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

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 ‘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

A false positive in network security is when a benign action is incorrectly flagged as malicious, leading to legitimate traffic being blocked. This can disrupt normal network operations and access to services, as the security system mistakenly identifies normal behavior as a threat1.

References := The concept of false positives and their impact on network traffic is discussed in various cybersecurity resources, including Cisco’s own training materials and discussions on network security best practices1.

 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. 

The user-agent HTTP header field is used in forensics to identify the type of browser used. It contains a characteristic string that allows network protocol peers to identify the operating system and browser of the web-server. This information is crucial in forensic analysis as it can provide insights into the client’s environment1.

References := The importance of the user-agent string in identifying the browser type is discussed in various technical resources, including the Wikipedia page on HTTP header fields2 and articles on GeeksforGeeks1.

 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

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

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

Untampered images are crucial for security investigations as they provide original evidence that has not been altered or corrupted; their integrity and authenticity can be verified by comparing the stored hash and the computed hash of the image. If they match, the image is untampered and can be used for analysis. Tampered images, on the other hand, are useless for security investigations as they may contain false or misleading information; their integrity and authenticity are compromised by the modification of the image data. Tampered images may be used for incident recovery purposes, such as restoring a system to a previous state, but not for forensic purposes. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals - Module 6: Security Incident Investigations

 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

Deep packet inspection (DPI) analyzes the data part (and possibly also the header) of a packet as it passes an inspection point, searching for protocol non-compliance, viruses, spam, intrusions, or defined criteria to decide whether the packet may pass or if it needs to be routed to a different destination. Stateful inspection, on the other hand, tracks the state of active connections and determines which network packets to allow through the firewall. While stateful inspection tracks the state of connections (Layer 4 - transport layer), DPI goes further by examining the payload of the packet (Layer 7 - application layer).

References: Cisco’s official documentation and cybersecurity courses would explain the differences between deep packet inspection and stateful inspection, including their respective layers of operation.

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.

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)

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

 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

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

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

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.

 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

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.

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.

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.

 Traffic fragmentation is an evasion technique where an attacker splits malicious payloads into smaller packets. This can help avoid detection since some security systems may not reassemble these packets to inspect the complete payload.

The executable file is identified in the “name” section of the exhibit, which lists the file name “VAC-Bypass-Loader.exe”. This indicates that the file is an executable, as denoted by the “.exe” extension commonly associated with executable files in Windows operating systems.

References: The information provided is based on standard practices for identifying executable files within cybersecurity analysis reports and is consistent with Cisco’s cybersecurity documentation.

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

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

A Certificate Authority (CA) is responsible for issuing digital certificates to validate the identity of the certificate holder and provide a means to establish secure communications over networks like the Internet. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Source Documents

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

Statistical detection involves collecting data over time to define what is considered normal behavior or legitimate data for users or systems. It then uses statistical analysis to identify abnormal behavior that could indicate a security incident. Rule-based detection uses predefined rules or patterns that are based on known threats or vulnerabilities - it operates on an IF/THEN basis where if certain conditions are met then an alert is triggered. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals

The improper use or disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) falls under the category of compliance because organizations are required to adhere to laws and regulations that protect the privacy and security of PII. This includes following guidelines set forth by privacy laws such as GDPR, HIPAA, and others that mandate the proper handling of personal data to prevent misuse and unauthorized access123.

References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS), Personally identifiable information (PII): What it is, how it’s used, and how to protect it, What is PII? Examples, laws, and standards, Overview of the Privacy Act: 2020 Edition

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/performance/windo ws-registry-advanced-users

A man-in-the-middle attack is a type of cyberattack where an attacker intercepts and alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other. In this case, the attacker is impersonating mail.google.com and presenting a fake certificate to the endpoint device. The endpoint device detects that the certificate is not issued by a trusted authority and displays an error message. The attacker can then monitor or modify the traffic between the endpoint device and mail.google.com. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, Module 3: Host-Based Analysis, Lesson 3.2: Endpoint Security Technologies
• 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, Exam Topics, 3.0 Host-Based Analysis, 3.2 Compare and contrast the functionality of these endpoint security technologies
• Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview - Cisco Learning Network, Videos, 3.2 Compare and contrast the functionality of these endpoint security technologies

FAT is a file system that organizes and stores data on a disk. However, FAT has a limitation of 4 GB for the maximum file size, which means that any file larger than that will be corrupted. To resolve this issue, the engineer can use FAT32, which is an improved version of FAT that supports files up to 32 GB. Alternatively, the engineer can use other file systems that have higher file size limits, such as Ext4 or NTFS. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 5: Security Policies and Procedures, Lesson 5.1: Data Retention, Topic 5.1.1: Data Retention Policies and Procedures

 Vulnerability management is a proactive approach to securing systems by identifying and fixing vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers. It involves scanning systems for known weaknesses, prioritizing and assessing the risks of those vulnerabilities, and applying patches or other remediation measures to mitigate them. Vulnerability management helps reduce the attack surface and prevent potential breaches. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 11.

 A denial-of-service attack represents the evasion technique of resource exhaustion, where the attacker overwhelms a system’s resources, making the system unusable and unable to handle legitimate requests. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Source Documents

NetFlow provides a more efficient way of recording and analyzing network traffic patterns over an extended period of time compared to syslog messages, full packet capture, or firewall event logs. It collects metadata about traffic flows traversing the network devices which can be used for understanding normal baseline behavior as well as identifying anomalies. References := Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate Overview

Threat intelligence is crucial for organizations to understand the threats they are currently facing. It involves collecting, evaluating, and disseminating information about current or potential attacks that could affect an organization. This intelligence can help organizations prioritize their security measures based on the likelihood and potential impact of different threats. By using threat intelligence, organizations can be more proactive in their defense strategies and respond more effectively to cyber threats.

References: The Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) course emphasizes the importance of threat intelligence in monitoring security incidents and responding to them

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.

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

 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.

SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems are solutions that provide real-time analysis of security alerts generated by applications and network hardware. They collect, store, analyze, and report on log data for incident response, forensics, and regulatory compliance. On the other hand, SOAR (Security Orchestration Automation and Response) platforms allow organizations to collect data about security threats from multiple sources and respond to low-level security events without human assistance. References: Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals

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

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

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

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

The exhibit shows a network diagram with a switch, a router, and two hosts. The switch has a MAC address table that maps the MAC addresses of the connected devices to the corresponding ports. A MAC flooding attack is a type of attack that aims to overload the switch’s MAC address table by sending a large number of frames with spoofed source MAC addresses. This causes the switch to enter a fail-open mode, where it broadcasts all incoming frames to all ports, effectively turning it into a hub. This allows the attacker to sniff the traffic between the hosts and the router, or launch other attacks such as ARP spoofing or man-in-the-middle

 Tap and SPAN are two methods of capturing network traffic for analysis. Tap (Test Access Point) is a hardware device that is inserted between two network devices and sends a copy of all traffic to a monitoring device. SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer) is a software feature that allows a network switch to replicate traffic from one or more source ports to a destination port, where a monitoring device is connected. Both methods provide visibility into network traffic, but Tap is more reliable and less intrusive than SPAN, as it does not affect the network performance or introduce errors. References := Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 68.

 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 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

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

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

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

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 host 10.201.3.149 is receiving almost 19 times more data than is being sent to host 152.46.6.91, which is a sign of data exfiltration. 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

 In the context of NIST’s incident response guidelines, management is responsible for coordinating incident response among various business units, minimizing damage, and reporting to regulatory agencies. Management plays a key role in overseeing the incident response process to ensure that it is carried out effectively across all parts of the organization and that compliance with legal and regulatory requirements is maintained12.

References :=

• NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2, Computer Security Incident Handling Guide1.
• InfraExam’s discussion on incident response stakeholder responsibilities

 The virtual address space for a Windows process is the set of virtual memory addresses that can be used by the process. Each process has its own virtual address space that is isolated from other processes. The virtual address space is divided into regions that have different attributes, such as read-only, read-write, execute, and so on. The virtual address space is mapped to the physical memory by the operating system using a data structure called a page table. References:

• Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) v1.0, Module 4: Host-Based Analysis, Lesson 4.1: Windows Operating System
• Virtual Address Space

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.

 A web proxy is the technology used to block a user’s HTTP connection to a malicious site according to configured policy. It acts as an intermediary between users and the internet, enforcing security policies and preventing access to harmful sites by inspecting and managing web traffic.

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

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

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

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 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

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

A threat agent is the entity that is responsible for initiating a threat action that exploits a vulnerability. A threat agent can be a person, a group, an organization, or a system. In this scenario, the threat agent is the foreign government that hacked the defense contractor and stole the intellectual property. The threat agent’s motivation, capability, and resources determine the level of threat they pose to the target. References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS) - Cisco, page 1-3; 200-201 CBROPS - Cisco, exam topic 1.1.b

A threat is a possible danger that might exploit a vulnerability to breach the security and cause harm to an asset. An asset is anything of value that needs to be protected, such as data, systems, or networks. A vulnerability is a weakness or flaw in the security that can be exploited by a threat. An exploit is a piece of code or a technique that takes advantage of a vulnerability to compromise the security and perform malicious actions on an asset. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals, Module 1: Security Concepts, Lesson 1.1: The CIA Triad and Security Concepts, Topic 1.1.3: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Exploits

 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.

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

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

 Volatile data is information that is stored in memory or other temporary storage that is lost when the power is turned off or lost. According to NIST SP 800-86, login sessions and swap files are considered volatile because they exist in the system’s memory and can be lost or changed rapidly

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 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

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.

The screenshot shows multiple POP requests with the command PASS, which is typically used for password entry. The rapid succession and variation of these requests suggest an attempt to guess the password, characteristic of a brute-force attack. Remember, always verify with additional data or context when possible, as packet captures can contain vast amounts of information and may require thorough analysis for accurate interpretation.

 In the context of a cybersecurity breach, attribution involves identifying the responsible party. Since the external USB device was not found, the focus shifts to the actions performed by the receptionist. Analyzing these actions can provide insights into how the breach occurred and may help in attributing the incident to the threat actor

References := Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate 200-201 Certification Guide

Deep packet inspection (DPI) is a form of computer network packet filtering that examines the data part (and possibly also the header) of a packet as it passes an inspection point, searching for protocol non-compliance, viruses, spam, intrusions, or defined criteria to decide whether the packet may pass or if it needs to be routed to a different destination, or, for the purpose of collecting statistical information. It is a form of filtering employed at the security layer level of the OSI model. Stateful inspection, on the other hand, is a firewall technology that monitors the state of active connections and determines which network packets to allow through the firewall. Stateful inspection has largely replaced older technologies that were static and examined packets in isolation. Therefore, DPI is considered more secure because it examines the contents of the packets at Layer 7 (the application layer), while stateful inspection typically works up to Layer 4 (the transport layer).

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)

Social engineering techniques often involve manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. Phishing involves sending fraudulent messages (often emails) that appear to be from reputable sources with the goal of stealing sensitive data or installing malware. Pharming redirects the traffic of a legitimate website to another fraudulent website without the user’s knowledge, aiming to collect the user’s credentials. References := Cisco Cybersecurity Source Documents

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

In the context of cybersecurity, an asset is anything that has value to the organization, its business operations and their continuity, including data and physical devices. In the role of attribution in an investigation, which is the process of associating an action or event with a particular individual or entity, certain assets are particularly relevant. A laptop © can be an asset because it may contain data or clues that can help trace the origin of a cyber attack. Similarly, identifying the threat actor (E) is crucial for attribution, as it involves understanding who is behind the attack and their motives, which can be essential for preventing future attacks and for legal proceedings.

References: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals (CBROPS)1.

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.

A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated

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

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

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.

The presence of a default user agent in the headers of requests and data being transmitted suggests a cache bypassing attack. In this scenario, the attacker is likely requesting noncacheable content to avoid detection by caching mechanisms that could otherwise identify and block malicious traffic.