IBM C1000-162 IBM Security QRadar SIEM V7.5 Analysis Exam Practice Test

Indexed custom event properties in IBM Security QRadar SIEM are designed to optimize the search process by narrowing down the overall data set. When a property is indexed, QRadar can more efficiently locate events or flows that match the search criteria, thereby reducing the overall volume of data that needs to be searched and enhancing performance. This is reflected in statement B, where indexed filters eliminate portions of the data set that are not relevant to the search query, effectively reducing the number of event or flow logs that must be examined .

Moreover, the use of indexed event and flow properties for optimizing searches is a recommended practice in QRadar. By selectively indexing properties that are frequently used in searches, analysts can significantly improve the speed and efficiency of their queries. This approach is beneficial in environments where quick access to specific event or flow data is crucial for timely threat detection and response. Therefore, statement E highlights the importance of utilizing indexed properties to streamline the search process and facilitate more effective security analytics .

The Domain attribute governs who can view the value of a reference set data element, ensuring that only users with appropriate domain access or tenant assignments can view the data. This is essential for maintaining data visibility and access control within a multi-tenant QRadar environment​​.

Understanding the Scenario: The detection of unauthorized high-rate traffic for transferring outbound mail via port 25 indicates potential misuse or compromise of the source system.

Appropriate Response:

Investigate the Offense: The first step is to continue investigating the offense to gather more details about the source system and the nature of the traffic.

Organizational Response Processes: Following the organization’s established response processes ensures that appropriate actions are taken to mitigate the threat, which may include blocking the traffic, isolating the system, or further forensic analysis.

Avoiding Incorrect Actions:

Adding to Building Blocks: Adding the IP address to the Host Definition Mail Servers building block would incorrectly categorize the unauthorized system as a legitimate mail server.

Allowing Traffic: Submitting a request to the firewall team to allow this traffic would permit unauthorized activity and potentially exacerbate the security issue.

False Positive Wizard: Using the False Positive Wizard is not suitable as this situation represents a genuine security concern rather than a false positive.

Reference Confirmation: According to IBM QRadar documentation, the recommended action in such scenarios is to follow the organization’s incident response processes to ensure a thorough and effective response.

References:

IBM QRadar documentation on incident response and handling unauthorized activities.

The AQL (Ariel Query Language) statement provided would return all fields from the 'events' table where the 'username' column contains the string 'ERS', regardless of case. The 'ILIKE' operator in AQL is used for case-insensitive pattern matching, which means that it will match 'ers', 'Ers', 'ErS', etc​​.

Here's why this is the correct statement:

Purpose of the Assets Tab: The Assets tab is QRadar's central repository for information about discovered assets on your network.expand_more Assets include network devices, servers, applications, and more.

Discovery Process: QRadar discovers assets by passively analyzing log and flow data, as well as through active scans if configured.

In the context of YARA rules, which are used for malware identification and classification, this example rule is designed to flag content that matches specific conditions. The rule named "ibm_forensics" contains both hexadecimal and string conditions. The Shex1 represents a hexadecimal string pattern, and Sstr1 represents a literal string "IBM Security!". The condition Shex1 and (#str1 > 3) means that for the rule to match, both the hexadecimal pattern must be present, and the string "IBM Security!" must appear more than three times within the scanned content. YARA rules are a powerful tool in forensics and malware analysis, allowing researchers and analysts to define complex patterns and conditions that identify malicious or suspicious content within files, memory, or network traffic.

Challenges in Search Performance: When dealing with large volumes of data in QRadar, searches can become slow if the data is not indexed properly. To improve search performance, specific property types can be utilized.

Property Types Overview:

Tabled Properties: Refer to data stored in tabular format but do not inherently improve search performance.

Indexed Properties: Properties that have an index created for them, significantly speeding up search operations by allowing quick lookups.

Stored Properties: Simply refers to properties that are stored but not necessarily indexed.

Common Properties: General properties used across various rules and searches but do not improve search performance specifically.

Importance of Indexed Properties: Indexed properties are specifically designed to enhance search performance by creating an index that allows QRadar to quickly locate the data without scanning the entire dataset.

Reference Confirmation: According to IBM QRadar documentation, using indexed properties is the recommended approach to reduce data volume searched and to shorten search times, making them the best choice for improving search performance.

References:

IBM QRadar documentation on optimizing search performance highlights the use of indexed properties to enhance search efficiency.

Events can be exported from the QRadar Log Activity tab in XML (Extensible Markup Language) or CSV (Comma-Separated Values) formats, providing flexibility in how data is extracted and used for further analysis outside of QRadar​​.

QRadar will mark an Event offense as dormant if no new events or flows occur within 30 minutes. However, if QRadar did not process any events within 4 hours, this also triggers the offense to become dormant. Once dormant, the offense remains in this state for 5 days unless new events or flows are added​​​​.

When investigating an offense in QRadar, finding the number of flows or events associated with it can be achieved through the "List Events/Flows" option. This functionality allows analysts to view a detailed list of all the individual events and flows that are related to a specific offense, offering insights into the nature and scope of the activities involved. By examining this list, analysts can better understand the context of the offense, including the types of network traffic and system actions that triggered the security alerts, facilitating a more informed investigation process.

In IBM Security QRadar SIEM, building blocks are utilized to categorize assets and server types into CIDR/IP ranges to either exclude or include entire asset categories in rule tests. The most suitable type of building block for this purpose is the "Host definition". This type of building block allows administrators to define groups of IP addresses, often in CIDR notation, to represent different parts of the network, such as specific servers, subnets, or entire network segments. By doing so, rules can be crafted to apply only to traffic involving these defined hosts, thereby including or excluding specific asset categories from rule tests based on their network location or role within the organization​​.

X-Force Exchange: The primary repository for contributed QRadar content, including compliance-focused content packs.

HIPAA Packs: Likely contain:

Predefined searches: Relevant to HIPAA monitoring and auditing

Reports: To generate structured documentation for compliance

Custom Rules: To detect potential HIPAA-related violations

Custom properties: To enhance event/flow data for HIPAA context

Other Options (less suitable):

Use Case Manager: Broader purpose, might include HIPAA use cases

Pulse App: Primarily dashboard oriented, not focused on content distribution

IBM Fix Central: Focuses on software fixes, not compliance content

References:

IBM X-Force Exchange: https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/hub  (Search for HIPAA)

Quick Filter Behavior: The Quick Filter heavily restricts search results to items matching the keywords you've entered. If your valid AQL doesn't match the Quick Filter, you won't get results.

Disabling to Verify: The easiest way to confirm this is to temporarily disable the Quick Filter and rerun your AQL search.

Pulse Dashboards and JSON: The QRadar Pulse app uses JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) to represent dashboard configurations. Here's why:

Structured Data: JSON is ideal for representing hierarchical data like the layout, widgets, and queries contained within a Pulse dashboard.

Import/Export Mechanism: QRadar Pulse supports importing and exporting dashboards in JSON format to enable sharing.

To perform an IP address X-Force Exchange Lookup in QRadar, you can follow these steps2:

Select the Log Activity or the Network Activity tab.

Right-click the IP address that you want to view in X-Force Exchange.

Select More Options > Plugin Options > X-Force Exchange Lookup to open the X-Force Exchange interface2.

The procedure to perform an IP address X-Force Exchange Lookup in QRadar involves selecting either the Log Activity or the Network Activity tab, right-clicking the IP address of interest, and then navigating through More Options > Plugin Options > X-Force Exchange Lookup to access the X-Force Exchange interface​​.

Here's the breakdown of why this approach is the most suitable:

Focused Export: The "Event Export (with AQL)" option allows targeted exporting of events based on specific AQL queries. This ensures you only extract the necessary data.

Usability: The Log Activity tab's interface, including the Test and Export functionality, makes it easy to use even for less technical users familiar with basic QRadar concepts.

CSV Format: CSV offers a readable, widely compatible format for data review outside of QRadar.

The example provided refers to a "Reference table," which is a type of reference data collection in QRadar that can store complex structured data. A reference table allows for multiple keys and values, supporting the storage of data like Usernames, Source IPs with a specific data type (e.g., cidr for IP addresses), and Source Ports as values​​.

Offense chaining in IBM Security QRadar SIEM V7.5 is based on the offense index field specified in the rule. This means that if a rule is configured to use a specific field, such as the source IP address, as the offense index field, there will only be one offense for that specific source IP address while the offense is active. This mechanism is crucial for tracking and managing offenses efficiently within the system​​.

QRadar supports different types of content extensions that can be downloaded from the IBM X-Force Exchange portal. Among the supported content extensions are "Custom Functions" and "Offenses." These extensions allow for enhanced functionality and customization within QRadar, providing users with the ability to tailor the system to specific security needs and requirements​​.

On the Offenses tab within QRadar, the "Offense Type" column explains the cause of the offense. The offense type is determined by the rule that triggered the offense, and it dictates the kind of information displayed in the Offense Source Summary pane. This helps analysts understand the nature and origin of the offense, facilitating more effective investigation and response actions​​.

 Understanding Offense Management: In QRadar, offenses are generated based on predefined rules and correlations. When legitimate traffic is identified as an offense, it's essential to adjust configurations to prevent future false positives.

 Managing Legitimate LDAP Traffic:

Building Blocks: QRadar uses building blocks to group similar types of data. The BB

Definition: LDAP Servers building block is used to identify and manage LDAP servers within the network.

Excluding Legitimate Traffic: By adding the IP address of the legitimate LDAP server to this building block, QRadar will recognize the traffic as expected and exclude it from generating offenses.

 Implementation Steps:

Navigate to the QRadar console.

Go to the Admin tab and select Building Blocks.

Find and edit the BB

Definition: LDAP Servers building block.

Add the IP address of the LDAP server to this building block.

 Reference Confirmation: According to IBM QRadar documentation, adding the IP address of the LDAP server to the appropriate building block (BB

Definition: LDAP Servers) is the recommended method to handle such scenarios.

A "Flow Bias" Quick Search can be performed from the Network Activity tab in QRadar, providing insights into network flows and potential anomalies or biases in the traffic patterns​​.

References:

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SS42VS_7.2.7/com.ibm.qradar.doc/shc_qradar_comps.html

Understanding Scatter Charts in QRadar Pulse: QRadar Pulse is a visualization application used to create and view different types of charts for better data analysis and interpretation.

Types of Y-Axis:

Linear Axis: This type of axis displays data points at equal intervals. It's suitable for evenly distributed data and shows trends in a straightforward manner.

Logarithmic (Log) Axis: This axis type displays data on a logarithmic scale, which is useful for data that covers several orders of magnitude or for data that grows exponentially.

Selection for Scatter Charts: When creating scatter charts in QRadar Pulse, the application allows users to choose between linear and logarithmic (log) Y-axis types to best represent their data.

Reference Confirmation: According to IBM QRadar documentation, both linear and logarithmic Y-axis types are supported for scatter charts in the Pulse app, making them the correct answers.

References:

IBM QRadar documentation on Pulse app charting options confirms the availability of linear and logarithmic Y-axis types.

The "Start Time" timestamp represents when an event is received by a QRadar Event Collector, marking the moment QRadar first becomes aware of the event. This is crucial for understanding the timing of event processing and potential delays in the event pipeline​​.

The MITRE heat map in the Use Case Manager app within QRadar uses several factors to determine the colors displayed, among which the number of rules mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques and the level of mapping confidence are crucial. These factors help visualize the coverage and reliability of rule mappings against the comprehensive MITRE ATT&CK framework, aiding in the identification of potential gaps or areas for improvement in threat detection capabilities​​.

Here's why "Am I Affected" is the most suitable answer among the given options:

Am I Affected (AIA): The "Am I Affected" feature on the IBM X-Force Exchange is designed specifically to help you determine if your systems have observed Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) related to a specific threat or campaign.

COVID-19 IOCs: If you have a set of IOCs (e.g., IP addresses, domain names, file hashes) associated with COVID-19-themed attacks, you can use the AIA feature to query QRadar and see if any were detected within your network.

Reasons Why Other Options Are Less Ideal:

TAXII Automatic Updates: This focuses on automatically pulling threat intelligence feeds into QRadar, not retrospective searches for past IOC presence.

STIX Bundle: A STIX bundle is a structured way to represent threat intelligence.expand_more It wouldn't directly tell you if those indicators have been seen in your QRadar data.

Threat Intelligence ATP: This likely refers to a broader threat intelligence platform, not a specific X-Force Exchange feature for checking QRadar data.

Understanding Reference Data Collections in QRadar: In IBM QRadar, reference data collections are used to store data that can be reused across various rules, searches, and reports. Each type of reference data collection has a specific use case and structure.

Types of Reference Data Collections:

Reference Map: Stores key-value pairs where each key is unique and maps to a specific value.

Reference List: Stores a list of values without any keys.

Reference Table: Stores multiple key-value pairs where each key can have multiple values.

Reference Set: Stores a set of unique values without any keys.

Use Case for Reference Map: When you need to correlate a unique key to a specific value, a reference map is the appropriate data structure. It allows for efficient lookups and associations between keys and their corresponding values.

Reference Confirmation: According to IBM QRadar documentation, a reference map is explicitly designed to correlate unique keys to values, making it the correct choice for such requirements.

References:

IBM QRadar documentation on reference data collections confirms the use of a reference map for correlating unique keys to values.

AQL Focus: AQL is QRadar's search language primarily used for analyzing:

Log Activity: The core area to search events received from various log sources.

Offenses: Offenses are generated based on rule triggering, and you can search them to investigate patterns.

QRadar supports generating reports in various file formats, including PDF, HTML, XML, and XLS. These formats provide flexibility in how reports are viewed and shared, catering to different needs and preferences for report presentation and analysis​​.

Parsing Failure: A JSON parser error implies QRadar couldn't correctly extract structured data from the raw log messages created by the custom extension.

Fallback - CRE: QRadar defaults to storing unparseable events as CRE, preserving the raw log message but losing structured fields.

Troubleshooting: CRE events indicate the need to fix the log source extension's JSON parsing.

Understanding Offense Creation in QRadar: QRadar SIEM generates offenses based on the correlation of various types of information to detect potential security threats and incidents.

Analyzed Information for Offense Creation:

Incoming Events and Flows: QRadar collects and analyzes incoming log events and network flows to identify suspicious activities.

Asset Information: Information about the assets within the organization, including their roles and vulnerabilities, is crucial for accurate threat detection.

Known Vulnerabilities: QRadar uses data about known vulnerabilities to correlate events and determine if a potential threat is exploiting these vulnerabilities.

Relevance of the Selected Information: The combination of incoming events, flows, asset information, and known vulnerabilities provides a comprehensive view that helps QRadar accurately identify and correlate potential security incidents, resulting in the creation of offenses.

Reference Confirmation: According to IBM QRadar documentation, the correct combination of analyzed information for creating offenses includes incoming events and flows, asset information, and known vulnerabilities.

References:

IBM QRadar documentation on offense creation and analysis confirms the use of incoming events, flows, asset information, and known vulnerabilities.

When an analyst right-clicks on the Source IP or Destination IP that is associated with an offense at the Offense Summary in QRadar, two of the top-level options are DNS Lookup and WHOIS Lookup1. These options provide additional information about the IP address, such as its domain name (DNS Lookup) and registration information (WHOIS Lookup)1.

When searching for all events related to "Login Failure," a security analyst should use the Event Name parameter to filter the events. This allows the analyst to specifically target events with descriptions such as "Database Login Failure," which indicates that a database login attempt failed​​​​.

In QRadar, to limit the time period for which an AQL (Ariel Query Language) query is evaluated, the functions and clauses that can be used include START, STOP, LAST, NOW, and PARSEDATETIME. Specifically, the LAST function is used to define a relative time range for the query, such as "LAST 2 DAYS"​​.

In IBM Security QRadar SIEM V7.5, the integration with MITRE ATT&CK framework is a valuable feature that enhances the understanding of threat tactics and techniques. The Use Case Manager within QRadar provides detailed insights into various MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques associated with different offenses or alerts. To get more information about a specific MITRE entry, users can click on the Tactic’s Explore icon associated with the entry. This action opens the corresponding page on the MITRE ATT&CK website, providing detailed information about the tactic or technique, including its description, examples of use, and mitigation strategies. This direct link to the MITRE ATT&CK website enriches the user's knowledge and aids in the analysis of security incidents, making it easier to understand the context and implications of specific attack behaviors observed in the monitored environment.

App Communication: QRadar apps often communicate with the core QRadar system using APIs or other internal communication channels.

Authorization: Authorized service tokens provide a secure mechanism for apps to authenticate these actions, ensuring proper access and data flow.