200-201 Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) Questions and Answers

The “ps” command is used to display information about the processes running on a system. The “-ef” option shows the full format listing, which includes the process ID, the user, the CPU and memory usage, the command name, and other details. This can help the engineer identify which processes are consuming the most resources and causing the degraded performance of the server. The other options are either invalid or irrelevant, as they do not provide the necessary information or perform the required action. References := Cisco Cybersecurity

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

The exhibit displays a sys log which is used in computer systems for messaging logs. It provides messaging tracking services from different devices like routers, switches etc., which helps in tracking and identifying potential issues. References := Cisco Cybersecurity source documents or study guide 

 A threat represents a potential danger that could exploit a weakness in a system while risk is associated with the potential impact or loss that could occur if a threat exploits a vulnerability in the system. So, option A which states “Threat represents a potential danger that could take advantage of a weakness in a system” is correct. References := Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview

According to NIST SP800-61, the incident response phase called “Containment, Eradication, and Recovery” involves containing the incident, eradicating the threat, and recovering from the incident2. In the scenario described, the engineer worked on containing the DDoS attack by identifying the attacker and the technique used, which is part of the containment process. The recommendation to implement Blackhole filtering is part of the eradication process, where measures are taken to prevent the attack from happening again. Finally, restoring the server is part of the recovery process, where normal operations are resumed. Therefore, the engineer finished work during the “Containment, Eradication, and Recovery” phase. References: NIST SP800-61 Computer Security Incident Handling Guide2.

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.

 SOC metrics in relation to security incidents typically refer to the time it takes to detect the incident. These metrics are crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of incident response and remediation efforts by SOC teams. For example, metrics like the Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) enable organizations to assess how quickly they can identify a security incident, which is essential for reducing the impact of the incident on the organization. 

Inline traffic interrogation analyzes traffic in real time and has the ability to prevent certain traffic from being forwarded Traffic mirroring doesn't pass the live traffic instead it copies traffic from one or more source ports and sends the copied traffic to one or more destinations for analysis by a network analyzer or other monitoring device

• 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.

 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.

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: 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 2.1.2)

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

 Inline mode is used for monitoring the traffic path and can examine any traffic at wire speed. This means that it can analyze data packets as they pass through in real-time. On the other hand, tap mode is used for monitoring traffic as it traverses across the network but does not have the capability to examine data at wire speed like inline mode. References: The information can be referenced from Cisco’s official documentation on cybersecurity operations and fundamentals.

Digital certificates are electronic documents that use public key cryptography to verify the identity and authenticity of the sender and the receiver of encrypted communications. Digital certificates are issued and signed by trusted entities called certificate authorities (CAs), and they contain information such as the public key, the name, and the expiration date of the certificate. Digital certificates enable network security devices to decrypt perimeter traffic and inspect it for command and control communications or other malicious activity. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 51.

 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

 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.

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.

 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

A phishing attack often involves sending emails that appear to be from reputable sources with the goal of inducing individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers. In this case, the email with the subject “price deduction” containing a malicious attachment is designed to trick the recipient into opening the attachment, which can then execute harmful software on their device

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

The ‘detection and analysis’ phase of incident response includes identifying all hosts affected by an attack. This step involves analyzing the scope of the incident, determining which systems and data are impacted, and understanding the nature of the attack to inform subsequent containment and eradication efforts45.

References :=

• CrowdStrike’s overview of incident response frameworks and steps4.
• VCEGuide’s explanation of incident response steps

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

• 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

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

 Protected data refers to any information that is legally guarded or sensitive due to its nature. In the context of the organization described, the main database contains Intellectual Property (IP), which includes patents that are legally protected forms of inventions and designs. The secondary database holds Personally Identifiable Information (PII), which comprises data that can be used to identify individuals, such as names and contact details. Both IP and PII are considered protected data and should be identified during an internal audit to ensure they are handled according to legal and regulatory standards. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

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

To isolate the suspicious host that is performing intensive network scanning, the analyst should collect the traffic by most active source IP. This will help to identify the IP address of the host that is generating the most traffic and sending the most packets or bytes. The analyst can then apply filters or queries to analyze the traffic from that source IP and determine the nature and scope of the scanning activity. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 72; [Cisco CyberOps Associate CBROPS 200-201 Official Cert Guide], page 468

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.

User interaction is any event that requires the user to perform an action that enables or facilitates a cyberattack. Opening a malicious file is an example of user interaction, as it can trigger the execution of malicious code or malware that can compromise the system or network. Gaining root access, executing remote code, and reading and writing file permissions are not user interactions, but rather actions that can be performed by an attacker after exploiting a vulnerability or bypassing security controls. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, More than 99% of cyberattacks rely on human interaction

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.

• 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

A command and control server (C2 or C&C) is a server that is used by attackers to communicate with and control compromised systems, such as bots, zombies, or backdoors. The C2 server can send instructions to the compromised systems, such as executing commands, downloading files, uploading data, or launching attacks. The C2 server can also receive information from the compromised systems, such as system information, keystrokes, screenshots, or credentials. 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 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.

 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

 The category of the Cyber Kill Chain model that this event belongs to is weaponization. This stage occurs after reconnaissance has taken place and the attacker has discovered all necessary information about potential targets, such as vulnerabilities. In the weaponization stage, the attacker’s preparatory work culminates in the creation of malware to be used against an identified target, which in this case is a specific worm tailored to exploit a software flaw and extract saved passwords. References: The Cyber Kill Chain framework, developed by Lockheed Martin, explains the weaponization stage as the process where attackers create or modify cyber weapons based on the intelligence gathered during reconnaissance

 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

 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?

• According to NIST SP800-61, the incident response lifecycle consists of four phases: Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment, Eradication and Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity.
• When a SOC team member checks the Cisco Firepower Manager dashboard for further isolation actions, they are working within the Eradication and Recovery phase.
• This phase focuses on removing the threat from the environment and recovering affected systems to normal operations.

References

• NIST SP800-61 Computer Security Incident Handling Guide
• Incident Response Phases Explained
• Role of SOC in Incident Response

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

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

 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

 In the context of phishing emails, the threat actor is the entity that is responsible for initiating the threat, which in this case is the sender of the phishing emails. The sender is impersonating the HR department to deceive the receiver into believing that the emails are legitimate

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

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 event where a breached workstation is trying to connect to a known malicious domain suggests that the attacker is moving towards their end goals, which typically involves actions on objectives.
• In the Cyber Kill Chain framework, "Action on objectives" refers to the steps taken by an attacker to achieve their intended outcomes, such as data exfiltration, destruction, or ransom demands.
• This phase involves the attacker executing their final mission within the target environment, leveraging access gained in earlier stages of the attack.

References

• Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain
• Understanding the Stages of Cyber Attacks
• Incident Response and the Cyber Kill Chain

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

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)

 In the context of public key infrastructure (PKI), a trusted certificate authority (CA) is responsible for issuing digital certificates that verify a digital entity’s identity on the internet. The CA acts as a trusted third party between the user (in this case, tom0411976943) and the recipient (dan1968754032), ensuring that the public keys are indeed who they claim to be. The CA verifies the identity of the users and then issues a certificate containing the public key and a variety of other identification information. The trusted CA can then vouch for the authenticity of each user to the other.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

The packet capture shows that IP address 192.168.88.149, using source port 80 (common for HTTP traffic), initiated communication with IP address 192.168.88.12 at destination port 49098, using the TCP protocol, indicating a typical client-server interaction over the web.

References: = These explanations are based on general cybersecurity principles as outlined in Cisco’s training and certification content, such as the Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) and other related Cisco resources.

• The image shows a piece of code within a bordered rectangular area.
• It is a string of HTML code that appears to be an example of an attack, specifically “”.
• The code suggests an attempt to execute JavaScript within an image source attribute, indicative of a cross-site scripting attack.

The analyst is in the detection and analysis phase of the incident response process according to NIST SP800-61. In this phase, events are detected and analyzed to determine whether they constitute incidents that require a response. It involves monitoring security events or data collection, correlation, and analysis of log entries and network flow data, among others. The goal is to identify incidents quickly so that appropriate actions can be taken. References := NIST SP800-61, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide, Section 3.2: Detection and Analysis

A load balancer is the correct technology to implement a solution that makes routing decisions based on HTTP header, uniform resource identifier (URI), and SSL session ID attributes. Load balancers can inspect incoming traffic and make routing decisions to distribute the traffic across multiple servers based on various attributes, including the ones mentioned, to ensure optimal resource use and efficient traffic management12.

References :=

• Cisco Unified Border Element Configuration Guide1.
• URI based outbound Dial-peer configuration on CUBE - Cisco Community

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

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

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

 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

A false negative occurs when an intrusion detection system (IDS) fails to detect and report actual malicious activity. This means that a legitimate security alert has been dismissed or overlooked, allowing potentially harmful traffic to pass through the network undetected. The impact of false negatives can be significant as they represent missed opportunities to stop or mitigate security threats1.

References := Cisco documentation on security systems, such as IPS (Intrusion Prevention System), discusses the importance of accurately detecting malicious activity and the risks associated with false negatives, which include the failure to trigger alerts for actual attacks1.

 Deep packet inspection (DPI) and stateful inspection are two techniques that are used by firewalls and other network security devices to inspect and filter network traffic. Stateful inspection allows visibility on Layer 4 (transport layer) of the OSI model, which means it can track the state of TCP or UDP connections and filter packets based on source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols. Deep packet inspection allows visibility on Layer 7 (application layer) of the OSI model, which means it can inspect the contents and payloads of packets and filter packets based on application-specific criteria, such as signatures, keywords, URLs, or behaviors. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 2: Security Monitoring, Lesson 2.2: Network Security Monitoring Tools
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview, Exam Topics, 2.2 Describe the impact of network security monitoring tools on data privacy

 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

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.

The operation described is characteristic of the fork() system call in Linux, which is used to create a new process. The fork() system call generates a new process by duplicating the calling (parent) process. If the fork() is successful, the PID of the child process is returned to the parent process, and a 0 value is returned to the child process. If unsuccessful, a negative value is returned2.

References :=

• How to create a process in Linux? - Online Tutorials Library

Social engineering is a type of testing method that involves manipulating or deceiving people into performing actions or divulging information that can compromise the security of the organization. Social engineering can take various forms, such as phishing, vishing, baiting, quid pro quo, or impersonation. The scenario in the question is an example of a phishing attack, where the intruder sent an email to the user that appeared to be legitimate and contained a malicious link that infected the user’s machine and allowed the intruder to access the corporate network. References: [Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Module 6: Security Incident Investigations]

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 purpose of command and control (C&C) for network-aware malware is to allow an attacker to remotely control compromised systems. This includes sending commands to the malware, receiving data from the infected host, and updating the malware to evade detection or enhance its capabilities.

References: The CBROPS course materials cover the topic of network-aware malware and the role of command and control servers in managing such malware

• The image shows a piece of code within a bordered rectangular area.
• It is a string of HTML code that appears to be an example of an attack, specifically “”.
• The code suggests an attempt to execute JavaScript within an image source attribute, indicative of a cross-site scripting attack.

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

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

 Encryption ensures that data is secure and unreadable to unauthorized individuals without the proper decryption key. It is a critical aspect of maintaining data confidentiality and security, especially in the transmission of sensitive information over potentially insecure networks1.

References := What Is Encryption? Explanation and Types - Cisco

 Statistical detection relies on analyzing data over time to identify patterns and anomalies, without predefined rules. It uses algorithms and statistical models to determine normal behavior and identify deviations. Rule-based detection uses predefined rules or patterns to identify known threats or vulnerabilities, often based on signatures or behaviors associated with specific attacks.

Enabling the “Allow subdissector to reassemble TCP streams” feature in Wireshark allows the tool to reassemble TCP segments into a contiguous sequence, which can be used by higher-level protocols to reconstruct a full message, such as an HTTP request or response. This is particularly useful for extracting files or data transmitted over TCP that are spread across multiple packets1.

References := The explanation is based on the Wireshark documentation, which details how the reassembly feature works and its use in analyzing TCP streams

In a PCAP file, which is used to capture network packets, each packet contains various pieces of information that can be analyzed. The source and destination addresses refer to the IP addresses of the sender and receiver of the packets. The source and destination ports refer to the port numbers used for the communication, with common ports like 443 indicating HTTPS traffic. The network protocol here is TCP, which is responsible for establishing a connection and ensuring the delivery of packets. The transport protocol is IPv4, which is the underlying protocol for routing packets across the network. Lastly, the application protocol is TLS v1.2, which is used for secure communication over the internet.

References := The Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course material covers the analysis of network traffic and the interpretation of PCAP files, which includes identifying the different elements within a packet capture1.

The delivery phase of the Cyber Kill Chain model involves the transmission of the weapon to the targeted environment. In the case of a spear-phishing email, the delivery is the act of sending the email to the user. The email itself is the weapon, designed to exploit the recipient’s trust to cause a breach

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

The -sP option in Nmap is used for host discovery without port scanning, which helps in identifying live hosts without triggering portscan alerts on IDS devices. It sends an ICMP echo request, a TCP SYN packet to port 443, a TCP ACK packet to port 80, and an ICMP timestamp request to each target IP address and waits for a response. Any responses are considered as indications of a live host. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 5: Endpoint Threat Analysis and Computer Forensics

 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)

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

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

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

Encryption is challenging to security monitoring because it can be used by threat actors as a method of evasion and obfuscation. Encryption can prevent security devices from inspecting the content or payload of the network traffic, making it difficult to detect malicious activity or signatures. Encryption can also hide the source and destination of the traffic, making it hard to trace the origin or destination of the attack. 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)

• 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

The CDFS (Compact Disc File System) format is associated with the ISO 9660 standard, which is a file system for optical disc media. It is commonly used in Windows systems for CDs. When a security expert works on an ISO file saved in CDFS format, it typically indicates that the data was prepared or copied using a Windows-based system. This is because CDFS is the file system that Windows uses to read and write CDs, and the ISO file is an image of that CD data1.

References :=

• Understanding CDFS (Compact Disc File System): A Comprehensive Guide2.
• What type of evidence is this file? - VCEguide.com

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.

 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.

 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

Trafshow is a network monitoring tool that provides real-time monitoring of network traffic. It displays the current connections and the amount of data being transferred over those connections. It is particularly useful in a Security Operations Center (SOC) for identifying unusual traffic patterns or connections that may indicate a security incident.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

 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

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

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

HTTPS uses SSL/TLS encryption to secure data transmission over the internet. This encryption makes it difficult to monitor HTTPS traffic because the data packets are encrypted making them unreadable to anyone trying to intercept or monitor the data without proper decryption keys. References := Cisco CyberOps Associate