Cisco 350-701 Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies Exam Dumps and Practice Test Questions Set 9 Q 121-135
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Question 121:
What is the primary purpose of Cisco Umbrella in a security architecture?
A) Cloud-delivered DNS-layer security and threat intelligence
B) Physical firewall appliance
C) Network switching infrastructure
D) Wireless access point management
Answer: A
Explanation:
Cisco Umbrella provides cloud-delivered DNS-layer security acting as the first line of defense against internet threats by analyzing DNS requests before connections are established to potentially malicious destinations. When users attempt to access websites or internet resources, their devices send DNS queries to resolve domain names to IP addresses. Umbrella intercepts these queries, comparing requested domains against continuously updated threat intelligence databases containing millions of known malicious domains, newly registered domains, phishing sites, malware distribution points, and command-and-control infrastructure. If a domain is identified as malicious or suspicious, Umbrella blocks the request before any connection is established, preventing malware downloads, phishing attacks, data exfiltration, and connections to botnet infrastructure.
Umbrella’s architecture operates at the DNS layer, making it highly effective because DNS is fundamental to internet connectivity and occurs before any data transfer. This positioning enables threat blocking before malicious content reaches endpoints, reducing infection risk regardless of device type, location, or network. Cloud delivery means no hardware deployment or maintenance is required, with automatic updates ensuring protection against emerging threats without manual intervention. Umbrella integrates with existing infrastructure through simple DNS configuration changes pointing organization DNS to Umbrella resolvers, providing immediate protection across all locations including offices, remote workers, mobile devices, and roaming users.
Key capabilities include malware protection blocking domains hosting or distributing malicious software, phishing defense preventing access to credential harvesting sites, botnet and ransomware protection disrupting command and control communications, content filtering controlling access to inappropriate or non-business websites based on categories, and visibility providing comprehensive reporting on internet activity and threats. Umbrella’s threat intelligence leverages massive global internet activity data, machine learning, and security research identifying threats before traditional security solutions. The recursive DNS architecture provides insights into all internet-bound traffic, revealing shadow IT, identifying risky applications, and detecting compromised systems attempting to communicate with malicious infrastructure. Integration with other Cisco security products including firewalls, secure email gateways, and endpoint protection creates comprehensive defense-in-depth architecture.
Question 122:
An administrator needs to configure Cisco Firepower to inspect encrypted traffic. What feature enables this capability?
A) SSL/TLS decryption with certificate-based inspection
B) Physical cable inspection
C) MAC address filtering
D) VLAN tagging
Answer: A
Explanation:
SSL/TLS decryption on Cisco Firepower enables inspection of encrypted traffic by intercepting, decrypting, analyzing, and re-encrypting traffic allowing security policies, intrusion prevention, malware detection, and content filtering to examine encrypted communications that would otherwise be invisible to security controls. As encrypted traffic continues to increase (now exceeding 80% of internet traffic), attackers increasingly leverage encryption to hide malicious activities including malware delivery, data exfiltration, and command-and-control communications, making decryption capabilities essential for effective threat detection. Firepower’s SSL/TLS decryption implements man-in-the-middle inspection where the firewall acts as proxy, establishing separate encrypted sessions with both client and server while inspecting decrypted traffic between these sessions.
Implementation involves configuring SSL policies defining which traffic to decrypt based on criteria including source/destination networks, server certificates, URL categories, or applications. Certificate management is critical, requiring the firewall to present trusted certificates to clients for decrypted sessions. Organizations typically deploy enterprise certificates signed by internal certificate authority (CA) trusted by organization devices, preventing certificate warnings. Alternatively, Firepower can re-sign server certificates on-the-fly using organization’s CA certificate. Decryption rules enable selective inspection, potentially excluding traffic to sensitive destinations like healthcare providers, financial institutions, or government sites where regulatory requirements, privacy concerns, or performance considerations dictate. Traffic bypass mechanisms prevent inspection of traffic that shouldn’t be decrypted for legal, privacy, or technical reasons.
Once decrypted, traffic undergoes comprehensive inspection including intrusion prevention system (IPS) analysis detecting exploits and attacks, advanced malware protection (AMP) identifying malicious files, URL filtering enforcing acceptable use policies, application visibility and control (AVC) identifying and controlling applications, and data loss prevention (DLP) preventing sensitive data leakage. After inspection, traffic is re-encrypted using original or substitute certificate before forwarding to destination. Performance considerations include processing overhead from cryptographic operations potentially impacting throughput, requiring adequate hardware resources or dedicated SSL decryption appliances for high-traffic environments. Privacy and compliance considerations require careful policy design ensuring decryption complies with regulations like GDPR, respecting privacy expectations while maintaining security. Certificate pinning applications that verify specific certificates can break when traffic is decrypted, requiring bypass rules. Best practices include transparent communication with users about monitoring, implementing privacy-respecting policies, regularly reviewing and updating exclusion lists, monitoring decryption performance, and ensuring adequate logging for forensics while protecting sensitive information.
Question 123:
What Cisco security solution provides endpoint protection including antivirus, behavioral analysis, and threat hunting?
A) Cisco Secure Endpoint (formerly AMP for Endpoints)
B) Cisco Catalyst switches
C) Cisco DNA Center
D) Cisco ISE authentication
Answer: A
Explanation:
Cisco Secure Endpoint (formerly Advanced Malware Protection for Endpoints) provides comprehensive endpoint protection combining signature-based detection, behavioral analysis, machine learning, sandboxing, and retrospective security to protect against known and unknown threats including viruses, ransomware, fileless attacks, and advanced persistent threats across Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile operating systems. Unlike traditional antivirus relying solely on signatures, Secure Endpoint uses multiple detection engines working together to identify malicious activity through various indicators. Cloud-delivered architecture ensures real-time threat intelligence updates, scalable deployment without on-premises infrastructure, and centralized management across distributed organizations including remote workers.
Core capabilities include file reputation analysis comparing file hashes against continuously updated cloud database containing billions of file dispositions identifying known good or malicious files instantly, behavioral analysis monitoring process behavior, registry changes, network connections, and file operations detecting suspicious activities indicating compromise, machine learning models identifying never-before-seen threats based on file characteristics and behavior patterns, and sandboxing executing suspicious files in isolated cloud environments observing behavior before disposition determination. Retrospective security is unique capability automatically alerting when files previously considered safe are later determined malicious, enabling rapid incident response and remediation even for threats that evaded initial detection. This continuous analysis ensures protection against polymorphic malware and zero-day threats that may not be initially identified.
Advanced features include device trajectory providing complete forensic timeline showing all file activity, process execution, network connections, and registry changes on endpoints enabling rapid threat investigation, outbreak control allowing administrators to quickly create custom detections and blocking policies organization-wide responding to active threats, application blocking and whitelisting enforcing software policies, and integration with other Cisco security products including Firepower firewalls, Umbrella, and Threat Response for coordinated defense. Secure Endpoint supports threat hunting activities with extensive search capabilities across endpoints finding indicators of compromise, vulnerable software, or policy violations. Deployment options include standalone agent installation, integration with existing management tools through APIs, and cloud-based console for administration requiring no on-premises infrastructure. Policies control detection sensitivity, exclusions, network settings, and response actions like quarantine or remediation. Reporting provides visibility into threat landscape, compliance status, and security posture. Best practices include deploying to all endpoints including servers and mobile devices, integrating with security operations center workflows, regularly reviewing outbreak control settings, tuning policies to balance security and operational requirements, and leveraging threat intelligence integration for proactive defense.
Question 124:
What protocol does Cisco TrustSec use to propagate security group tags across the network?
A) Security Group Tag (SGT) Exchange Protocol (SXP)
B) SNMP
C) Telnet
D) FTP
Answer: A
Explanation:
Security Group Tag Exchange Protocol (SXP) propagates Security Group Tags (SGTs) across network infrastructure in Cisco TrustSec deployments, enabling software-defined segmentation by mapping IP addresses to SGT values and distributing this information to network devices that enforce security policies based on these tags. TrustSec implements role-based access control at the network level by assigning security group tags to users, devices, or applications rather than relying on traditional IP address-based policies. These tags classify network resources into logical security groups independent of network topology, enabling consistent policy enforcement regardless of physical location, IP address changes, or network segment. SXP becomes necessary when network devices cannot natively assign or transport SGT tags in packet headers, typically because they lack hardware support for inline tagging or 802.1AE MACsec encryption.
SXP operates as TCP-based protocol establishing peer relationships between network devices, exchanging IP-to-SGT mappings propagating tag information throughout the network. The protocol typically runs between Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) and network access devices like switches or firewalls, or between network devices themselves creating distributed tag database. SXP connections are configured with speaker and listener roles where speakers send bindings to listeners, or bidirectional peering where devices exchange bindings mutually. Connection security uses MD5 or TCP-AO authentication preventing unauthorized SGT manipulation. Hold-down timers and reconciliation mechanisms ensure consistent tag databases across infrastructure even during network changes or connection interruptions.
Operational flow begins with ISE or network device (SXP speaker) learning IP-to-SGT mapping through various methods including 802.1X authentication, posture assessment, device profiling, or static assignment. Speaker encodes mappings in SXP messages transmitted to listeners (downstream devices) over TCP connection. Listener devices receive, validate, and store mappings in local database, using this information for policy enforcement. For example, firewall receiving SXP mappings can enforce security policies based on source and destination security groups rather than IP addresses, simplifying rules and enabling dynamic access control as users move through network. SXP scales to large deployments with features including subnet prefix support reducing database size, loop prevention mechanisms avoiding mapping conflicts, and prefix filtering controlling which bindings are distributed. Performance considerations include SXP connection capacity based on device capabilities and the frequency of IP-to-SGT mapping changes affecting update traffic. Troubleshooting involves verifying SXP connection status, examining binding databases, and tracing tag application in policies. Best practices include using SXP only where inline tagging isn’t feasible due to hardware limitations, securing SXP connections with authentication, strategically placing SXP speakers and listeners based on network topology, and monitoring binding databases for accuracy and consistency.
Question 125:
An organization needs to implement network access control based on user identity and device posture. What Cisco solution provides this capability?
A) Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
B) Cisco IP Phone
C) Cisco Webex
D) Cisco UCS servers
Answer: A
Explanation:
Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) provides comprehensive network access control (NAC) based on user identity, device type, security posture, location, and time, enabling zero-trust security models where access decisions consider multiple contextual factors beyond simple authentication. ISE centralizes authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services for wired, wireless, and VPN access across enterprise networks, integrating with Active Directory, LDAP, certificate authorities, and multi-factor authentication systems for user validation while simultaneously assessing device compliance, security software status, and patch levels before granting network access. This context-aware approach ensures that only authenticated, authorized, and compliant devices receive appropriate network access, limiting risks from compromised credentials, non-compliant devices, or unauthorized access attempts.
Core ISE capabilities include 802.1X authentication for port-based network access control on wired and wireless networks, MAC authentication bypass (MAB) for devices not supporting 802.1X like printers or cameras, web authentication for guest access with customizable portal pages, posture assessment evaluating endpoint security compliance checking antivirus status, patches, registry settings, or other security controls before allowing access, profiling automatically identifying and classifying devices based on behavior, protocol analysis, and traffic patterns determining device type and appropriate access policies, and TrustSec integration assigning security group tags enabling consistent policy enforcement throughout network. Authorization policies grant differentiated network access using dynamic VLANs, downloadable ACLs, or security group tags based on user identity, device type, location, time, and compliance status.
ISE deployment architecture typically includes primary and secondary policy administration nodes (PAN) for configuration management and replication, monitoring and troubleshooting nodes (MNT) for logging and reporting, and policy service nodes (PSN) handling authentication, authorization, and accounting requests from network access devices. Distributed deployments enable scalability and geographic distribution, with ISE supporting thousands of network devices and millions of endpoints. Integration with network infrastructure includes configuring switches, wireless controllers, VPN concentrators, and firewalls as RADIUS clients pointing to ISE servers, enabling centralized policy enforcement across heterogeneous networks. Guest access workflows provide self-service registration, sponsor approval processes, customizable portal branding, and time-limited accounts with automatic expiration. BYOD capabilities support employee-owned device onboarding with certificate provisioning, network segmentation, and security compliance verification.
Advanced features include pxGrid (Platform Exchange Grid) for sharing contextual information with third-party security systems, Rapid Threat Containment enabling automated response to threats through dynamic quarantine using EPS/ANC (Endpoint Protection Service/Adaptive Network Control), threat-centric NAC correlating security events with access control decisions, and extensive reporting providing visibility into network access patterns, compliance status, and security incidents. Best practices include deploying redundant ISE nodes ensuring high availability, segmenting policy service nodes by location or function for scalability, regularly updating posture requirements as threats evolve, integrating with security ecosystem for coordinated threat response, implementing least-privilege access policies, monitoring ISE operations and performance, and maintaining current software versions to leverage new features and security enhancements.
Question 126:
What Cisco security feature uses deception technology to detect and analyze attackers in the network?
A) Cisco Cyber Vision with threat hunting
B) Standard routing protocols
C) Basic switch configuration
D) DHCP services
Answer: A
Explanation:
While the question mentions deception technology, Cisco Cyber Vision primarily focuses on industrial control system (ICS) and operational technology (OT) visibility and threat detection rather than traditional deception technology (which would typically be honeypots). However, Cyber Vision does provide advanced threat detection through deep inspection and behavioral analysis of industrial protocols and OT network traffic. Let me provide a more accurate answer focusing on Cisco’s actual deception technology solutions or, if unavailable, the closest relevant security capability.
Cisco doesn’t have a widely-marketed standalone deception technology product like some competitors, but integrates threat detection across multiple solutions. If we’re discussing deception-like capabilities, the closest would be aspects of Cisco Secure Network Analytics (formerly Stealthwatch) or integration with third-party deception platforms. However, for the context of detection and analysis, I’ll focus on Cisco Secure Network Analytics which provides behavioral threat detection.
Cisco Secure Network Analytics provides network traffic analysis and threat detection through behavioral modeling, machine learning, and comprehensive visibility across network infrastructure, identifying threats including insider threats, advanced persistent threats, data exfiltration, command-and-control communications, and lateral movement that traditional signature-based systems miss. The solution collects network telemetry from multiple sources including NetFlow, IPFIX, network packet inspection, and contextual information from other security products, correlating this data to identify anomalous behavior indicative of security incidents. Rather than relying on known threat signatures, Secure Network Analytics establishes baseline normal behavior patterns for users, devices, and applications, then detects deviations that may indicate compromise or malicious activity.
Behavioral analysis capabilities include user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) identifying unusual activities like unusual login times, abnormal data access patterns, or privilege escalation attempts, encrypted traffic analysis detecting malware in encrypted communications without decryption by analyzing traffic patterns and metadata, and advanced threat detection identifying sophisticated attacks through multi-stage correlation and machine learning models. Integration with Cisco’s security ecosystem provides context from ISE for user identity, Secure Endpoint for host information, Firepower for threat intelligence, and Umbrella for DNS-layer insights, creating comprehensive threat detection capability. Response capabilities include automated containment through ISE integration dynamically quarantining compromised devices, integration with SOAR platforms for orchestrated response workflows, and threat intelligence sharing distributing indicators of compromise across security infrastructure.
Question 127:
What is the purpose of Cisco DNA Center in a security context?
A) Centralized network management with security policy automation and assurance
B) Email marketing platform
C) Customer relationship management
D) Accounting software
Answer: A
Explanation:
Cisco DNA Center provides centralized network management with integrated security capabilities including policy automation, security assurance, compliance monitoring, and integration with security products enabling consistent policy enforcement across wired and wireless networks in software-defined access (SD-Access) deployments. While DNA Center’s primary function is network automation and management, it plays crucial security role by providing single pane of glass for defining, deploying, and verifying security policies across entire network fabric, eliminating inconsistencies that create security gaps. DNA Center translates business intent into network and security configurations automatically, reducing manual errors and accelerating policy deployment while maintaining compliance with security requirements.
Security capabilities in DNA Center include policy management where administrators define security policies based on business requirements using intuitive interfaces rather than low-level device commands, with DNA Center automatically translating these policies into appropriate configurations across infrastructure. Integration with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) enables user and device identity-based policies, automatic guest access management, and device profiling. SD-Access segmentation uses Virtual Networks (VNs) and Security Group Tags (SGTs) to create logical network segmentation independent of physical topology, with DNA Center simplifying VN creation, SGT assignment, and policy enforcement configuration. Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA) integration leverages DNA Center’s telemetry collection for malware detection in encrypted traffic without decryption, identifying threats through traffic pattern analysis.
Assurance capabilities provide continuous monitoring and validation of network security posture, identifying configuration deviations from intended policies, detecting security anomalies, and providing guided remediation. DNA Center collects extensive telemetry from network devices, correlates this data with security events from integrated security products, and presents consolidated view of security health. Compliance monitoring compares actual network configurations against defined security baselines and industry standards, automatically detecting drift and alerting administrators to potential compliance violations. Integration with Cisco security portfolio including Cisco Secure Endpoint, Umbrella, Firepower, and Secure Network Analytics provides contextualized threat information within network management interface, enabling coordinated response to security incidents.
Workflow automation reduces repetitive tasks and ensures consistent security implementation across network changes. For example, when new network segments are created or devices are added, DNA Center automatically applies appropriate security policies, VLANs, and access controls based on predefined templates and rules. Software image management ensures devices run secure, validated software versions, with DNA Center tracking vulnerabilities, coordinating upgrades, and verifying successful deployment. APIs enable integration with third-party security orchestration platforms, SIEM systems, and IT service management tools, extending DNA Center’s security orchestration capabilities. Best practices include integrating DNA Center with all relevant security products in organization’s ecosystem, regularly reviewing and updating policy definitions as business requirements evolve, leveraging assurance capabilities for proactive security monitoring, automating routine security tasks through workflows, and using APIs for integration with security operations workflows.
Question 128:
What type of attack involves sending packets with spoofed source IP addresses to amplify traffic directed at a victim?
A) DDoS amplification or reflection attack
B) SQL injection
C) Cross-site scripting
D) Password guessing
Answer: A
Explanation:
DDoS amplification or reflection attacks exploit vulnerable internet services to multiply attack traffic directed at victims, overwhelming target systems with volume of traffic far exceeding attacker’s own bandwidth capabilities. Attackers send requests to publicly accessible servers with spoofed source IP addresses set to victim’s IP, causing responding servers to send replies to victim rather than attacker. When the service protocol allows small requests to generate large responses, amplification occurs where minimal attacker bandwidth generates massive traffic toward victim. Common amplification vectors include DNS, NTP, SSDP, CharGen, SNMP, and memcached services, each with different amplification factors ranging from 10x to over 50,000x, enabling attackers to generate multi-gigabit or even terabit-scale attacks using relatively modest resources.
Attack mechanics involve attacker identifying vulnerable servers acting as reflectors, which are legitimate servers misconfigured to respond to spoofed requests. Attacker sends requests with victim’s IP as source address, reflector servers respond to spoofed source sending responses to victim, and victim receives massive volume of traffic from many reflectors simultaneously, exhausting bandwidth, processing capacity, or state tables causing service disruption. Amplification factor calculation divides response size by request size; for example, DNS amplification using ANY query might send 60-byte request resulting in 3,000-byte response (50x amplification). When thousands of reflectors are used simultaneously, even modest attacker bandwidth generates devastating attack volumes. Reflection attacks provide additional benefit to attackers by obscuring attack origin since victim sees traffic from legitimate servers rather than attacker’s actual source, complicating attribution and blocking efforts.
Defense strategies include reflector mitigation by securing potential reflector servers with ingress filtering preventing spoofed packets from leaving networks implementing BCP 38, disabling or rate-limiting vulnerable services like open DNS resolvers, and implementing response rate limiting on services that must remain public. Victim protection includes deploying DDoS mitigation services with scrubbing centers that absorb and filter attack traffic, implementing rate limiting and traffic shaping at network edge, using anycast distribution dispersing attack traffic across multiple locations, maintaining excess bandwidth capacity providing headroom to absorb attacks, and implementing intelligent traffic filtering distinguishing legitimate from attack traffic. Response procedures include early detection through traffic monitoring and anomaly detection identifying unusual traffic patterns, rapid activation of mitigation services minimizing impact duration, coordination with ISPs for upstream filtering blocking attack traffic closer to reflectors, and incident documentation supporting law enforcement investigation.
Best practices include implementing BCP 38 ingress filtering preventing IP spoofing at network boundaries, hardening internet-facing services disabling unnecessary protocols and implementing authentication where required, monitoring for abuse ensuring organization’s servers aren’t being used as reflectors, maintaining incident response plans with clear DDoS response procedures, conducting regular capacity planning and testing validating defenses against realistic attack scenarios, and participating in information sharing communities staying informed about emerging attack vectors and mitigation techniques. Amplification attacks remain serious threat due to prevalence of vulnerable reflectors across internet and difficulty of attribution, requiring multi-layered defense combining prevention, detection, and mitigation capabilities.
Question 129:
What Cisco security solution provides visibility and control for applications traversing the network?
A) Application Visibility and Control (AVC) in Cisco Firepower or routers
B) Basic ACL only
C) MAC filtering
D) Physical port disabling
Answer: A
Explanation:
Application Visibility and Control (AVC) in Cisco Firepower, routers, and wireless controllers provides deep packet inspection and behavioral analysis to identify, classify, and control applications regardless of port, protocol, or encryption, enabling organizations to understand application usage, enforce acceptable use policies, prioritize business-critical applications, and block or rate-limit inappropriate or risky applications. Traditional firewall rules based on IP addresses and ports prove insufficient in modern networks where applications use dynamic ports, encryption, and techniques to bypass simple controls. AVC overcomes these limitations through sophisticated application identification using multiple detection techniques including protocol decoding, behavioral analysis, statistical modeling, encrypted traffic analysis, and integration with Cisco Talos threat intelligence identifying thousands of applications and sub-applications.
Application recognition engine (NBAR2 in routers, application detection in Firepower) analyzes traffic characteristics beyond basic headers, examining application-layer protocols, traffic patterns, certificate information, and behavioral signatures. For example, AVC distinguishes between general HTTP traffic and specific web applications like Facebook, YouTube, or Salesforce, even identifying sub-applications like Facebook Chat versus Facebook Video. This granular visibility extends to encrypted traffic where AVC analyzes handshake patterns, certificate details, packet sizes, and timing without decrypting content, identifying applications using encryption for privacy or obfuscation. Custom applications can be defined through flexible conditions matching specific hosts, URLs, certificate subjects, or traffic patterns.
Control capabilities include blocking applications completely preventing access, rate-limiting applications restricting bandwidth consumption, prioritizing applications through quality of service (QoS) ensuring critical business applications receive necessary resources during congestion, and redirecting applications sending traffic to specific paths or inspection devices. Policies apply based on contextual factors including user identity (integrated with ISE), source/destination zones, time of day, or security intelligence, enabling granular control like allowing Dropbox for IT staff while blocking for general users, or permitting WebEx during business hours while restricting after hours. Application statistics provide visibility into bandwidth consumption, user activity, and traffic trends supporting capacity planning, troubleshooting, and security investigations.
Integration with broader security architecture enhances AVC effectiveness, with Firepower combining application control with intrusion prevention, malware protection, and URL filtering creating comprehensive security policies. For example, policies might allow web applications but block applications known to frequently transmit malware, or permit business collaboration tools while inspecting file transfers for threats. SD-WAN integration enables application-aware path selection routing critical applications over high-quality links while sending less important traffic over cheaper connections. Reporting and analytics aggregate application data across network infrastructure, identifying shadow IT where unapproved cloud services proliferate, quantifying application bandwidth usage supporting cost allocation or capacity planning, and detecting anomalous application behavior indicating compromised systems or data exfiltration. Best practices include regular review of application statistics identifying new or unexpected applications, tuning policies balancing security with business needs, leveraging application visibility for capacity planning and optimization, integrating application control with security policies blocking risky applications or enforcing inspection requirements, and monitoring for application evasion attempts where users might employ VPNs, proxies, or anonymization services to bypass controls.
Question 130:
What protocol provides secure remote access to network devices for management purposes?
A) SSH (Secure Shell)
B) Telnet
C) HTTP
D) FTP
Answer: A
Explanation:
SSH (Secure Shell) protocol provides secure remote access to network devices, servers, and systems for management purposes, encrypting all communications including authentication credentials, commands, and output preventing eavesdropping, man-in-the-middle attacks, and credential theft that plague insecure protocols like Telnet. SSH operates on TCP port 22 by default and establishes encrypted tunnel between client and server using strong cryptographic algorithms, with authentication methods including password-based authentication, public key authentication using cryptographic key pairs, and certificate-based authentication in enterprise deployments. SSH protocol version 2 (SSH-2) addresses security vulnerabilities in SSH-1 and should be exclusively used, with SSH-1 disabled on all devices.
SSH architecture includes SSH client software on administrator’s workstation initiating connections to devices, SSH server running on managed devices accepting and authenticating connections, and cryptographic key exchange establishing shared secrets for session encryption. Initial connection involves key exchange using Diffie-Hellman algorithm establishing encryption keys, server authentication where client verifies server’s identity using host key preventing man-in-the-middle attacks (first connection prompts user to verify host key fingerprint, subsequent connections compare against stored key), client authentication using configured method (password, public key, or other), and encrypted session for all subsequent communications including commands and output. Host key verification prevents attackers from impersonating legitimate devices, though users must be trained to verify fingerprints during first connection rather than blindly accepting keys.
Public key authentication provides stronger security than passwords by using asymmetric cryptography where user generates key pair (private key kept secret, public key placed on devices), device authenticates user by verifying they possess private key corresponding to authorized public key, and no password is transmitted over network. This approach resists password guessing attacks, enables passwordless automation for scripts, and simplifies credential management with single key pair accessing multiple devices. SSH also supports port forwarding or tunneling, creating encrypted channels for other protocols, useful for securing management protocols like SNMP or HTTP by tunneling through SSH, and file transfer using SFTP or SCP protocols as secure alternatives to FTP.
Best practices for SSH security include disabling SSH version 1 supporting only SSH-2, implementing strong passwords or preferably public key authentication, restricting SSH access using access control lists limiting source IPs that can connect, disabling root login requiring users to authenticate as regular users then elevate privileges if needed, using non-standard ports reducing automated scanning and attacks (though security through obscurity shouldn’t be sole defense), enabling logging tracking all SSH sessions for auditing, implementing two-factor authentication adding additional security layer, and regularly rotating SSH host keys after compromise or key material suspected of exposure. Session timeout configurations prevent abandoned sessions from remaining accessible, maximum authentication attempts limit brute-force attacks, and encryption algorithm selection ensures strong ciphers by disabling weak algorithms. Monitoring SSH logs for failed authentication attempts, unusual connection sources, or session anomalies supports threat detection. Organizations should implement jump hosts or bastion servers as controlled entry points for SSH access to internal infrastructure, centralizing security controls and simplifying monitoring rather than exposing all devices directly to administrator networks or internet.
Question 131:
A security administrator needs to implement Multi-Factor Authentication. What factors can be used?
A) Something you know, something you have, something you are
B) Only passwords
C) Only usernames
D) Only email addresses
Answer: A
Explanation:
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) strengthens security by requiring users to provide multiple independent factors proving identity, significantly reducing risk from compromised passwords, phishing attacks, or credential theft. Authentication factors fall into three primary categories: something you know (knowledge factors) including passwords, PINs, security questions, or passphrases; something you have (possession factors) including hardware tokens, smart cards, mobile device authentication apps, SMS codes, or security keys; and something you are (inherence factors) including biometrics like fingerprints, facial recognition, iris scans, voice patterns, or behavioral biometrics. True multi-factor authentication requires factors from at least two different categories, as multiple factors from same category (like password and security question, both knowledge factors) provide limited additional security since attackers compromising one knowledge factor might compromise others through similar methods.
Common MFA implementations include SMS or email one-time passcodes combining password (knowledge) with code sent to registered device (possession), though SMS is considered weaker due to SIM swapping and interception risks. Authentication apps like Cisco Duo, Google Authenticator, or Microsoft Authenticator generate time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) providing stronger possession factor. Push notifications send approval requests to registered devices where users approve or deny authentication attempts, combining possession with action verification. Hardware security keys like YubiKey or Titan implement FIDO2/WebAuthn standards, offering strongest phishing resistance since cryptographic authentication occurs directly between key and service without codes that could be intercepted. Biometric authentication using fingerprint readers, facial recognition, or iris scanners provides convenient inherence factor, though implementation quality varies and biometrics should typically be combined with other factors rather than used alone.
Deployment considerations include user experience balancing security with convenience, with adaptive or risk-based authentication requiring additional factors only for high-risk scenarios like unusual locations, new devices, or sensitive operations while allowing trusted devices or low-risk activities to proceed with single factor. Enrollment processes require secure identity verification before establishing MFA, ensuring only legitimate users register factors. Recovery mechanisms must accommodate lost devices, forgotten passwords, or biometric failures without creating security backdoors, typically involving identity verification through multiple channels, backup codes provided during enrollment, or administrative intervention with proper authorization. Integration with applications and services varies with some supporting standards like SAML, OAuth, or RADIUS facilitating MFA integration while legacy applications might require additional solutions like authentication proxies or application wrappers.
Security benefits include resistance to password compromise where stolen passwords alone cannot authenticate, phishing protection especially with phishing-resistant methods like security keys that verify authentication destination, reduced credential stuffing effectiveness preventing attackers from leveraging breached credentials from other services, and compliance support satisfying regulatory requirements mandating strong authentication like PCI-DSS, HIPAA, or NIST guidelines. Best practices include implementing MFA for all remote access including VPNs and cloud applications, prioritizing administrative and privileged accounts requiring MFA for elevated access, using phishing-resistant factors where feasible avoiding SMS codes in favor of authentication apps or security keys, establishing clear enrollment and recovery procedures, monitoring MFA failures for potential attack indicators, and educating users on MFA importance and proper usage. Organizations should phase MFA deployment starting with highest-risk access points, provide adequate user support during transition, and regularly review authentication policies ensuring they remain effective against evolving threats while supporting business operations.
Question 132:
What Cisco security technology provides automated malware analysis in isolated environments?
A) Threat Grid sandboxing
B) Basic firewall rules
C) Static routing
D) VLAN configuration
Answer: A
Explanation:
Cisco Threat Grid provides automated malware analysis through advanced sandboxing, executing suspicious files in isolated virtual environments while comprehensively monitoring behavior, network activity, system modifications, and indicators of compromise, generating detailed threat intelligence that informs security products across Cisco’s integrated security architecture. Sandboxing addresses fundamental security challenge where traditional signature-based detection cannot identify unknown malware or sophisticated threats designed to evade static analysis. By executing potentially malicious files in controlled environment, Threat Grid reveals runtime behavior including files created or modified, registry changes, processes spawned, network connections attempted, encryption activities, or data exfiltration efforts that indicate malicious intent even when signatures aren’t available.
Threat Grid architecture includes cloud-based analysis infrastructure processing thousands of samples simultaneously, multiple virtualized operating systems representing various Windows versions, macOS, Linux, and Android platforms ensuring analysis environment matches target systems, behavioral recording capturing comprehensive telemetry of all activities during execution, network simulation providing realistic internet connectivity while containing any outbound communications, and correlation engine comparing observed behaviors against threat intelligence databases identifying similar malware families or attack campaigns. Analysis occurs automatically when suspicious files are submitted from integrated security products including Cisco Secure Email Gateway, Cisco Secure Web Appliance, Cisco Secure Endpoint, or uploaded directly through Threat Grid portal.
Analysis results provide behavioral indicators summarizing malicious activities with risk scores guiding response priorities, network indicators documenting destinations contacted including command-and-control servers or data exfiltration sites, artifacts extracting embedded files, scripts, or executables dropped during execution, static analysis complementing behavioral analysis with file characteristics, headers, and strings, and threat scores aggregating multiple indicators into overall risk assessment. Threat Grid generates indicators of compromise (IOCs) automatically, distributing these across Cisco security ecosystem enabling coordinated defense where one detection propagates to all integrated products. For example, malware analyzed by Threat Grid generates signatures deployed to Secure Endpoint for endpoint protection, network indicators blocked by Firepower firewalls, and domain reputations fed to Umbrella for DNS-layer blocking.
Advanced capabilities include machine learning classification applying models trained on millions of samples identifying malware families and threat types, static and dynamic analysis combination examining file structure and runtime behavior, anti-evasion techniques defeating malware that detects sandbox environments through environment randomization, extended execution time, and user simulation, and threat intelligence enrichment correlating samples with known campaigns, threat actors, and vulnerabilities. Integration with SIEM, SOAR, and threat intelligence platforms extends Threat Grid intelligence to broader security operations. Investigation workflows enable analysts to review detailed analysis reports, examine behavioral timelines, download artifacts for further examination, and search historical analysis database identifying related samples or tracking threat evolution.
Question 133:
Which Cisco security technology provides file retrospection capabilities that automatically detect and respond to previously unknown malware identified through continuous analysis?
A) Cisco AMP
B) Cisco Umbrella
C) Cisco ISE
D) Cisco Firepower
Answer: A
Explanation:
Cisco AMP provides file retrospection capabilities through continuous analysis that identifies files initially deemed safe but later discovered to be malicious, automatically notifying administrators and enabling response actions, making A the correct answer. Retrospective security addresses the fundamental challenge of zero-day threats that evade detection at initial encounter but are later identified through global threat intelligence and behavioral analysis.
AMP retrospection operates through persistent file tracking and ongoing analysis. When files first encounter AMP-protected environments, the system calculates cryptographic hashes and performs initial reputation analysis against cloud-based threat intelligence. Files without malicious indicators are allowed to execute or transit network boundaries. However, AMP maintains records of file encounters including which systems accessed files, when files were seen, and where files originated. This trajectory data persists in the AMP cloud even after initial disposition decisions. As new threat intelligence becomes available or as behavioral analysis identifies suspicious file activities, AMP retrospectively analyzes all previously seen files against updated threat data.
When retrospective analysis identifies a file as malicious that was previously allowed, AMP generates retrospective security events notifying administrators of the changed disposition. These events include comprehensive information about the file’s trajectory showing which systems encountered the file, when it appeared, how it spread through the environment, and what actions were taken. Security teams can immediately identify all affected systems requiring remediation. Automated response options include AMP connectors that quarantine identified malware on infected systems, remove malicious files, or trigger containment actions through integration with other security products. The retrospective capability is particularly powerful against advanced persistent threats that use previously unknown malware to establish footholds, as detection and remediation occur automatically even weeks or months after initial compromise.
The value of retrospective security extends beyond simple late detection. Zero-day threat protection provides defense against attacks using never-before-seen malware because files are continuously re-evaluated against emerging intelligence. Attack scope identification enables understanding of breach extent by showing everywhere malicious files appeared. Rapid containment occurs automatically across all affected systems simultaneously. Historical investigation supports incident response by providing complete attack timelines. Proactive hunting capabilities enable security teams to search for indicators of compromise across historical file data identifying related threats. Integration with Cisco Talos threat intelligence ensures that global discoveries of new malware variants automatically trigger retrospective analysis across all AMP deployments worldwide. This collective defense model means that discoveries by any AMP customer benefit all customers through shared threat intelligence. B is incorrect because Umbrella provides DNS-layer security without file trajectory tracking and retrospective analysis. C is incorrect because ISE focuses on network access control rather than file analysis and retrospection. D is incorrect because while Firepower integrates with AMP for file analysis, the retrospective capability specifically comes from the AMP platform.
Question 134:
An administrator needs to configure Cisco WSA to require authentication for internet access. Which authentication method integrates with Active Directory for transparent user identification?
A) Transparent user identification with AD agent
B) Basic authentication
C) NTLM authentication
D) Certificate-based authentication
Answer: A
Explanation:
Transparent user identification using Active Directory agent provides seamless authentication by detecting user logons without requiring explicit credential prompts, making A the correct answer. This method delivers the best user experience by authenticating users based on their domain login while enabling identity-based security policies on the web security appliance.
Transparent user identification operates through integration between Cisco WSA and Active Directory domain controllers. The solution deploys an AD agent, either as a dedicated service or integrated with Cisco ISE, that monitors Active Directory security event logs capturing user authentication events. When domain users log into their workstations, the AD agent detects these logon events and extracts user identity information including username, workstation IP address, and group memberships. This information is transmitted to WSA which maintains a mapping table correlating IP addresses with authenticated users. When web requests arrive from those IP addresses, WSA automatically associates traffic with corresponding users without requiring additional authentication prompts.
Implementation of transparent identification requires several components and configurations. The AD agent must be deployed with appropriate permissions to read security event logs from domain controllers. Network infrastructure should use IP address preservation rather than NAT for internal traffic so that source IP addresses reaching WSA match those recorded by the AD agent. WSA identification profiles configure connection parameters to the AD agent including server addresses, update intervals, and credential expiration policies. Authentication realms define which AD domains are authoritative for user identification. Access policies reference user or group identities in policy rules enabling identity-based enforcement. Session timeout configurations determine how long identity mappings remain valid after user logoff events.
The advantages of transparent identification are significant for enterprise deployments. User experience is seamless without authentication prompts interrupting web browsing. Single sign-on is achieved where domain credentials authenticate both network access and web proxy services. Identity-based policies enable role-appropriate content filtering and security enforcement. Reporting provides visibility into individual user activities rather than anonymous IP addresses. Compliance requirements for user attribution are satisfied. However, transparent identification has limitations including dependence on IP address consistency requiring careful network design, potential mapping delays when users switch workstations, and challenges with mobile or remote users outside the corporate network. Alternative authentication methods should be available as fallback including NTLM authentication for scenarios where transparent identification fails, and explicit proxy authentication for guest or unmanaged devices. B is incorrect because basic authentication requires explicit username and password prompts for each session rather than transparent identification. C is incorrect because while NTLM integrates with AD, it uses challenge-response authentication prompts rather than transparent identification through logon event monitoring. D is incorrect because certificate-based authentication requires user certificates rather than leveraging AD logon events for transparent identification.
Question 135:
Which Cisco security technology uses machine learning to establish baseline behaviors and detect anomalies indicating potential security threats?
A) Cisco Stealthwatch
B) Cisco Umbrella
C) Cisco Duo
D) Cisco AnyConnect
Answer: A
Explanation:
Cisco Stealthwatch leverages machine learning algorithms to establish baseline network behaviors and detect anomalies indicating potential security threats, making A the correct answer. This behavioral analytics approach identifies threats that evade signature-based detection by recognizing deviations from normal network activity patterns.
Stealthwatch behavioral analysis operates through continuous learning of network communication patterns. The system collects NetFlow, IPFIX, and other telemetry data from network infrastructure providing visibility into all network conversations including source and destination addresses, ports, protocols, byte counts, timestamps, and application information. Machine learning algorithms analyze this telemetry to establish behavioral baselines specific to each device, user, application, and network segment. Baselines capture normal communication patterns including typical destinations contacted, data transfer volumes, connection timing, protocol usage, and peer relationships. These baselines adapt over time as legitimate behaviors evolve, accounting for business cycles, application updates, and organizational changes.
Anomaly detection compares real-time network activity against established baselines identifying statistically significant deviations. Various anomaly types are detected including volumetric anomalies where data transfer volumes dramatically increase suggesting exfiltration, temporal anomalies where activity occurs at unusual times indicating after-hours breaches, peer anomalies where devices communicate with unexpected systems suggesting lateral movement, geographic anomalies where connections reach unusual countries indicating command and control, and protocol anomalies where unexpected protocols appear suggesting tunneling or evasion. Machine learning continuously refines detection algorithms reducing false positives by learning which anomalies correlate with actual threats versus benign operational changes.
Specific threat detection capabilities leverage behavioral analysis for security use cases. Command and control detection identifies periodic beaconing patterns characteristic of malware communicating with external controllers. Data exfiltration detection recognizes unusual volumes of data leaving the network toward external destinations. Ransomware detection identifies rapid access patterns to file servers combined with traffic pattern changes indicating encryption activity. Lateral movement detection tracks internal scanning and connection attempts characteristic of attackers exploring compromised networks. Insider threat detection identifies employees accessing unusual systems or exfiltrating sensitive data. Cryptomining detection recognizes outbound connections to mining pools and characteristic network traffic patterns. Each detection generates contextual alerts including evidence of anomalous behavior, risk scores indicating confidence levels, and investigation suggestions guiding analyst response. B is incorrect because while Umbrella uses some machine learning for threat intelligence, it primarily provides DNS-layer security rather than comprehensive network behavioral analysis. C is incorrect because Duo focuses on multi-factor authentication rather than network traffic behavioral analytics. D is incorrect because AnyConnect is a VPN client rather than a behavioral analytics platform.