Practitioner Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Practitioner (PCCP) Question and Answers

● Type 1 (native or bare metal). Runs directly on the host computer’s hardware

● Type 2 (hosted). Runs within an operating system environment

To find the subnet that the host 192.168.19.36/27 belongs to, we need to convert the IP address and the subnet mask to binary form and perform a logical AND operation. The /27 notation means that the subnet mask has 27 bits of ones and 5 bits of zeros. In decimal form, the subnet mask is 255.255.255.224. The binary form of the IP address and the subnet mask are:

IP address: 11000000.10101000.00010011.00100100 Subnet mask: 11111111.11111111.11111111.11100000

The logical AND operation gives us the network prefix:

Network prefix: 11000000.10101000.00010011.00100000

To get the subnet address, we convert the network prefix back to decimal form:

Subnet address: 192.168.19.32

The subnet address is the first address in the subnet range. To find the last address in the subnet range, we flip the bits of the subnet mask and perform a logical OR operation with the network prefix:

Flipped subnet mask: 00000000.00000000.00000000.00011111 Logical OR: 11000000.10101000.00010011.00111111

The last address in the subnet range is:

Last address: 192.168.19.63

The subnet range is from 192.168.19.32 to 192.168.19.63. The host 192.168.19.36 belongs to this subnet. Therefore, the correct answer is B. 192.168.19.16, which is the second address in the subnet range.

IP Subnet Calculator

Subnet Calculator - IP and CIDR

Which subnet does the host 192.168.19.36/27 belong? - VCEguide.com

Cortex XDR is an endpoint tool or agent that can enact behavior-based protection. Behavior-based protection is a method of detecting and blocking malicious activities based on the actions or potential actions of an object, such as a file, a process, or a network connection. Behavior-based protection can identify and stop threats that are unknown or evade traditional signature-based detection, by analyzing the object’s behavior for suspicious or abnormal patterns. Cortex XDR is a comprehensive solution that provides behavior-based protection for endpoints, networks, and cloud environments. Cortex XDR uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to continuously monitor and analyze data from multiple sources, such as logs, events, alerts, and telemetry. Cortex XDR can detect and prevent advanced attacks, such as ransomware, fileless malware, zero-day exploits, and lateral movement, by applying behavioral blocking and containment rules. Cortex XDR can also perform root cause analysis, threat hunting, and incident response, to help organizations reduce the impact and duration of security incidents. References:

Cortex XDR - Palo Alto Networks

Behavioral blocking and containment | Microsoft Learn

Behaviour Based Endpoint Protection | Signature-Based Security - Xcitium

The 12 Best Endpoint Security Software Solutions and Tools [2024]

Cloud-native security is the integration of security strategies into applications and systems designed to be deployed and to run in cloud environments. It involves a layered approach that considers security at every level of the cloud-native application architecture. The four C’s of cloud-native security are123:

Code: This layer refers to the application code and its dependencies. Security at this layer involves ensuring the code is free of vulnerabilities, using secure coding practices, and implementing encryption, authentication, and authorization mechanisms.

Container: This layer refers to the lightweight, isolated units that encapsulate the application and its dependencies. Security at this layer involves scanning and verifying the container images, enforcing policies and rules for container deployment and runtime, and isolating and protecting the containers from unauthorized access.

Cluster: This layer refers to the group of nodes that host the containers and provide orchestration and management capabilities. Security at this layer involves securing the communication between the nodes and the containers, monitoring and auditing the cluster activity, and applying security patches and updates to the cluster components.

Cloud: This layer refers to the underlying infrastructure and services that support the cloud-native applications. Security at this layer involves configuring and hardening the cloud resources, implementing identity and access management, and complying with the cloud provider’s security standards and best practices.

The correct order of the four C’s from the top (surface) layer to the bottom (base) layer is code, container, cluster, cloud, as each layer depends on the security of the next outermost layer. References: What Is Cloud-Native Security? - Palo Alto Networks, What is Cloud-Native Security? An Introduction | Splunk, The 4C’s of Cloud Native Kubernetes security - Medium

App-IDâ„¢ technology leverages the power of the broad global community to provide continuous identification, categorization, and granular risk-based control of known and previously unknown SaaS applications, ensuring new applications are discovered automatically as they become popular.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), including Prisma Cloud’s offering, continuously monitors all cloud resources — such as compute instances, storage, network configurations, and identities — to detect misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and potential threats in near real time.

Cyberterrorists are attackers who use the internet to recruit members to an ideology, to train them, and to spread fear and induce panic. Cyberterrorists may target critical infrastructure, government systems, or public services to cause disruption, damage, or harm. Cyberterrorists may also use the internet to disseminate propaganda, incite violence, or coordinate attacks. Cyberterrorists differ from other attacker profiles in their motivation, which is usually political, religious, or ideological, rather than financial or personal. References: Cyberterrorism, Cyber Threats, Cybersecurity Threat Landscape

An advanced persistent threat (APT) is a sophisticated, sustained cyberattack in which an intruder establishes an undetected presence in a network in order to steal sensitive data over a prolonged period of time. APTs are usually carried out by well-funded, experienced teams of cybercriminals that target high-value organizations, such as governments, military, or corporations. APTs have the skills and resources to launch additional attacks, as they often use advanced techniques to evade detection, move laterally within the network, and establish multiple entry points and backdoors. APTs are not interested in causing immediate damage or disruption, but rather in achieving long-term goals, such as espionage, sabotage, or theft of intellectual property. Therefore, option B is the correct answer among the given choices123 References:

1: Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician - Palo Alto Networks

2: 10 Palo Alto Networks PCCET Exam Practice Questions - CBT Nuggets

3: What Is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)? - Cisco

4: What is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)? - CrowdStrike

5: What Is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)? - Kaspersky

 A cloud native security platform (CNSP) is a set of security practices and technologies designed specifically for applications built and deployed in cloud environments. It involves a shift in mindset from traditional security approaches, which often rely on network-based protections, to a more application-focused approach that emphasizes identity and access management, container security and workload security, and continuous monitoring and response. A CNSP offers three main benefits for cloud native applications:

Agility: A CNSP enables faster and more frequent delivery of software updates, as security is built into the application and infrastructure from the ground up, rather than added on as an afterthought. This allows for seamless integration of security controls into the continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, reducing the risk of security gaps or delays. A CNSP also leverages automation and orchestration to simplify and streamline security operations, such as configuration, patching, scanning, and remediation.

Digital transformation: A CNSP supports the adoption of cloud native technologies, such as microservices, containers, serverless, and platform as a service (PaaS), which enable greater scalability, deployability, manageability, and performance of cloud applications. These technologies also allow for more innovation and experimentation, as developers can easily create, test, and deploy new features and functionalities. A CNSP helps to protect these cloud native architectures from threats and vulnerabilities, while also ensuring compliance with regulations and standards.

Flexibility: A CNSP provides consistent and comprehensive security across different cloud environments, such as public, private, and multi-cloud. It also allows for customization and adaptation of security policies and controls to suit the specific needs and preferences of each application and organization. A CNSP can also integrate with other security tools and platforms, such as firewalls, endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and security information and event management (SIEM), to provide a holistic and unified view of the security posture and risk level of cloud applications.

What Is a Cloud Native Security Platform?

What Is Cloud-Native Security?

All You Need to Know About Cloud Native Security

Top Five Benefits of Cloud Native Application Security

Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) leverages behavior analysis to identify suspicious or anomalous activities associated with user identities. This methodology involves continuously monitoring user authentication patterns, access events, and privilege escalations to build a baseline of “normal” behavior. By detecting deviations—such as unusual login locations, timeframes, or excessive access attempts—ITDR can flag potential identity compromises or insider threats that traditional signature or rule-based systems often miss. Palo Alto Networks’ ITDR integrates behavioral analytics with threat intelligence to deliver real-time alerts and automated response capabilities, essential in mitigating credential abuse and lateral movement within networks. This behavioral approach is crucial for adapting to sophisticated identity attacks that evolve constantly.

Cortex XDR is a security analytics platform that converges logs from network, identity, endpoint, application, and other security relevant sources to generate high-fidelity behavioral alerts and facilitate rapid incident analysis, investigation, and response1. Cortex XDR uses machine learning algorithms to automate data analysis and apply modeling in real time, helping organizations to reduce analyst workloads and improve security1. Cortex XDR also integrates with Palo Alto Networks next-generation firewalls and other security tools to streamline and speed network security response2. References: Security Analytics - Palo Alto Networks, Network Security Automation - Palo Alto Networks

In a host-based architecture, the server (host) handles all processing tasks, while the client mainly provides input/output. This centralizes control, processing, and data storage on the server, reducing the client’s role to that of a terminal.

Signature-based antivirus software is a type of security software that uses signatures to identify malware. Signatures are bits of code that are unique to a specific piece of malware. When signature-based antivirus software detects a piece of malware, it compares the signature to its database of known signatures12. If a match is found, the software can do three things to provide protection:

Alert system administrators: The software can notify the system administrators or the users about the malware detection, and provide information such as the name, type, location, and severity of the malware. This can help the administrators or the users to take appropriate actions to prevent further damage or infection3.

Quarantine the infected file: The software can isolate the infected file from the rest of the system, and prevent it from accessing or modifying any other files or processes. This can help to contain the malware and limit its impact on the system4.

Delete the infected file: The software can remove the infected file from the system, and prevent it from running or spreading. This can help to eliminate the malware and restore the system to a clean state4.

What is a signature-based antivirus? - Info Exchange

What is a Signature and How Can I detect it? - Sophos

How Does Heuristic Analysis Antivirus Software Work?

What Is Signature-based Malware Detection? | RiskXchange

Code security in cloud environments involves using tools like Static Application Security Testing (SAST) to automatically analyze source code for vulnerabilities before deployment. This helps identify and remediate potential threats early in the software development lifecycle.

Cortex XDR is a detection and response platform that natively integrates network, endpoint, and cloud data to stop sophisticated attacks. A key benefit of Cortex XDR is that it acts as a safety net during an attack while patches are developed. Cortex XDR uses machine learning and behavioral analytics to detect and validate threats, and automatically reveals the root cause of alerts to speed up investigations. Cortex XDR also enables flexible and rapid response actions to contain and remediate threats across the environment. References: Cortex XDR- Extended Detection and Response - Palo Alto Networks, What is Cortex XDR | Palo Alto Networks, Cortex XDR Datasheet - Palo Alto Networks

A perimeter-based network security strategy relies on firewalls, routers, and other devices to create a boundary between the internal network and the external network. This strategy assumes that every internal endpoint can be trusted, and that any threat comes from outside the network. However, this assumption is flawed, as internal endpoints can also be compromised by malware, phishing, insider attacks, or other methods. Once an attacker gains access to an internal endpoint, they can use it to move laterally within the network, bypassing the perimeter defenses. Therefore, a perimeter-based network security strategy is not sufficient to protect an organization’s endpoint systems, and a more comprehensive approach, such as Zero Trust, is needed. References:

Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)

Traditional perimeter-based network defense is obsolete—transform to a Zero Trust model

What is Network Perimeter Security? Definition and Components | Acalvio

 A local area network (LAN) is a network that connects end-user devices such as personal computers, printers, scanners, and phones within a small geographic area, such as an office, school, or home. LANs allow users to share resources, such as files, applications, and internet access, among the connected devices. LANs typically use Ethernet or Wi-Fi as the communication medium and operate at high speeds with low error rates. LANs are usually owned and managed by a single person or organization. References: LANs, WANs, and Other Area Networks Explained, What is a LAN? Local Area Network, Types of area networks - LAN, MAN and WAN

Prisma SaaS connects directly to the applications themselves, therefore providing continuous silent monitoring of the risks within the sanctioned SaaS applications, with detailed visibility that is not possible with traditional security solutions.

A next-generation firewall (NGFW) is a security component that can detect command-and-control (C2) traffic sent from multiple endpoints within a corporate data center. A NGFW is a network device that combines traditional firewall capabilities with advanced features such as application awareness, intrusion prevention, threat intelligence, and cloud-based analysis. A NGFW can identify and block C2 traffic by inspecting the application layer protocols, signatures, and behaviors of the network traffic, as well as correlating the traffic with external sources of threat intelligence. A NGFW can also leverage inline cloud analysis to detect and prevent zero-day C2 threats in real-time. A NGFW can provide granular visibility and control over the network traffic, as well as generate alerts and reports on the C2 activity. References:

Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)

Command and Control, Tactic TA0011 - Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK®

Advanced Threat Prevention: Inline Cloud Analysis - Palo Alto Networks

A container-based NGFW is specifically designed to integrate with Kubernetes environments, providing full application visibility and control within containerized workloads. It operates at the pod level, making it ideal for securing dynamic microservices architectures.

A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system collects data from various sources (logs, events, etc.) and uses correlation rules to analyze this data and trigger alarms when suspicious or predefined patterns are detected.

Code security focuses on identifying vulnerabilities and misconfigurations early in the development process. It uses tools like static code analysis and infrastructure-as-code (IaC) scanning to ensure secure coding and configuration before deployment.

Web 2.0 applications provide the type of service known as Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS is a cloud computing model that allows users to access and use web-based applications over the internet, without having to install or maintain any software on their own devices. SaaS applications are hosted and managed by a third-party provider, who is responsible for the security, performance, availability, and updates of the software. SaaS applications are typically accessed through a web browser or a mobile app, and offer features such as user-generated content, social networking, collaboration, and interoperability. Examples of Web 2.0 SaaS applications include Facebook, X, Wikipedia, Gmail, and Salesforce. References:

What Is Web 2.0? Definition, Impact, and Examples - Investopedia

Web 2.0 - Wikipedia

[What is SaaS? Software as a service (SaaS) definition - Salesforce.com]

A containerized architecture packages software along with its dependencies, libraries, and configuration into an isolated unit called a container. This ensures consistent behavior across environments and simplifies deployment and scaling.

Advanced WildFire is a Cloud-Delivered Security Service (CDSS) that detects zero-day malware using inline cloud machine learning (ML) and sandboxing techniques. It analyzes unknown files in real-time to identify and block new threats before they can cause harm.

Playbooks are collections of workflows that automate and orchestrate tasks, alerts, and responses to incidents. Playbooks are triggered by rules or incidents and can coordinate across technologies, security teams, and external users for centralized data visibility and action. Playbooks can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of security operations by reducing manual work, streamlining processes, and enhancing collaboration. References: What Is SOAR? - Palo Alto Networks, What Is SOAR? Technology and Solutions | Microsoft Security, How SecOps can help solve these 6 key MSSP conundrums - Google Cloud

SOAR stands for security orchestration, automation and response. It is a software solution that enables security teams to integrate and coordinate separate tools into streamlined threat response workflows. SOAR systems allow for accelerated incident response through the execution of standardized and automated playbooks that work upon inputs from security technology and other data flows. SOAR systems can also help ensure consistency, reduce human errors, and improve efficiency and scalability of security operations. References:

Security Operations Infrastructure from Palo Alto Networks

What is SOAR (security orchestration, automation and response)? from IBM

Security Operations Fundamentals (SOF) Flashcards from Quizlet

An Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) includes automated security actions, such as blocking malicious traffic, resetting connections, or alerting administrators when it detects suspicious activity, helping to stop attacks in real time.

Containers are portable and lightweight alternatives to virtual machines that allow developers to package, isolate, and deploy applications across different cloud environments. Containers simplify the building and deploying of cloud native applications by providing consistent and efficient development, testing, and production environments. Containers also offer benefits such as rapid provisioning, high scalability, resource optimization, and security isolation. References:

What are containerized applications? from Google Cloud

What are containers and why do you need them? from IBM Developer

Embracing containers for software-defined cloud infrastructure from Red Hat

An application allow list prevents malware from executing by only permitting approved applications to run on an endpoint. Any unauthorized or unknown software, including malicious programs, is automatically blocked from executing.

Sanctioned SaaS applications are those that are approved and supported by the organization’s IT department. They provide business benefits such as increased productivity, collaboration, and efficiency. They are fast to deploy because they do not require installation or maintenance on the user’s device. They require minimal cost because they are usually paid on a subscription or usage basis, and they do not incur hardware or software expenses. They are infinitely scalable because they can adjust to the changing needs and demands of the organization without affecting performance or availability12. References: 8 Types of SaaS Solutions You Must Know About in 2024, What is SaaS (Software as a Service)? | SaaS Types | CDW, Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician

Cortex XSOAR enhances Security Operations Center (SOC) efficiency with the world’s most comprehensive operating platform for enterprise security. Cortex XSOAR unifies case management, automation, real-time collaboration, and native threat intel management in the industry’s first extended security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) offering.

 A sanctioned application is an application that is approved by the IT department and meets the security and compliance requirements of the organization. Sanctioned applications are allowed to access the organization’s network and data and are monitored and protected by the IT department. Examples of sanctioned applications are Office 365, Salesforce, and Zoom. Sanctioned applications are different from unsanctioned, prohibited, and tolerated applications, which are not approved by the IT department and may pose security risks to the organization. Unsanctioned applications are applications that are used by the employees without the IT department’s knowledge or consent, such as Dropbox, Gmail, or Facebook. Prohibited applications are applications that are explicitly forbidden by the IT department, such as BitTorrent, Tor, or malware. Tolerated applications are applications that are not approved by the IT department, but are not blocked or restricted, such as Skype, Spotify, or YouTube. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET), Cloud Security Fundamentals - Module 4: Cloud Security Best Practices, Application Visibility and Control

CaaS, or Containers-as-a-Service, is a cloud service that allows users to manage and deploy applications using containers and clusters. CaaS can be situated between IaaS and PaaS in the spread of cloud computing services, based on how much is managed by the vendor. IaaS, or Infrastructure-as-a-Service, provides the lowest level of abstraction, where users have to manage the servers, storage, network, and operating system. PaaS, or Platform-as-a-Service, provides a higher level of abstraction, where users only have to manage the application code and data. FaaS, or Function-as-a-Service, provides the highest level of abstraction, where users only have to manage the functions or logic of the application. CaaS falls in between IaaS and PaaS, as it provides users with more control over the container orchestration and configuration than PaaS, but also simplifies the infrastructure management and scaling than IaaS123. References:

What is CaaS? from Red Hat

Containers as a Service from Atlassian

Container as a Service (CaaS) from GeeksforGeeks

The IP stack adds source (sender) and destination (receiver) IP addresses to the TCP segment (which now is called an IP packet) and notifies the server operating system that it has an outgoing message ready to be sent across the network.

TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol, and it is one of the main protocols used in the internet. TCP provides reliable, ordered, and error-free delivery of data between applications 1. In terms of the OSI model, TCP is a transport-layer protocol. The transport layer is the fourth layer of the OSI model, and it is responsible for establishing end-to-end connections, segmenting data into packets, and ensuring reliable and efficient data transfer 2. The transport layer also provides flow control, congestion control, and error detection and correction mechanisms 2. TCP is not the only transport-layer protocol; another common one is UDP (User Datagram Protocol), which is faster but less reliable than TCP 3. References: 1: TCP/IP TCP, UDP, and IP protocols - IBM 2: Transport Layer | Layer 4 | The OSI-Model 3: TCP/IP Model vs. OSI Model | Similarities and Differences - Fortinet

page 173 "AutoFocus makes over a billion samples and sessions, including billions of artifacts, immediately actionable for security analysis and response efforts. AutoFocus extends the product portfolio with the global threat intelligence and attack context needed to accelerate analysis, forensics, and hunting workflows. Together, the platform and AutoFocus move security teams away from legacy manual approaches that rely on aggregating a growing number of detectionbased alerts and post-event mitigation, to preventing sophisticated attacks and enabling proactive hunting activities."

Personally identifiable information (PII) is any data that can be used to identify someone. All information that directly or indirectly links to a person is considered PII1. Among PII, some pieces of information are more sensitive than others. Sensitive PII is sensitive information that directly identifies an individual and could cause significant harm if leaked or stolen2. Birthplace and name are examples of sensitive PII, as they can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information3. Login 10 and profession are not considered sensitive PII, as they are not unique to a person and do not reveal their identity. Login 10 is a non-sensitive PII that is easily accessible from public sources, while profession is not a PII at all, as it does not link to a specific individual4. References:

1: What is PII (personally identifiable information)? - Cloudflare

2: What is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)? | IBM

3: personally identifiable information - Glossary | CSRC

4: What Is Personally Identifiable Information (PII)? Types and Examples

Log normalization – SIEMs standardize log formats from various sources, making it easier to analyze and correlate security events.

Incident response – Integration enables faster detection, investigation, and automated or guided response to security incidents by using correlated data from multiple tools.

Hardware procurement and security team training are not directly influenced by SIEM integration.

Multiple policies, no policy reconciliation tools: Sequential traffic analysis (stateful inspection, application control, intrusion prevention system (IPS), anti-malware, etc.) in traditional data center security solutions requires a corresponding security policy or profile, often using multiple management tools. The result is that your security policies become convoluted as you build and manage a firewall policy with source, destination, user, port, and action; an application control policy with similar rules; and any other threat prevention rules required. Multiple security policies that mix positive (firewall) and negative (application control, IPS, and anti-malware) control models can cause security holes by missing traffic and/or not identifying

802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, is an internet of things (IoT) connectivity technology that operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, as well as all bands between 1 and 6GHz when they become available for 802.11 use, at ranges up to 11 Gbit/s. 802.11ax is designed to improve the performance, efficiency, and capacity of wireless networks, especially in high-density environments such as smart homes, smart cities, and industrial IoT. 802.11ax uses various techniques such as orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO), target wake time (TWT), and 1024 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) to achieve higher data rates, lower latency, longer battery life, and reduced interference for IoT devices. References:

•Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) - Palo Alto Networks

•What is Wi-Fi 6? | Wi-Fi 6 Features and Benefits | Cisco

•What is Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)? - Definition from WhatIs.com

Multitenancy is a key characteristic of the public cloud, and an important risk. Although public cloud providers strive to ensure isolation between their various customers, the infrastructure and resources in the public cloud are shared. Inherent risks in a shared environment include misconfigurations, inadequate or ineffective processes and controls, and the “noisy neighbor” problem (excessive network traffic, disk I/O, or processor use can negatively impact other customers sharing the same resource). In hybrid and multicloud environments that connect numerous public and/or private clouds, the delineation becomes blurred, complexity increases, and security risks become more challenging to address.

Static routing is a form of routing that occurs when a router uses a manually-configured routing entry, rather than information from dynamic routing traffic 1. Static routing has some advantages, such as simplicity, low overhead, and full control, but it also has some disadvantages, such as:

•Manual reconfiguration: Static routes require manual effort to configure and maintain. This can be time-consuming and error-prone, especially in large networks with many routes. If there is a change in the network topology or a link failure, the static routes need to be updated manually by the network administrator 23.

•Single point of failure: Static routing is not fault tolerant. This means that if the path used by the static route stops working, the traffic will not be rerouted automatically. The network will be unreachable until the failure is repaired or the static route is changed manually. Dynamic routing, on the other hand, can adapt to network changes and find alternative paths 23.

● Application (Layer 7 or L7): This layer identifies and establishes availability of communication partners, determines resource availability, and synchronizes communication.

● Presentation (Layer 6 or L6): This layer provides coding and conversion functions (such as data representation, character conversion, data compression, and data encryption) to ensure that data sent from the Application layer of one system is compatible with the Application layer of the receiving system.

● Session (Layer 5 or L5): This layer manages communication sessions (service requests and service responses) between networked systems, including connection establishment, data transfer, and connection release.

● Transport (Layer 4 or L4): This layer provides transparent, reliable data transport and

end-to-end transmission control.

Prisma SD-WAN is a key component of a SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) solution. It provides intelligent routing, traffic optimization, and secure connectivity between users and applications, supporting the networking part of SASE alongside security services like those in Prisma Access.

According to the NIST definition of cloud computing1, there are three service models for cloud computing: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). In the SaaS model, the cloud provider delivers the software applications over the internet, and the users access them from various devices through a web browser or a program interface. The cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure, including the servers, databases, and code of the applications. The users do not need to install, update, or maintain the software, and they only pay for the service they use. The scenario described in the question is an example of the SaaS model, as the user is provided access over the internet to an application running on a cloud infrastructure, and the vendor hosts and maintains the servers, databases, and code of that application. References:

SP 800-145, The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing | CSRC

Final Version of NIST Cloud Computing Definition Published

NIST Cloud Computing Program - NCCP | NIST

SaaS - User responsible for only the data, vendor responsible for rest

SOAR tools ingest aggregated alerts from detection sources (such as SIEMs, network security tools, and mailboxes) before executing automatable, process-driven playbooks to enrich and respond to these alerts.

https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/security-operations-automation

 An exploit is a type of malware that takes advantage of a vulnerability on an endpoint or server to execute malicious code, gain unauthorized access, or perform other malicious actions. Exploits can be categorized into known and unknown (i.e., zero-day) exploits, depending on whether the vulnerability is publicly disclosed or not12. Exploits can target various types of software, such as operating systems, browsers, applications, or network devices3. References: Malware vs. Exploits, Top Routinely Exploited Vulnerabilities, 12 Types of Malware + Examples That You Should Know, Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician

A directory service is a database that contains information about users, resources, and services in a network.

2G/2.5G: 2G connectivity remains a prevalent and viable IoT connectivity option due

to the low cost of 2G modules, relatively long battery life, and large installed base of

2G sensors and M2M applications.

â—‹ 3G: IoT devices with 3G modules use either Wideband Code Division Multiple Access

(W-CDMA) or Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+ and Advanced HSPA+) to

achieve data transfer rates of 384Kbps to 168Mbps.

â—‹ 4G/Long-Term Evolution (LTE): 4G/LTE networks enable real-time IoT use cases, such

as autonomous vehicles, with 4G LTE Advanced Pro delivering speeds in excess of

3Gbps and less than 2 milliseconds of latency.

â—‹ 5G: 5G cellular technology provides significant enhancements compared to 4G/LTE

networks and is backed by ultra-low latency, massive connectivity and scalability for

IoT devices, more efficient use of the licensed spectrum, and network slicing for

application traffic prioritization.

From a business perspective, XDR platforms enable organizations to prevent successful cyberattacks as well as simplify and strengthen security processes.

The six pillars include:

1. Business (goals and outcomes)

2. People (who will perform the work)

3. Interfaces (external functions to help achieve goals)

4. Visibility (information needed to accomplish goals)

5. Technology (capabilities needed to provide visibility and enable people)

6. Processes (tactical steps required to execute on goals)

According to the NIST definition of cloud computing, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud service model that provides “the capability to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications” 1. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, and deployed applications; and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls) 1. In other words, IaaS gives the user access to cloud-hosted physical and virtual servers, storage, and networking, as stated in the question. References: 1: SP 800-145, The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing | CSRC 2

Routing protocols are defined at the network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model. The network layer is responsible for routing packets across different networks using logical addresses (IP addresses). Routing protocols are used to exchange routing information between routers and to determine the best path for data delivery. Some examples of routing protocols are BGP, OSPF, RIP, and EIGRP. Palo Alto Networks devices support advanced routing features using the Advanced Routing Engine1. References: Advanced Routing - Palo Alto Networks | TechDocs, What Is Layer 7? - Palo Alto Networks, How to Configure Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

North-south refers to data packets that move in and out of the virtualized environment from the host network or a corresponding traditional data center. North-south traffic is secured by one or more physical form factor perimeter edge firewalls.

Cortex XDR is an endpoint product from Palo Alto Networks that can help with SOC visibility by allowing you to rapidly detect and respond to threats across your networks, endpoints, and clouds. It assists SOC analysts by allowing them to view all the alerts from all Palo Alto Networks products in one place, and to perform root cause analysis and automated response actions. Cortex XDR also integrates with other Palo Alto Networks products, such as WildFire, AutoFocus, and Cortex Data Lake, to provide comprehensive threat intelligence and data enrichment12. References:

SOC Services - Palo Alto Networks

Endpoint Protection - Palo Alto Networks

Security Operations | Palo Alto Networks

Cortex - Palo Alto Networks

DNS tunneling is an attack technique where data packets are disguised as DNS queries and sent to a remote server. That server, often under the attacker's control, responds with additional data or instructions, effectively creating a covert command-and-control (C2) channel over DNS.

A static routing protocol requires that routes be created and updated manually on a router or other network device. If a static route is down, traffic can’t be automatically rerouted unless an alternate route has been configured. Also, if the route is congested, traffic can’t be automatically rerouted over the less congested alternate route. Static routing is practical only in very small networks or for very limited, special-case routing scenarios (for example, a destination that’s used as a backup route or is reachable only via a single router). However, static routing has low bandwidth requirements (routing information isn’t broadcast across the network) and some built-in security (users can route only to destinations that are specified in statically defined routes).

Detection of threats using data analysis – SIEM platforms analyze collected data to identify suspicious patterns and detect threats.

Ingestion of log data – SIEM systems collect and centralize log data from various sources, which is essential for analysis, correlation, and alerting.

Automation and prevention are more aligned with SOAR and firewall/EDR functionalities, not the core operations of SIEM.

Full-disk encryption is a method of protecting data on a laptop that has been stolen by encrypting the entire hard drive, making it unreadable without the correct password or key. This prevents unauthorized access to the proprietary data stored on the laptop, even if the thief removes the hard drive and connects it to another device. Full-disk encryption can be enabled using built-in features such as BitLocker on Windows or FileVault on macOS, or using third-party software such as Absolute Home & Office12. References: How to Protect your Data if a Laptop is Lost or Stolen, What to do when your laptop is stolen, Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician

 Docker and bare metal hypervisor are two different types of virtualization technologies that have different functioning mechanisms, architectures, and use cases. Docker is a containerization technology that allows users to create, deploy, and run applications using containers. Containers are isolated environments that share the same host operating system kernel, but have their own libraries, dependencies, and resources. Docker can run multiple containers on the same host, without requiring a separate operating system for each container12. Bare metal hypervisor, also known as type 1 hypervisor, is a software that runs directly on the hardware and creates virtual machines. Virtual machines are complete operating systems that have their own kernel, drivers, and resources. Bare metal hypervisor can run multiple virtual machines on the same host, each with a different operating system and dedicated resources3 .

The main difference between Docker and bare metal hypervisor is the level of abstraction they provide. Docker uses OS-level virtualization, which means it creates containers on top of the host operating system. Bare metal hypervisor uses hardware virtualization, which means it runs independently from the host operating system and creates virtual machines on the hardware layer. This difference has implications for the performance, efficiency, and portability of the virtualized environments. Docker containers are generally faster, lighter, and more scalable than virtual machines, as they do not have the overhead of running a separate operating system for each container. However, Docker containers are more limited and can run only on Linux, certain Windows servers and IBM mainframes if hosted on bare metal. Virtual machines, on the other hand, are more flexible and secure, as they can run any operating system and isolate the guest operating system from the host operating system. However, virtual machines are more resource-intensive and slower than containers, as they have to emulate the hardware and run a full operating system for each virtual machine12.

Docker vs VMWare: How Do They Stack Up? | UpGuard

Hypervisor vs. Docker: Complete Comparison of the Two - HitechNectar

Beginners Track - Docker On Bare Metal | dockerlabs

[Getting Started: Layer 3 Subinterfaces - Palo Alto Networks Knowledge Base]

 A static route is a manually configured route that specifies the destination network and the next hop IP address or interface to reach it. A static route does not depend on any routing protocol and remains in the routing table until it is removed or overridden. Static routes are useful for defining default routes, reaching stub networks, or providing backup routes in case of link failures. To configure a static route in a virtual router on a Palo Alto Networks firewall, you need to specify the name, destination, interface, and next hop IP address or virtual router of the route. References: Configure a Static Route in Virtual Routers, Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET), FREE Cybersecurity Education Courses

XDR (Extended Detection and Response) uses machine learning (ML) to detect threats by identifying patterns and anomalies. XDR ingests data from multiple sources — including endpoints, networks, servers, and cloud workloads — to provide a unified and correlated view of threats across the environment.

Ensuring that your cloud resources and SaaS applications are correctly configured and adhere to your organization’s security standards from day one is essential to prevent successful attacks. Also, making sure that these applications, and the data they collect and store, are properly protected and compliant is critical to avoid costly fines, a tarnished image, and loss of customer trust. Meeting security standards and maintaining compliant environments at scale, and across SaaS applications, is the new expectation for security teams.

A SASE solution converges networking and security services into one unified, cloud-delivered solution (see Figure 3-12) that includes the following:

● Networking

â—‹ Software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs)

â—‹ Virtual private networks (VPNs)

â—‹ Zero Trust network access (ZTNA)

â—‹ Quality of Service (QoS)

● Security

â—‹ Firewall as a service (FWaaS)

â—‹ Domain Name System (DNS) security

â—‹ Threat prevention

â—‹ Secure web gateway (SWG)

â—‹ Data loss prevention (DLP)

â—‹ Cloud access security broker (CASB)