model (CIM) is an open standard that defines how managed elements in an IT environment are represented as a common set of objects and relationships between them. References: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/ise/2-4/admin_guide/b_ise_admin_guide_24/b_ise_admin_guide_24_new_chapter_01100.html

The Nmap scan results show that several ports, including ftp (21/tcp), ssh (22/tcp), telnet (23/tcp), smtp (25/tcp), and http (80/tcp), are listed as “filtered”. This typically indicates that a firewall is filtering the traffic to these ports, making it impossible to determine whether they are open without further investigation. However, the question specifically asks about SMB ports, which are not shown in the provided Nmap scan results. Therefore, based on the information given, we cannot confirm that the attacker identified open SMB ports on the server. The correct answer would require additional evidence not present in the scan results. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course materials and official Cisco documentation provide insights into interpreting Nmap scan results and identifying port states. These resources can be found at the Cisco Learning Network Store and Cisco’s official training and certifications webpage

During the examination phase of the forensic process, digital forensic investigators use various tools and techniques to extract and analyze information from the collected data. This phase involves detailed scrutiny of the data to uncover relevant evidence and is critical for the success of the forensic investigation.

References: The explanation aligns with the standard phases of digital forensics, which include identification, preservation, examination, documentation, and presentation as outlined in digital forensics literature and guidelines.

The 5-tuple refers to the five different values that are used to define a specific communication session in a network. These values include the source IP address, destination IP address, source port, destination port, and the protocol in use. In this case, option D (Source Port) and option E (Initiator IP) are parts of the 5-tuple. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals

• Rule-based detection systems operate using predefined patterns and signatures to identify known threats. These patterns are based on prior knowledge of attack methods and vulnerabilities.
• Behavioral detection systems, on the other hand, analyze the normal behavior of a network or system to establish a baseline. They then monitor for deviations from this baseline, which may indicate potential threats.
• Rule-based systems are effective at detecting known threats but may struggle with novel or zero-day attacks that do not match existing signatures.
• Behavioral systems can detect unknown threats by recognizing abnormal activities, making them useful in identifying zero-day exploits and other sophisticated attacks.

References

• Comparison of Rule-based and Behavioral Detection Methods in IDS
• Advantages of Behavioral Analysis in Network Security
• Cybersecurity Detection Techniques

A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated

 A TCP handshake is a three-way exchange of messages between a client and a server to establish a TCP connection. The client initiates the handshake by sending a SYN packet with a sequence number to the server. The server responds with a SYN-ACK packet with its own sequence number and an acknowledgment number that is the client’s sequence number plus one. The client completes the handshake by sending an ACK packet with an acknowledgment number that is the server’s sequence number plus one. If the remote server is not receiving an SYN-ACK packet from the local server, it means that the TCP handshake is not completed and the connection is not established. This could be caused by various factors, such as network congestion, firewall rules, packet filtering, or misconfiguration of the TCP parameters on either end. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 177; TCP 3-Way Handshake Process - GeeksforGeeks

The main difference between inline traffic interrogation (TAPS) and traffic mirroring (SPAN) lies in how they handle network traffic for analysis purposes. TAPS, or Test Access Points, are hardware devices that create a copy of the traffic between two network points without altering the data. This means TAPS can transmit both send and receive data streams simultaneously on separate dedicated channels, ensuring all data, including physical layer errors, is received by the monitoring or security device in real-time. On the other hand, SPAN, or Switch Port Analyzer, is a feature that duplicates network packets seen on one port to another port for analysis. However, SPAN ports can filter out physical layer errors, which may limit the types of analyses that can be performed as some errors will not be represented in the mirrored traffic.

References: The distinction between TAPS and SPAN is covered in the Cisco CyberOps Associate CBROPS 200-201 course, which provides foundational knowledge for network monitoring and security analysis1. Additionally, industry resources such as Garland Technology’s comparison of TAPS and SPAN highlight the differences in performance and integrity of the traffic being analyzed

Protected data refers to any information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. In the scenario described, the engineer must identify data that is considered protected under privacy laws and regulations. Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and Protected Health Information (PHI) are two types of data that are considered protected. PII includes any data that could potentially identify a specific individual, such as addresses and gender. PHI refers to any information about health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to an individual. This is what makes both PII and PHI crucial to be identified and protected in compliance with data protection regulations.

References: The Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course provides insights into identifying protected data and the importance of safeguarding it within a network1.

The command in the exhibit is a Snort rule that is configured to alert on TCP packets with the SYN flag set, where the source is not the home network (!$HOME_NET) and the destination is within the home network ($HOME_NET) on port 80. This rule is designed to detect potential SYN flood attacks targeting the internal network’s web server on port 80.

 According to the NIST Incident Handling Guide, the analysis phase is the next phase of this investigation. The analysis phase involves examining the evidence and determining the impact, scope, and cause of the incident. The analyst should also identify the attacker’s methods, tools, and objectives, as well as any indicators of compromise or malicious activity. The analysis phase may also involve collecting additional data, such as logs, network traffic, or malware samples, to support the investigation. The analysis phase is crucial for developing an effective response and recovery strategy, as well as preventing or mitigating future incidents. References:

• NIST Special Publication 800-61 Revision 2, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide, Section 3.2.4, Analysis (https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-61r2.pdf)
• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 5: Security Incident Response, Lesson 5.2: Incident Response Process, Topic 5.2.3: Analysis Phase (https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1-0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html)

 Full packet capture requires the largest amount of storage space because it involves recording all packets that pass through a network, including all headers and payloads. This type of data collection is comprehensive and allows for detailed analysis, but due to the volume of data it encompasses, it demands significant storage capacity1.

References := The Cisco Secure Network Analytics Data Store Design Guide discusses the storage requirements for different types of network data collection, highlighting the substantial storage needs for full packet captures1.

Wireshark is a widely-used network protocol analyzer that allows users to capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network. It provides full packet capture capabilities, enabling detailed analysis of network traffic. References: This is supported by the CBROPS course materials, which discuss security monitoring and the analysis of network traffic, including full packet capture tools like Wireshark

 The communication channel established from a compromised machine back to the attacker is known as a command and control (C2) channel. This channel allows attackers to maintain communication with the compromised system, issue commands, and potentially exfiltrate data. The C2 channel can be established using various protocols and methods to evade detection and maintain persistence.

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the victim’s data and demands a ransom for the decryption key. The attacker may also threaten to publish or delete the data if the ransom is not paid. In this case, the Egregor malware is distributed through a Cobalt Strike, which is a penetration testing tool that can be used to deploy payloads on compromised systems. The malware exfiltrates the victim’s data to a command and control server and uses it as leverage to extort money from the victim. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.3: Common Network Application Operations and Attacks, Topic 1.3.3: Malware Attacks

Cisco Application Visibility and Control (AVC) provides features like metrics collection and exporting (D) for visibility on TCP bandwidth usage, response time, and latency. Application recognition (E) combined with deep packet inspection helps in identifying unknown software by its network traffic flow. References := Cisco CyberOps Associate - Module 2: Security Concepts

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) refers to any data that can be used to identify a specific individual. Safeguarding PII is critical to protect individuals’ privacy and prevent identity theft. A driver’s license number (B) is considered PII because it is unique to an individual and can be used to confirm their identity. Other examples of PII include social security numbers, passport numbers, and financial account numbers. It is important to protect such information from unauthorized access to maintain personal privacy and security.

References: Identifying and Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information (PII)2.

With stronger data visibility, detailed information about the data in real-time is provided. This enhanced visibility allows for a more comprehensive analysis of network traffic, enabling security professionals to identify and mitigate threats more effectively. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals

 Event Code 4625 in Windows logs indicates a failed logon attempt. This could be a sign of someone trying to guess the credentials of a valid user account by repeatedly trying different passwords or usernames. This is known as a brute force attack and can be used to gain unauthorized access to a system or network. References: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/ise/2-4/admin_guide/b_ise_admin_guide_24/b_ise_admin_guide_24_new_chapter_01110.html

Resource exhaustion is an evasion technique where an attacker overwhelms a system with a high volume of requests from multiple sources. This can cause the system to become overloaded and unable to process legitimate traffic, potentially allowing the attacker to bypass security measures like intrusion detection systems.

References := The answers are based on the knowledge from the Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course material, which covers various cybersecurity concepts, including file identification methods, application control technologies, firewall utilities, and evasion techniques

• The regular expression provided is: .\.(pd][Oo][Cc)|[Xx][LI][Ss]|[Pp][Pp][Tt]) HTTP/1 .[01]
• This regular expression is designed to match file extensions for Word (.doc), Excel (.xls), and PowerPoint (.ppt) files in HTTP network sessions.
• The regular expression uses character classes and alternatives to match different case variations of these file extensions.
• The part .\.(pd][Oo][Cc)|[Xx][LI][Ss]|[Pp][Pp][Tt]) matches the file extensions, and HTTP/1 .[01] ensures that the match is in the context of HTTP version 1.0 or 1.1.

References

• Cisco ASA Regular Expressions Documentation
• Understanding Regular Expressions in Network Security
• Filtering and Capturing HTTP Traffic with Regex

The QR field in the DNS header specifies whether the message is a query (QR=0) or a response (QR=1). This bit is set to 0 for query messages and is set to 1 for response messages, allowing the recipient to distinguish between the two.

DDoS attacks are divided into two categories: reflected and direct. Reflected attacks use a third-party system to amplify the attack traffic and send it to the target. For example, an attacker can send a spoofed request to a DNS server, which will reply with a large amount of data to the target’s IP address. Direct attacks send the attack traffic directly from the attacker’s system or a botnet to the target. For example, an attacker can send a large number of SYN packets to the target’s port, exhausting its resources. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.3: Common Network Application Operations and Attacks, Topic 1.3.4: Denial-of-Service Attacks

 For high availability and responsiveness, especially where milliseconds of latency are critical, an engineer must analyze the network’s performance in detail. Total throughput on the interface of the router will provide information on the bandwidth and traffic load, which is essential for understanding if the network can handle the current and projected traffic without delays. NetFlow records are crucial for this analysis as they provide data about the traffic flow across the network, which helps in identifying patterns, peak usage times, and types of traffic. This information is vital for making informed decisions to optimize traffic movement and minimize latency123.

References :=

• Cisco’s guide on Network Traffic Analysis1.
• Cisco’s white paper on Network Security Policy: Best Practices2.
• Cisco’s documentation on Implementation of High Availability

 Social engineering attacks are techniques that exploit human psychology and behavior to manipulate or deceive people into performing actions or divulging information that can compromise the security of the organization. An example of a social engineering attack is receiving an email from human resources requesting a visit to their secure website to update contact information. This could be a phishing attempt to trick the user into clicking on a malicious link or entering their credentials on a fake website that looks like the legitimate one. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 6: Security Incident Investigations

Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provides a unified way for users to request system information, including hardware and software inventory data. The Common Information Model (CIM) is an open standard that defines how managed elements in an IT environment are represented as a common set of objects and relationships between them. References: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/ise/2-4/admin_guide/b_ise_admin_guide_24/b_ise_admin_guide_24_new_chapter_01100.html

The Zero Trust security model operates on the principle that no one is trusted by default from inside or outside the network, and verification is required from everyone trying to gain access to resources on the network. It emphasizes continuous monitoring, validation, and least-privilege access to minimize exposure to sensitive parts of the network.

References: Zero Trust security | What is a Zero Trust network? | Cloudflare, Zero Trust Model: Unveiling 3 Core Principles for Enhanced Security, The Evolution of Zero Trust and the Frameworks that Guide It

 Tampered images are disk images that have been modified or altered in some way after they were captured from the original source. Tampered images may have different stored and computed hash values, which indicate that the integrity of the image has been compromised. Tampered images are not reliable or valid sources of evidence for forensic investigations, as they may contain false or misleading information. Untampered images are disk images that have not been changed or manipulated after they were acquired from the original source. Untampered images have the same stored and computed hash values, which verify that the image is an exact copy of the original disk. Untampered images are used for forensic investigations, as they preserve the original state and content of the disk and provide accurate and trustworthy evidence. References:

• Contrasting tampered and untampered disk images
• What is a difference between tampered and untampered disk images?

Network Address Translation (NAT) is the technology that allows a single IP address to send and receive traffic for multiple devices by modifying the IP header. NAT remaps one IP address space into another, enabling multiple devices to use a single public IP address to send and receive packets through the Internet2.

References := The concept of NAT and its role in network traffic management is detailed in networking resources and documentation, including those provided by network solution providers2.

 When a server is experiencing high CPU and memory load, the first step is to identify the processes that are consuming the most resources. The command “ps -ef” is used to display information about all the running processes, including their IDs, memory and CPU usage, and the commands that started them. This allows the engineer to pinpoint which processes are responsible for the high load and take appropriate action, such as terminating unnecessary processes or optimizing resource usage345. References: Various resources on server management and troubleshooting recommend using the “ps -ef” command as a starting point for investigating high resource usage on servers

A certificate authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues and manages digital certificates for secure communication over the internet. A digital certificate is a document that contains the public key and the identity of the owner of the key. A CA impacts security by validating the domain identity of the SSL certificate, which is a type of digital certificate that enables encrypted communication between a web server and a web browser. The CA verifies that the domain name in the certificate matches the domain name of the web server, and signs the certificate with its own private key. The web browser can then verify the signature of the CA and trust the identity of the web server. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 2: Security Monitoring, Lesson 2.3: Cryptography and PKI, Topic 2.3.2: Public Key InfrastructureReference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certificate_authority

 Secure boot and restricting USB ports are two components that can reduce the attack surface on an endpoint. The attack surface is the sum of all paths for data into and out of the environment. Reducing the attack surface means minimizing the number and complexity of these paths, and thus reducing the opportunities for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities or gain unauthorized access. Secure boot is a feature that ensures that only trusted and verified code can run during the boot process, preventing malware or unauthorized software from compromising the system. Restricting USB ports is a policy that limits the use of USB devices, such as flash drives or external hard drives, that can introduce malware or exfiltrate data from the endpoint.References: [Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Module 4: Network Intrusion Analysis], [Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Module 5: Security Policies and Procedures]

 The unauthorized usage of “Tcpdump” tool indicates that the malicious insider was attempting to obtain all information within datagrams passing through a specific interface on the network. Tcpdump allows users to capture packet data from a live network or read packets from a previously saved capture file. References := Cisco CyberOps - Module 3: Network Data and Event Analysis

 Agent-based protection is a type of endpoint security that uses software agents installed on the devices to monitor and protect them. Agent-based protection can collect and detect all traffic locally, which means it can operate without relying on a network connection or a centralized server. Agent-based protection can also provide more granular and comprehensive visibility and control over the devices. References: https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1.0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html (Module 2: Security Concepts, Lesson 2.3: Endpoint Security)

 Input sanitization involves cleaning up user input before processing it, ensuring that it does not contain malicious code intended for buffer overflow attacks or other types of security breaches. References := New Cybersecurity Skills

A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack occurs when an attacker secretly intercepts and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other. In this scenario, an attacker can observe network traffic exchanged between two users by placing themselves in between their communication channel. References := Cisco Blogs - New Cybersecurity and Cloud Skills to Protect Companies from Cybersecurity Attacks of the Future

 In NetFlow log sessions within TCP connections; ACK flag is used for acknowledging that data has been successfully received while RST flag is used when there’s an error or when closing a connection spontaneously without following standard procedures. References := Cisco Cybersecurity source documents or study guide

 TOR, or The Onion Router, is designed to conceal a user’s location and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis. Using TOR makes it more difficult to trace internet activity, including “visits to Web sites, online posts, instant messages, and other communication forms,” back to the user1. It is intended to protect the personal privacy of users, as well as their freedom and ability to conduct confidential communication by keeping their internet activities unmonitored. Within an organization, the use of TOR can decrease visibility into data traffic because it encrypts the data multiple times and routes it through a series of servers operated by volunteers around the globe. This makes network monitoring and data visibility challenging for cybersecurity professionals within the organization. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

Session data is the data type that is necessary to get information about source/destination ports. Session data is the information about connections between hosts, such as IP addresses, ports, protocols, and duration. Session data can be used to identify the services and applications that are being used on the network, as well as the direction and volume of the traffic. Session data can also help to detect anomalous or malicious behavior, such as port scanning, brute force attacks, or data exfiltration. Session data can be collected from various sources, such as firewalls, routers, switches, or network monitoring tools. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 2: Security Monitoring, Lesson 2.2: Data Sources, Topic 2.2.2: Session Data (https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1-0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html)
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Certification Guide, Chapter 3: Data Sources, Section 3.2: Session Data (https://www.ciscopress.com/store/cisco-certified-cyberops-associate-certification-guide-9780136807834)

 Indicators of attack (IoAs) are signs that an attack may be in progress or imminent. Malware reinfection within a few minutes of removal (D) is a strong IoA because it suggests that the attacker has a persistent mechanism to redeploy malware, indicating an active compromise of the system.

References: Cisco’s Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals documents

The defense-in-depth principle is a strategy of applying multiple layers of security controls to protect an asset from threats. It is based on the assumption that no single security measure is sufficient to prevent all attacks, and that each layer adds more protection and reduces the risk of compromise. One example of applying the defense-in-depth principle is implementing alerts for unexpected asset malfunctions, which can indicate a potential security breach or incident. References: Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.1: The CIA Triad and Security Concepts, Topic 1.1.4: Defense-in-Depth Principle

An Nmap scan can provide detailed information about a network including the functionality and purpose of servers on that network as well as any services that are currently running on those servers. This information can be used by an attacker to identify potential vulnerabilities or targets for exploitation during a cyber attack. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Training

 A man-in-the-middle attack occurs when a third party intercepts and potentially alters the communication between two parties (in this case, two IP phones) without them knowing. This type of attack can lead to eavesdropping, where the attacker can gain unauthorized access to sensitive data being communicated between the two parties. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 5: Endpoint Threat Analysis and Computer Forensics

The situation where endpoint logs show a machine receiving an unusual gateway address and DNS servers via DHCP is indicative of a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack, specifically a DHCP spoofing attack. In this type of attack, an adversary can set up a rogue DHCP server or manipulate the DHCP communication to provide false gateway and DNS information to clients. This allows the attacker to intercept, monitor, or manipulate traffic between the client and the intended gateway or DNS servers2.

References: Cisco’s best practices for network protections and attack identification3, and additional insights on securing networks from DHCP attacks

Data integrity verification involves using tools to compute the message digest of data. A message digest is a cryptographic hash function containing a string of digits created by a one-way hashing formula. This digest, which serves as a unique identifier, can be used to verify the integrity of copied data by comparing it to the original data’s digest. If the digests match, it means the data has not been altered, ensuring its integrity.

References: The concept of data integrity and the use of message digests are fundamental security concepts taught in the Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course. This course covers the essential skills and knowledge needed to monitor alerts and breaches, and to understand and follow established procedures for response to alerts converted to incidents

 Indicators of Compromise (IoC) are pieces of forensic data, such as system log entries or files, that suggest an intrusion may have occurred. Indicators of Attack (IoA) are signs that an attack may be underway, allowing organizations to take action before any potential breach occurs.

References: The CBROPS course materials cover the concepts of IoC and IoA, explaining how they are used in cybersecurity operations to detect and prevent security incidents.

 In the incident response process, detection and analysis involve researching an attacking host through logs in a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system. This step helps in identifying, validating, and managing potential security incidents. References := Cisco CyberOps Associate - Module 3: Security Monitoring

• Data encapsulation is a process in networking where the protocol stack of the sending host adds headers (and sometimes trailers) to the data.
• Each layer of the OSI or TCP/IP model adds its own header to the data as it passes down the layers, preparing it for transmission over the network.
• For example, in the TCP/IP model, data starts at the application layer and is encapsulated at each subsequent layer (Transport, Internet, and Network Access) before being transmitted.
• This encapsulation ensures that the data is correctly formatted and routed to its destination, where the headers are stripped off in reverse order by the receiving host.

References

• Networking Fundamentals by Cisco
• OSI Model and Data Encapsulation Process
• Understanding TCP/IP Encapsulation

Decision making is a principle that guides an analyst to gather information relevant to a security incident to determine the appropriate course of action. Decision making involves identifying the problem, defining the criteria, analyzing the alternatives, and choosing the best solution. Decision making helps an analyst to respond to an incident effectively and efficiently, while minimizing the impact and risk to the organization. References: https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1.0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html (Module 3: Security Monitoring, Lesson 3.1: Security Operations Center)

The attack described is a DNS amplification attack. It involves infected endpoints sending DNS requests with spoofed IP addresses to external DNS servers. The DNS servers then send large responses to the spoofed addresses, which are actually the targets of the attack. This can result in a significant amount of traffic being directed at the target, overwhelming their network resources. DNS amplification is a type of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that leverages the DNS protocol to amplify the attack traffic.

Agent-based monitoring: With agent-based monitoring, software agents are installed on the monitored systems or devices. These agents collect data locally, perform filtering or preprocessing of the data, and then transmit the relevant or valuable information to the monitoring system. Agent-based monitoring allows for local processing and filtering, which can reduce network utilization by only transmitting essential data. Agentless monitoring: Agentless monitoring, on the other hand, does not require software agents to be installed on the monitored systems or devices. Instead, it relies on leveraging existing protocols and interfaces, such as APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) or SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), to remotely access and retrieve monitoring data from the target systems. Agentless monitoring generally involves higher network utilization as the monitoring system needs to gather data from remote systems over the network.

 SSL Certificate guarantees the integrity and authenticity of all messages transferred to and from a web application. It encrypts the data transferred between the user’s browser and the website, ensuring that all data passed between them remains private and integral. References := Cisco CyberOps Engineer - Module 3: Secure Communications

When a company workstation is compromised, the stakeholders that must be involved are the ones who are responsible for the security incident response process. According to the table, these are Employee 4 (Security Operation Center Analyst), Employee 6 (Head of Network and Security Infrastructure Services), and Employee 7 (Technical Director). The other employees have different roles that are not directly related to the incident response process, such as accounting, financial management, or system administration. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.4: Security Monitoring, Topic 1.4.1: Security Operations Center

• A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack involves multiple compromised devices (botnet) sending a large number of requests to a target server to overwhelm it.
• In a specific type of DDoS attack known as an NTP amplification attack, the attacker exploits the Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers by sending small queries with a spoofed source IP address (the target’s IP).
• The NTP server responds with a much larger reply to the target’s IP address, thereby amplifying the traffic directed at the target.
• This reflection and amplification technique significantly increases the volume of traffic sent to the target, causing denial of service.

References

• OWASP DDoS Attack Overview
• NTP Amplification Attack Explained
• Understanding Botnets and Distributed Attacks

This type of analysis is deterministic because it assigns fixed values to the scenario and calculates the expected outcomes based on those values. Deterministic analysis does not account for uncertainty or randomness in the scenario. References: https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1-0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html (Module 3, Lesson 3.1.2)

NIST Special Publication 800-61 r2 outlines the incident response process including detection and analysis, which involves identifying and validating the occurrence of incidents, and post-incident activity that focuses on lessons learned and improvements to be made after an incident has occurred. References := NIST Special Publication 800-61 r2

Encryption allows the user to make the data incomprehensible without a specific key, certificate, or password. Encryption is a method of transforming data into a format that only authorized parties can access. Encryption can be used to protect data in transit or at rest from unauthorized access or modification. References: https://learningnetworkstore.cisco.com/on-demand-e-learning/understanding-cisco-cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1-0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html (Module 4, Lesson 4.1.1)