XSIAM-Analyst Palo Alto Networks XSIAM Analyst Questions and Answers

The correct answer isA – Isolate Endpoint.

The most effective initial response to contain a breach and reduce attacker mobility is toisolate the endpoint. This action ensures that the compromised machine can no longer communicate with the network or external systems, effectively cutting off lateral movement and exfiltration by attackers, while still allowing controlled response operations.

"Isolate Endpoint is the primary response action used to immediately contain a threat by severing all network communication, thus limiting attacker movement during active incidents."

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Page:Page 40 (Incident Handling/SOC section)

The correct answer isB – Unmerge the incidents to capture the missing details.

When incidents are merged in Cortex XSIAM, custom field values from the source (secondary) incident are not always automatically transferred to the destination (primary) incident. The recommended way to retrieve the missing custom incident field values is tounmergethe incidents. This action restores the original incidents, including all their individual fields and context, allowing analysts to access and capture the missing details.

"If incident field values are missing after a merge, unmerging incidents will restore the original context and custom field data from each incident."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 45 (Incident Handling section)

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The correct answer isA – ${parentIncidentContext}.

This syntax is the correct variable for referencing the incident context within playbook and War Room tasks, enabling data to be accessed from the parent incident during alert investigation or automation steps.

“Use ${parentIncidentContext} in War Room and playbook tasks to reference the context of the parent incident.”

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Page:Page 39 (Incident Handling and Playbook Automation section)

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The correct answer isA – The file retrieval policy applied to the endpoints may restrict access to certain system or kernel files.

Cortex XSIAM and XDR implement security policies and permissions that mayrestrict the retrieval of sensitive system files, including kernel files, for safety and compliance reasons. When a file retrieval action is initiated, the endpoint policy controls which files are accessible; kernel and other protected files are often excluded from remote retrieval actions to prevent accidental or unauthorized access.

"The file retrieval policy controls which files can be remotely collected from endpoints. Sensitive files, such as kernel or system files, may be restricted by policy and are not accessible through standard remote retrieval actions."

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Exact Page:Page 13 (Agent Deployment and Configuration section)

The correct answer isD – IT.

Alerts and incidents related to internal vulnerability scanning and other non-security operational events are categorized under theIT domainin Cortex XSIAM. This allows teams to differentiate between security-related and IT operations–related alerts for better incident management and prioritization.

"Incidents generated from internal IT operations, such as vulnerability scanning, are assigned to the IT domain, separating them from security-focused domains."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 28 (Alerting and Detection Processes section)

The correct answer isB. The malware scan action detects malicious files but does not generate alerts for them.

In Cortex XSIAM and XDR, an on-demand malware scan effectively identifies malicious files on an endpoint. However, such scans typically record their findings directly in the scan results without generating separate alerts. Alerts are generally created through real-time protection mechanisms or detection rules, not through manually triggered scans.

Exact Reference from Official Document:

"The on-demand malware scan capability is designed to detect and identify malicious files but does not automatically generate alerts for those files. Alerts are primarily generated through real-time endpoint protection policies and detection rules."

Therefore, the absence of alerts despite successful malware detection is due to the designed behavior of on-demand scans.

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The correct answer isC – <name of field> != null or <field name> != "NA".

Filtering with != null removes records with null values, and != "NA" further removes records that explicitly have "NA" as the value, ensuring the table only displays meaningful results.

"Use filters like != null or != 'NA' in XQL queries to exclude empty or placeholder values from results."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 22 (XQL section)

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The correct answer isA – Initiate the endpoint isolate action to contain the threat.

For incidents indicating possible remote compromise or unauthorized task creation, the most effective initial response isendpoint isolation. This cuts off the endpoint’s network access, preventing lateral movement and limiting attacker activity until further investigation and remediation.

“The endpoint isolate action is the primary containment step in incidents involving suspected remote compromise, halting network communication to reduce further risk.”

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 40 (Incident Handling/SOC section)

The correct answer isA – cytool security enable.

The commandcytool security enableis used tore-enableCortex XDR agent protection on an endpoint after it has been paused or disabled. This command restores all core security functions as per XDR agent configuration.

“Use the cytool security enable command to re-enable the Cortex XDR agent’s protection if it has been paused on an endpoint.”

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Page:Page 13 (Agent Deployment and Configuration section)

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Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

D (Correct):The process cmd.exe is marked as theCausality Group Owner (GCO)in the image, meaning it is the root process responsible for spawning or causing the rest of the chain, including the execution of Malware.pdf.exe.

B (Correct):Thealert iconsshown next to Malware.pdf.exe are typical when the malware profile is set to "Report" mode, which allows detection and alerting on the behavior without actively blocking it (otherwise, the process would not execute fully, and you'd see prevention action).

A (Incorrect):While Malware.pdf.exe is shown as responsible for generating the alerts, the entire chain starts from cmd.exe, not Malware.pdf.exe.

C (Incorrect):The image shows two alert icons, not three, so this statement cannot be determined as true from the causality chain.

"The GCO (Causality Group Owner) in the causality chain visual indicates the parent/root process. If a prevention profile is set to Report, the process is logged and not blocked."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf, Page 46 (Incident Handling – Causality Investigation)

Correct answers areA and D.

Option A (Correct): IOC rules within Cortex XSIAM can detect specific indicators such as files, registry keys, IP addresses, hashes, and URLs.

Option D (Correct): IOC rules can indeed be uploaded or updated programmatically using REST APIs, enabling automation and bulk management.

Options B and C are incorrect due to the following reasons:

Expiration dates for IOC rules vary depending on system settings, and there is no strict 180-day limit explicitly defined in the provided documentation.

IOC rules are managed through general alert exclusion mechanisms as well as through suppression rules.

"IOC rules can detect specific files, hashes, registry keys, IP addresses, and URLs and can be managed programmatically via REST API."

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Exact Page:Page 33 (Alerting and Detection section)

The correct answer is C – Installation of the appropriate content pack was not completed.

If the relevant playbooks are not executed automatically—even though Cortex XSIAM suggests them—it is often due to the required content pack not being installed. Playbooks and their dependencies are delivered through content packs, and unless the content pack is fully installed and enabled, those playbooks cannot run automatically.

“Playbooks may not execute if the required content pack is not installed or enabled in Cortex XSIAM.”

Document Reference: XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page: Page 38 (Automation and Playbooks section)

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