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

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.

 The PCAP file in the exhibit shows a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) communication between two IP addresses. In the data section of the packet capture, “pdy/3.1… http/1” is visible, indicating that HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is being used as the application protocol for this communication.

References := The Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course material covers the analysis of network traffic using tools like packet analyzers to identify application protocols in use1.

False-positive alerts are alerts that are triggered by benign or normal network traffic and are mistakenly identified as malicious. False positives can have a negative impact on business as they may consume the resources and time of the security team that need to analyze and verify them. True-positive alerts are alerts that correctly identify malicious traffic or activity and require proper incident response procedures. True positives can help the security team to quickly detect and mitigate threats and minimize the damage to the organization. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 92; [Cisco CyberOps Associate CBROPS 200-201 Official Cert Guide], page 98

After a breach has been discovered and the immediate threat has been addressed by identifying and removing the threat’s access, the next step according to the NIST SP 800-61 Incident Handling Guide is to recover from the threat. This involves restoring systems to normal operation, confirming that the systems are functioning normally, and applying patches or other remediation measures to prevent similar breaches in the future1.

References :=

• Understanding NIST SP 800-61: The Computer Security Incident Handling Guide

The exhibit shows a Stealthwatch dashboard displaying information on alarming hosts, alarms by type, and today’s alarms. On the left side under “Top Alarming Hosts,” there are five host IP addresses listed with their respective categories indicating different types of alerts including ‘Data Hoarding’ and ‘Exfiltration.’ In “Alarms by Type” section at center top part of image shows bar graphs representing various alarm types including ‘Crypto Violation’ with their respective counts. On right side under “Today’s Alarms,” there’s a table showing the details of each alarm such as the host IP, the alarm type, the severity, and the time. The potential threat identified in this dashboard is that there are two active data exfiltration alerts, one for host 10.201.3.149 and another for host 10.10.101.24. Data exfiltration is the unauthorized transfer of data from a compromised system to an external destination, such as a command and control server or a malicious actor. This can result in data loss, breach of confidentiality, and damage to the organization’s reputation and assets. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 7: Network and Host Forensics

• The ping of death is a type of attack that involves sending oversized or malformed packets using the ICMP protocol to crash, freeze, or reboot the target system1.
• UDP flooding is an attack method that sends a large number of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets to random ports on a remote host, causing the host to repeatedly check for the application listening at that port, and (when no application is found) reply with an ICMP Destination Unreachable packet. This process can saturate the network and the resources of the host, leading to denial of service2.

References:

• Cloudflare’s explanation of common DoS attacks1.
• Wikipedia’s description of denial-of-service attack methods

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

 Cyber attribution identifies the threat actors of an attack in an investigation. Threat actors are the individuals, groups, organizations, or states that are responsible for conducting or sponsoring a cyberattack. Threat actors can have different motives, such as financial gain, espionage, sabotage, activism, or warfare. Cyber attribution can help investigators to determine the identity, location, affiliation, and motivation of the threat actors, as well as to hold them accountable and impose sanctions or legal actions. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 5: Security Policies and Procedures, Lesson 5.2: Incident Response, Topic 5.2.3: Cyber Attribution, page 5-14.

Defense-in-depth is a security strategy where multiple layers of defense are placed throughout an information technology (IT) system. It addresses physical, technical, and administrative controls to provide redundancy and ensure that if one layer fails, others will be in place to thwart an attack. References: Cisco Tech Roles - CyberOps Engineer

A regular expression (regex) is a sequence of characters that defines a search pattern for text. A regex can be used to extract custom properties from log messages or events in a SIEM platform. In this case, the regex that matches the phrase “File: Clean” exactly is ^File: Clean$. The ^ symbol indicates the beginning of the line and the $ symbol indicates the end of the line. The regex ensures that no other characters are before or after the phrase. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, Module 5: Security Policies and Procedures, Lesson 5.3: Data and Event Analysis
• 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, Exam Topics, 5.0 Security Policies and Procedures, 5.3 Analyze data as part of security monitoring activities
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview - Cisco Learning Network, Videos, 5.3 Analyze data as part of security monitoring activities

 The alert from the Cisco ASA device and the numerous activity logs are examples of circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is evidence that relies on an inference or deduction to connect it to a conclusion of fact, such as a security incident or an attack. Circumstantial evidence does not directly prove the fact in question, but rather suggests or implies it. In this case, the alert and the logs indicate that a TCP connection attempt was denied by an access group, but they do not directly prove that an attack occurred or who was behind it. There could be other explanations for the denied connection, such as a misconfiguration, a network error, or a legitimate request. Therefore, this type of evidence is circumstantial and requires further investigation and analysis to confirm or rule out the possibility of an attack. References := Circumstantial evidence - Wikipedia; Circumstantial Evidence - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes; Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 92.

False positives and false negatives are terms used to describe the accuracy of security alerts. A false positive occurs when a security system incorrectly identifies benign activity as malicious, leading to unnecessary investigation and potential disruption of legitimate activities. Conversely, a false negative happens when a security system fails to detect actual malicious activity, allowing the attackers to proceed undetected. The impact of false positives is generally wasted time and resources investigating non-issues, while the impact of false negatives can be much more severe, potentially leading to undetected breaches and significant damage.

References: The CBROPS curriculum covers the concepts of false positives and false negatives in the context of security monitoring and alerting systems

Integrity is a metric in CVSS that measures the impact of a vulnerability on the trustworthiness and veracity of the data or information in a system. A vulnerability that affects the integrity of a system can allow an attacker to modify, delete, or corrupt the data or information without authorization. An example of such a vulnerability is a bank account number tampering attack, where an attacker changes the destination bank account number of a transaction to redirect the funds to their own account. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 2-17; 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, exam topic 1.3.c

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 an HTTP GET request with a parameter that includes ; /bin/sh -c id.
• This indicates a command injection attempt, where the attacker is trying to execute shell commands on the server.
• Command injection vulnerabilities allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the host operating system via a vulnerable application.
• The use of /bin/sh and the -c flag is typical in command injection exploits to run shell commands, such as id, which returns user identity information.

References

• OWASP Command Injection
• Analyzing HTTP Requests for Injection Attacks
• Web Application Security Testing Guidelines

Rule-based detection involves identifying malicious activities based on predefined rules or patterns of known attacks; it does not adapt or change with new data. In contrast, behavioral detection adapts over time by learning from new data; it identifies malicious activities based on deviations from established norms or behaviors. References: Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview, Section 1.0: Security Concepts, Subsection 1.1: Compare and contrast the characteristics of data obtained from taps, NetFlow, and packet capture)

 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

In cybersecurity, a threat is any potential malicious attack or event that can harm an organization, while a risk is the potential damage or loss that could occur if a threat exploits a vulnerability. Therefore, risk is considered the intersection of threats and vulnerabilities, representing the likelihood and impact of a threat materializing.

• The weaponization step in the Cyber Kill Chain Model involves the creation or use of a specific weapon (malware, exploit) designed to leverage a vulnerability.
• This phase follows the reconnaissance phase where the attacker gathers information and precedes the delivery phase where the weapon is delivered to the target.
• Developing specific malware to exploit a vulnerable server is a precise example of weaponization.

References

• Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain Model
• Understanding the Weaponization Phase in Cyber Attacks
• Steps in the Cyber Kill Chain

Digital certificates are essential for decrypting ingress and egress perimeter traffic, as they provide the necessary encryption keys for secure communications. By using digital certificates, network security devices can inspect the decrypted traffic to detect any malicious outbound communications that may indicate command-and-control activity.

An attack surface is the sum of all the points where an attacker can try to enter or extract data from an environment. It includes all the hardware, software, network, and human components that are exposed to potential threats. An attack vector is the path or means by which an attacker can exploit a vulnerability in the attack surface. It describes the type, source, and technique of an attack, such as phishing, malware, denial-of-service, etc. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.1: The CIA Triad and Security Concepts, Topic 1.1.3: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Exploits

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

Full packet captures are essential for troubleshooting security and performance issues as they provide detailed information on network traffic (option B). They also allow for reassembling fragmented traffic from raw data, enabling analysts to review complete transactions or sessions (option C). References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 3: Network Data and Event Analysis

Based on the image details, the exhibit shows a series of HTTP requests with the method GET, which are used to retrieve data from a web server. There is no evidence of any malicious payload or parameter in these requests, so they are likely regular GET requests. The other options are types of web application attacks that exploit different vulnerabilities, such as XML External Entities, insecure deserialization, and cross-site scripting. References := Cisco Cybersecurity

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

Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a sophisticated method of examining the content of data packets as they pass through a network checkpoint, including both the header and the data payload. DPI is typically performed at the application layer of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. This allows the inspection process to evaluate the actual content of the packets, not just the header information, enabling the identification of various types of threats and the enforcement of network policies1.

References := The explanation aligns with the information provided by Digital Guardian, which details how DPI works and at which layer it is applied1.

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

The exhibit shows a UNIX command being used to filter data from an Apache access log file. The use of “cat” to display the content of the log file, “grep” to filter specific IP addresses, and “cut” to organize the output are all indicative of operations performed on a UNIX-based system. Additionally, the structure of the logs (GET requests) aligns with the format typically found in Apache server logs. References := The Cisco Cybersecurity source documents or study guide are not directly referenced here as I need to search for specific content related to this question.

The integrity metric in CVSS refers to the unauthorized modification or destruction of information. In this case, an attack that changes a destination bank account number with another one directly affects the accuracy and reliability of data, thus compromising its integrity. References := Cisco Cybersecurity

The defense-in-depth strategy is a layered approach to security that includes multiple defensive measures to protect against threats. Dividing the network into parts (B) helps isolate potential breaches, making it harder for an attacker to move laterally across the network. Implementing the patch management process (E) ensures that systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches, reducing vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course

Vishing is an attack where fraudsters impersonate legitimate entities via phone calls to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Source Documents

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.

NIST SP 800-61 r2 outlines a structured incident handling lifecycle composed of four phases: Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment, Eradication, and Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. Detection and Analysis involve identifying and investigating incidents, while Post-Incident Activity focuses on lessons learned and evidence retention for future reference.

References: SP 800-61 Rev. 2, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide | CSRC, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide - NIST, We Read NIST SP 800-61 so You Don’t Have to.

• Rule-based detection methods rely on predefined rules and patterns that are known beforehand. These rules are created based on prior knowledge of what constitutes normal and abnormal behavior.
• Statistical detection, on the other hand, involves analyzing data to identify anomalies. It is based on assumptions about what normal behavior looks like and uses statistical methods to detect deviations from this norm.
• Rule-based systems are typically straightforward but may miss novel attacks that do not match existing rules.
• Statistical methods can detect previously unknown threats by recognizing patterns that deviate from established baselines but may produce more false positives.

References

• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) Concepts
• Comparative Studies on Rule-based and Statistical Anomaly Detection
• Understanding Anomaly Detection in Network Security

Delivery: This step involves transmitting the weapon to the target.

Weaponization: In this step, the intruder creates a malware weapon like a virus, worm or such in order to exploit the vulnerabilities of the target. Depending on the target and the purpose of the attacker, this malware can exploit new, undetected vulnerabilities (also known as the zero-day exploits) or it can focus on a combination of different vulnerabilities.

Reconnaissance: In this step, the attacker / intruder chooses their target. Then they conduct an in-depth research on this target to identify its vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

Traffic with a known TOR exit node is often associated with data exfiltration, where sensitive information is transferred from within the network to an external location. TOR networks are used to anonymize the traffic, making it difficult to trace back to the source. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 2: Security Monitoring

The Cuckoo report indicates that the file has been identified by Yara rules as being capable of detecting a sandbox environment, which is a security mechanism for isolating and analyzing suspicious code. The presence of the “vmdetect” and “anti_dog” Yara rules suggests that the file may have mechanisms to avoid executing its malicious behavior when it detects that it is being analyzed in a sandbox. This is a common evasion technique used by malware to prevent detection and analysis by security researchers or automated systems.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) and other Cisco cybersecurity resources discuss malware analysis and the use of sandbox environments to safely execute and study potential malware. These resources also cover the topic of evasion techniques used by malware to avoid detection.

 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

Host-based firewalls are designed to protect individual workstations from unwanted traffic by filtering incoming and outgoing network communications based on predefined security rules. They can block unauthorized access attempts and prevent potentially harmful traffic from reaching the system.

The regular expression c(rgr)+e matches strings where “rgr” occurs one or more times between “c” and “e”. The string “crgrrgre” fits this pattern as it has the sequence “rgr” repeated twice between “c” and “e”. The plus sign (+) in the regular expression indicates that the preceding element must appear one or more times for a match to occur

 The average time taken by a Security Operations Center (SOC) to detect and resolve incidents is a critical metric for evaluating its effectiveness and scope. This metric reflects the SOC’s efficiency in identifying security threats and its ability to respond and mitigate those threats promptly. It encompasses the entire incident lifecycle, from initial detection to final resolution, providing a comprehensive measure of the SOC’s performance1.

References :=

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

The principle of least privilege states that users and processes should be granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their specific role or function within an organization. This reduces the attack surface and limits the potential damage of a compromised account or process. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.2: Security Principles
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview, Exam Topics, 1.1 Explain the CIA triad

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

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

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

• A: Stateful inspection tracks the state of network connections, such as TCP streams, to determine if a packet is part of an established connection.
• B: Deep packet inspection examines the data part (payload) of a packet and can identify, block, or reroute packets with specific types of malware. Stateful inspection does not inspect the payload for malware.

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

 DNS amplification is a type of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack where an attacker uses publicly accessible open DNS servers to flood a target with DNS response traffic. The goal is to overwhelm the target with traffic, causing a denial of service.

Delivery is the fourth phase of the cyber kill chain, which is a model to describe the stages of a cyberattack. Delivery refers to the transmission of the weaponized payload to the target system, such as via email attachments, web links, USB drives, or network connections. Delivery does not necessarily imply successful installation or execution of the payload, which are subsequent phases of the kill chain. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 31.

Indirect evidence is evidence that does not directly prove a fact, but rather implies or infers it from other facts or circumstances. Indirect evidence is also known as circumstantial evidence or corroborating evidence. A video of a suspect entering a data center that was captured on the same day that files in the same data center were transferred to a competitor is an example of indirect evidence, because it does not directly show that the suspect was involved in the file transfer, but rather suggests a possible connection or correlation between the two events. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 5: Security Policies and Procedures, Lesson 5.3: Digital Forensics, Topic 5.3.1: Evidence, page 5-24.

 The log in the exhibit is generated by an Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS). It contains information about a TCP connection attempt, including the source IP address, destination IP address, and other details related to the connection. The presence of “TCP MISS” indicates that the system detected an anomaly or potential threat during the connection attempt. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals

Social engineering attacks involve manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. The fake offer for a free music download is a classic example of social engineering, where attackers lure users with a tempting offer to trick them into providing personal information or downloading malware.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

 Phishing is considered a low-bandwidth attack because it does not require the use of significant network resources. Instead, it relies on social engineering to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information or clicking on malicious links, often through email or other communication methods1.

The difference between tampered and untampered disk images is:

• Tampered Images: These are disk images that have been altered or modified in some way after their initial creation. The stored hash and the computed hash will not match if the image has been tampered with.
• Untampered Images: These are disk images that have not been altered since their creation. They are considered authentic and reliable for forensic investigations. The stored hash and the computed hash will match, confirming that the image has remained unchanged.

Therefore, the correct answer is: D. Untampered images are used for forensic investigations.

 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)

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.

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.

 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

Vishing is an attack where fraudsters impersonate legitimate entities via phone calls to deceive individuals into providing sensitive information or performing actions that compromise security. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Source Documents

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems are designed to collect, correlate, and analyze security event data from various sources to provide insights into potential security issues. They raise alerts when detecting suspicious activities. SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) systems, on the other hand, focus on automating and orchestrating incident response processes. They automate investigation path workflows and reduce the time spent on alerts by executing predefined actions and workflows in response to security events or incidents. References: The differences between SIEM and SOAR are highlighted in various cybersecurity resources, including those provided by Palo Alto Networks and Exabeam, which explain that while SIEM primarily focuses on collecting and analyzing security event data, SOAR extends these capabilities through automation, orchestration, and predefined incident response playbooks

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.

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.

Social engineering is a tactic used by attackers to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential information, such as passwords. In this scenario, the attacker is impersonating a colleague by using a similar email address with a missing letter, attempting to trick the employee into revealing sensitive information.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course and materials provide insights into various types of cybersecurity threats, including social engineering, and how to recognize and respond to them.

 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

The regular expression that matches both “color” and “colour” is colo?ur. In this expression, the ? denotes that the preceding character u is optional, meaning it may appear zero or one time. This allows the expression to match both the American spelling “color” and the British spelling “colour”.

References := Understanding regular expressions is fundamental in various computing tasks, including cybersecurity operations. The Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) material covers the use of regular expressions for searching through logs and data, which is a critical skill for a cybersecurity analyst.

A vulnerability management framework is a set of processes and tools that helps an organization identify, assess, prioritize, remediate, and mitigate system vulnerabilities. A vulnerability management framework aims to reduce the attack surface and the risk of compromise by applying security patches, hardening configurations, implementing security controls, and monitoring the system status. A vulnerability management framework is an essential component of a security operations center (SOC). References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 2-14; 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, exam topic 1.2.b

 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

An incident response plan is a document that defines the roles and responsibilities, procedures, and processes for detecting, analyzing, containing, eradicating, recovering, and learning from security incidents. The purpose of an incident response plan is to minimize the impact of incidents on the organization’s assets, operations, and reputation, and to restore normal operations as quickly as possible. An incident response plan is not the same as a security management plan, a disaster recovery plan, or a backup and archiving plan, although they may be related or complementary. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 92; NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide, page 2-3

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.

 Vulnerability refers to a weakness or flaw in a system that can be exploited by threats. Risk, on the other hand, is the potential for loss or damage when a threat exploits a vulnerability. The risk is essentially the impact or consequence of a vulnerability being exploited

The exhibit shows “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,” which is a Windows Registry hive. The registry is a database used to store low-level settings for the operating system and for applications that opt to use the registry. The other options are not related to the exhibit, as they are either a part of the Windows Certificate Manager, a naming convention for Windows PowerShell commands, or a component of the Windows Services Manager. References := Cisco Cybersecurity

.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/sysinfo/registry-hives

i/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE#:~:text=HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE%20Windows%20registry%20hive%20contains,detected%20hardware%20and%20device%20drivers.

ws-registry-advanced-users

 The event described falls under the ‘action on objectives’ category of the Cyber Kill Chain. This stage occurs after the attacker has established a foothold within the network and begins to execute their intended actions, such as data exfiltration. References: The Cyber Kill Chain framework outlines the stages of a cyberattack, with ‘action on objectives’ being the final step where attackers achieve their primary goal, such as data theft

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

• TCP injection is an attack where the attacker sends crafted packets into an existing TCP session. These packets appear to be part of the session.
• The presence of many SYN packets with the same sequence number, source, and destination IP but different payloads indicates that an attacker might be injecting packets into the session.
• This method can be used to disrupt communication, inject malicious commands, or manipulate the data being transmitted.

References

• Understanding TCP Injection Attacks
• Analyzing Packet Captures for Injection Attacks
• Network Security Monitoring Techniques

The file that is extractable via TCP stream within Wireshark is the one that has the Content-Type header set to application/octet-stream, which indicates binary data. This header is present in frames 7, 14, and 21, which are part of the same TCP stream. The other frames have different Content-Type headers, such as text/html or image/jpeg, which are not extractable as binary files. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 3: Network Intrusion Analysis, Lesson 3.2: Analyze Data from Common TCP/IP Protocols, Topic 3.2.3: HTTP

The scenario described is indicative of a port scanning attack. Port scanning is a method used by attackers to discover open ports on network devices. A single SYN packet sent to each port is a technique known as SYN scanning or half-open scanning, where the attacker sends a SYN message (as if they are going to initiate a TCP connection) to every port on the server, looking for positive responses which indicate an open port. This type of scanning is less intrusive and harder to detect because it never completes the TCP three-way handshake1.

References: Cisco community resources on Denial of Service (DoS) attacks

 In RBAC, access is based on the roles that users have within an organization, and permissions to perform certain operations are assigned to specific roles. DAC, on the other hand, is a type of access control where the access rights are determined by the owner of the resource or the resource itself.

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.

To search for additional downloads of a malicious file by other hosts, the file hash value is needed. The hash value provides a unique identifier for each specific file version, enabling cybersecurity professionals to track down identical files across networks. References := Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview

The lack of data visibility needed to detect the attack is caused by the threat actor gaining access to the system by known credentials. This means that the threat actor either obtained the employee’s username and password through phishing, social engineering, or other means, or used a compromised account that had legitimate access to the system. This would explain why there were no suspicious logs, alerts, or failed login attempts, as the threat actor appeared to be a normal user. References: cybersecurity-operations-fundamentals-cbrops-v1-0/CSCU-LP-CBROPS-V1-028093.html (Module 2, Lesson 2.1.2)

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

In a Security Operations Center (SOC) environment, a vulnerability management metric is a quantifiable measure used to assess the effectiveness of the vulnerability management program. A full assets scan is a metric that can be used to determine the coverage and frequency of vulnerability scans across all assets. This helps in identifying unscanned assets and ensuring that all parts of the network are regularly checked for vulnerabilities1.

References :=

• SOC Metrics: Security Metrics & KPIs for Measuring SOC Success
• Vulnerability Management Metrics: 5 Metrics to Start Measuring in Your Vulnerability Management Program
• Top 10 Vulnerability Management Metrics & KPIs To Measure Success

Traffic mirroring is a technique that copies the traffic from a source port or VLAN to a destination port or VLAN, where it can be analyzed by a security device or tool. Traffic mirroring does not affect the original traffic flow and does not introduce any latency or modification to the packets. Inline traffic interrogation is a technique that forwards the traffic directly to the security device or tool, where it can be inspected and modified before being sent to the destination. Inline traffic interrogation can introduce latency and affect the performance of the network. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, Module 2: Security Monitoring, Lesson 2.2: Network Security Monitoring Tools
• 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, Exam Topics, 2.0 Security Monitoring, 2.2 Describe the impact of various technologies on security monitoring
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview - Cisco Learning Network, Videos, 2.2 Describe the impact of various technologies on security monitoring

The regular expression ^ (?:[0-9]{1,3}.){3}[0-9]{1,3} is needed to capture the IP address 192.168.20.232. This regex matches any string that starts with three groups of one to three digits followed by a dot, and ends with one group of one to three digits. The IP address 192.168.20.232 matches this pattern exactly. The other options are either invalid or do not match the IP address format. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 5: Security Policies and Procedures, Lesson 5.3: Data and Event Analysis, Topic 5.3.2: Regular Expressions

• A greylist in endpoint applications refers to a list of items that are not yet classified as either good (whitelisted) or bad (blacklisted).
• The primary function of a greylist is to hold applications, processes, or files that are under observation due to their unknown status.
• These items are neither trusted nor immediately flagged as harmful, allowing security teams to monitor them closely for any suspicious behavior.
• By placing items on a greylist, security operations can prevent potential threats without disrupting legitimate processes, awaiting further analysis to determine their true nature.

References

• Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals
• Endpoint Security Best Practices
• Greylisting Concepts in Cybersecurity

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

 During the collection phase of the forensic process, data related to a specific event is labeled and recorded to preserve its integrity. This step ensures that the data remains unaltered and authentic from the time of collection until it is presented as evidence, maintaining the chain of custody. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 6: Security Incident Investigations