Paloalto Networks Practitioner Dumps

URL categories classify websites based on content type or risk, enabling dynamic policy enforcement such as blocking or allowing access. Administrators can create custom URL categories to group sites like gambling domains and apply blocking rules across the firewall infrastructure. Palo Alto Networks firewalls leverage URL categorization combined with threat intelligence to provide granular web filtering, reducing exposure to malicious or unwanted sites. This dynamic grouping approach is more manageable and scalable than creating individual signatures or static lists and allows for automated policy application aligned with organizational compliance requirements.

SSL/TLS encrypts and authenticates web-based communication to ensure secure data transmission over networks. It ensures privacy by encrypting the data exchanged between a client and a server, protecting it from interception or tampering. It doesn’t handle user input like passwords directly.

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 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

Multiple attack vectors – APTs often use various methods (phishing, malware, lateral movement) to infiltrate and maintain access to a target.

Repeated pursuit of objective – APTs are known for their persistent nature, involving continuous efforts over time to achieve their goals, such as data theft or surveillance.

 A SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a system that collects, analyzes, and correlates security logs from multiple sources, such as endpoints, firewalls, servers, etc. A SIEM can provide a centralized and comprehensive view of the security posture of an organization, as well as detect and respond to threats. Configuring endpoints to forward logs to a SIEM is the recommended method for collecting security logs from multiple endpoints, as it reduces the network bandwidth and storage requirements, simplifies the log management process, and enables faster and more effective security analysis. Leveraging an EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) solution to request the logs from endpoints is not recommended, as it may cause performance issues on the endpoints, increase the network traffic, and create a dependency on the EDR solution. Connecting to the endpoints remotely and downloading the logs is not recommended, as it is a manual and time-consuming process, prone to errors and inconsistencies, and may expose the endpoints to unauthorized access. Building a script that pulls down the logs from all endpoints is not recommended, as it requires technical skills and maintenance, may not be compatible with different endpoint platforms, and may introduce security risks if the script is compromised or misconfigured. References:

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

Fundamentals of Security Operations Center (SOC)

10 Palo Alto Networks PCCET Exam Practice Questions - CBT Nuggets

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) technologies provide comprehensive visibility and real-time threat prevention directly on endpoint devices. EDR continuously monitors process activities, file executions, and system calls to detect malware, suspicious behaviors, and zero-day threats at the source. Palo Alto Networks’ Cortex XDR platform exemplifies this by correlating endpoint telemetry with network and cloud data to provide a holistic defense against attacks. Operating locally on endpoints allows EDR to prevent lateral movement and respond to threats quickly, filling security gaps that network-centric tools alone cannot address. This endpoint-level insight is critical to identifying sophisticated threats that initiate or manifest on user devices.

The URL Filtering service complements App-ID by enabling you to configure the next-generation firewall to identify and control access to websites and to protect your organization from websites that host malware and phishing pages.

A Type 1 hypervisor, also known as a bare-metal hypervisor, is a software layer that runs directly on the hardware of a physical host computer, without requiring an underlying operating system. A Type 1 hypervisor can create and manage multiple isolated virtual machines (VMs), each with its own virtual (or guest) operating system and applications. A Type 1 hypervisor is hardened against cyber attacks, as it has a smaller attack surface and fewer vulnerabilities than a Type 2 hypervisor, which runs within an operating system. A Type 1 hypervisor also offers better performance, scalability, and resource utilization than a Type 2 hypervisor. References: 10 Palo Alto Networks PCCET Exam Practice Questions, Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician v1.0, FREE Cybersecurity Education Courses.

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

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.

Workload security in a Cloud Native Security Platform (CNSP) is designed to secure containers, VMs, and serverless functions throughout the entire application lifecycle — from development to runtime — by detecting and blocking vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and runtime threats.

IoT devices often have constant internet connectivity and increased data sharing, making them more vulnerable to command-and-control (C2) attacks. Their limited security features and exposure to external networks provide attackers more opportunities to compromise and control them remotely.

NAT stands for Network Address Translation, which is a process that allows devices on a private network to communicate with devices on a public network, such as the Internet. NAT translates the private IP addresses of the devices on the private network to public IP addresses that can be routed on the public network. This way, multiple devices on the private network can share a single public IP address and access the Internet. NAT also provides security benefits, as it hides the internal network structure and IP addresses from the outside world. References: Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET), Fundamentals of Network Security, Network Address Translation (NAT)

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

SOAR platforms are unique in their ability to automate incident response through the use of predefined workflows. These workflows allow repetitive security tasks to be executed automatically, improving response speed and efficiency.

Local systems can eliminate vulnerabilities by patching systems and software effectively and continuously. Patching is the process of applying updates or fixes to software or hardware components that have known vulnerabilities or bugs. Patching can prevent attackers from exploiting these vulnerabilities and compromising the security or functionality of the systems. Patching should be done regularly and promptly, as new vulnerabilities are constantly discovered and exploited by cybercriminals. Patching should also be done effectively, meaning that the patches are tested and verified before deployment, and that they do not introduce new vulnerabilities or issues. Patching should also be done continuously, meaning that the systems are monitored for new vulnerabilities and patches are applied as soon as they are available. Continuous patching can reduce the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities and cause damage or data breaches. References:

•1: What is Patch Management? | Palo Alto Networks

•2: Patch Management Best Practices: How to Keep Your Systems Secure | Snyk

•3: Vulnerability Remediation Process - 4 Steps to Remediation | Snyk

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

OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that requires all routers in the same domain to maintain a map of the network. This map is called the link-state database (LSDB) and it contains information about the topology and the state of each link. Each router independently calculates the shortest path to every destination in the network using the Dijkstra algorithm. OSPF routers exchange routing information by flooding link-state advertisements (LSAs) to their neighbors. LSAs are acknowledged by the receivers to ensure reliable delivery12. References:

What Is OSPF? Understanding Network Protocols By WireX Systems

Routing Protocols Overview - Global Knowledge

Wireshark is a network analysis tool that can capture packets from various network interfaces and protocols. It can display the captured packets in a human-readable format, as well as filter, analyze, and export them. Wireshark is widely used for network troubleshooting, security testing, and education purposes12. References: Wireshark · Go Deep, How to Use Wireshark to Capture, Filter and Inspect Packets, Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician

HTTPS is a protocol that encrypts and secures the communication between web browsers and servers. HTTPS uses SSL or TLS certificates to establish a secure connection and prevent unauthorized access or tampering of data. HTTPS typically uses port 443, which is the default port for HTTPS connections. Port 443 is different from port 80, which is the default port for HTTP connections. HTTP is an unencrypted and insecure protocol that can expose sensitive information or allow malicious attacks. Port 443 is also different from port 5050, which is a common port for some applications or services, such as Yahoo Messenger or SIP. Port 5050 is not associated with HTTPS and does not provide any encryption or security. Port 443 is also different from port 25, which is the default port for SMTP, the protocol used for sending and receiving emails. Port 25 is not associated with HTTPS and does not encrypt the email content or headers. References:

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

•HTTPS Protocol: What is the Default Port for SSL & Common TCP Ports

•What is HTTPS? | Cloudflare

•Can I use another port other than 443 for HTTPS/SSL communication?

Port hopping is a technique that changes protocols at random during a session to evade detection and analysis by security devices. Port hopping can be used by malware or attackers to communicate with command and control servers or to exfiltrate data. Port hopping makes it difficult to identify and block malicious traffic based on port numbers or signatures. References: Port Hopping, Ports Used for Management Functions, Adding a Custom Application/Ports to Security Policy

North-South traffic refers to the data packets that move between the virtualized environment and the external network, such as the internet or a traditional data center. This traffic typically involves requests from clients to access applications or services hosted on virtual machines (VMs) or containers, or responses from those VMs or containers to the clients. North-South traffic can also include management or monitoring traffic from external devices to the virtualized environment. References: Fundamentals of Cloud Security, East-West and North-South Traffic Security, What is the meaning / origin of the terms north-south and east-west traffic?

Examples of serverless environments include Amazon Lambda and Azure Functions. Many PaaS offerings, such as Pivotal Cloud Foundry, also are effectively serverless even if they have not historically been marketed as such. Although serverless may appear to lack the container-specific, cloud native attribute, containers are extensively used in the underlying implementations, even if those implementations are not exposed to end users directly.

SecOps is the organizational function that is responsible for security automation and eventual vetting of the solution to help ensure consistency through machine-driven responses to security issues. SecOps is a collaboration between security and operations teams that aims to align their goals, processes, and tools to improve security posture and efficiency. SecOps can leverage automation to simplify and accelerate security tasks, such as threat detection, incident response, vulnerability management, compliance enforcement, and more. Security automation can also reduce human errors, enhance scalability, and free up resources for more strategic initiatives. References:

SecOps from Palo Alto Networks

What is security automation? from Red Hat

What is Security Automation? from Check Point Software

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

SSL/TLS decryption allows security tools to inspect encrypted traffic, enabling them to detect hidden malware, command-and-control communication, or data exfiltration that would otherwise bypass inspection if left encrypted.

A Jasager attack is a type of wireless man-in-the-middle attack that exploits the way mobile devices search for known wireless networks. A Jasager device will respond to any beacon request from a mobile device by saying “Yes, I’m here”, pretending to be one of the preferred networks. This way, the Jasager device can trick the mobile device into connecting to it, without the user’s knowledge or consent. The Jasager device can then intercept, modify, or redirect the traffic of the victim. For this attack to work, the attacker needs to be within close proximity of the victim, and the victim must have at least one known network in their preferred list. The victim does not need to manually choose the attacker’s access point, nor does the attacker try to get victims to connect at random. References: Wireless Man in the Middle - Palo Alto Networks, Man-in-the-middle attacks with malicious & rogue Wi-Fi access points - Privacy Guides

MITRE is a not-for-profit organization that operates research and development centers sponsored by the federal government. MITRE maintains the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) catalog, which is a dictionary of common names for publicly known cybersecurity vulnerabilities. CVE’s common identifiers, called CVE Identifiers, make it easier to share data across separate network security databases and tools, and provide a baseline for evaluating the coverage of an organization’s security tools12. References:

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®)

CVE - CVE

Host Intrusion Prevention Systems (HIPS) operate on endpoints to enforce security policies by monitoring system calls, file integrity, and configuration settings. HIPS can validate device compliance, including operating system versions and patch levels, before permitting network access. This capability prevents vulnerable or outdated devices from becoming attack vectors. Palo Alto Networks integrates HIPS functionalities in its endpoint security solutions, providing granular control to enforce organizational security standards and reduce risk from non-compliant endpoints. Unlike network-based inspection, HIPS works locally on hosts to stop threats at their origin.

 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

Local organization security policies are the rules and guidelines that define how a SaaS application can be used by the employees, contractors, and partners of an organization. These policies cover aspects such as authentication, authorization, data access, data protection, data sharing, and compliance. Local organization security policies aim to ensure that the SaaS application is used in a secure, ethical, and legal manner, and that the organization’s data and assets are not compromised or misused123. References:

Securing SaaS tools for your organisation - GOV.UK

SaaS Security: A Complete Best Practices Guide - BetterCloud

Security policy document examples for B2B SaaS apps

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

"Weaponization: Next, attackers determine which methods to use to compromise a target endpoint. They may choose to embed intruder code within seemingly innocuous files such as a PDF or Microsoft Word document or email message."

● Reduce the attack surface: Best-of-breed technologies that are natively integrated provide a prevention architecture that inherently reduces the attack surface. This type of architecture allows organizations to exert positive control based on applications, users, and content, with support for open communication, orchestration, and visibility.

● Prevent all known threats, fast: A coordinated security platform accounts for the full scope of an attack across the various security controls that compose the security posture, thus enabling organizations to quickly identify and block known threats.

● Detect and prevent new, unknown threats with automation: Security that simply detects

threats and requires a manual response is too little, too late. Automated creation and

delivery of near-real-time protections against new threats to the various security solutions in the organization’s environments enable dynamic policy updates. These updates are

designed to allow enterprises to scale defenses with technology, rather than people.

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

"Remember that a trust zone is not intended to be a “pocket of trust” where systems (and therefore threats) within the zone can communicate freely and directly with each other. For a full Zero Trust implementation, the network would be configured to ensure that all communications traffic, including traffic between devices in the same zone, is intermediated by the corresponding Zero Trust Segmentation Platform."

A Host-Based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) is installed directly on an endpoint device (such as a server or workstation) and monitors local system activity, including processes, file access, and system calls, to detect and prevent malicious behavior.

An AAAA record is a type of DNS record that maps a domain name or a subdomain to an IPv6 address. IPv6 is the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IP) that uses 128-bit addresses to identify devices on the internet. An AAAA record is similar to an A record, which maps a domain name or a subdomain to an IPv4 address, but with a different format and length. An example of an AAAA record is:

example-website.com. IN AAAA 2001:db8::1234

In the example above, the record is made up of the following elements:

example-website.com.: The domain name or the subdomain that is mapped to an IPv6 address.

IN: The class of the record, which indicates that it is on the internet.

AAAA: The type of the record, which indicates that it is an IPv6 address record.

2001:db8::1234: The IPv6 address that is mapped to the domain name or the subdomain. The address is written in hexadecimal notation, with colons separating each 16-bit segment. Double colons (::) can be used to compress consecutive zero segments.

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

DNS AAAA record | Cloudflare

What’s an AAAA record? - DNSimple Help

List of DNS record types - Wikipedia

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.

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

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

Cortex XSOAR Threat Intelligence Management (TIM) is a platform that enables security teams to manage the lifecycle of threat intelligence, from aggregation to action. One of the key features of Cortex XSOAR TIM is that it automates the ingestion and aggregation of indicators from various sources, such as threat feeds, open-source intelligence, internal data, and third-party integrations 1. Indicators are pieces of information that can be used to identify malicious activity, such as IP addresses, domains, URLs, hashes, etc. By automating the ingestion and aggregation of indicators, Cortex XSOAR TIM reduces the manual effort and time required to collect, validate, and prioritize threat data. It also enables analysts to have a unified view of the global threat landscape and the impact of threats on their network 1. References: 1: Threat Intelligence Management - Palo Alto Networks 2

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

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

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

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.

Identity and access management (IAM) is a software service or framework that allows organizations to define user or group identities within software environments, then associate permissions with them. The identities and permissions are usually spelled out in a text file, which is referred to as an IAM policy.

Attack Surface Management (ASM) platforms focus on continuous discovery and monitoring of all internet-facing assets, both internal and external, to identify attack vectors, vulnerabilities, and exposures that could be exploited by threat actors.

Assessing severity levels – UEBA data helps prioritize incidents by evaluating the risk and severity based on user and entity behavior.

Detecting and correlating anomalies – UEBA continuously analyzes activity to identify abnormal behavior and correlate anomalies that may indicate insider threats or compromised accounts.

A CI/CD platform is a comprehensive set of tools that help developers, engineers, and DevOps practitioners package and deliver software to the end users. A CI/CD platform automates the process of software testing and deployment, and enables faster and more reliable software releases. Jenkins is a popular open source CI/CD platform that supports a wide range of plugins and integrations to build, test, and deploy various types of applications. Jenkins can be configured to run on different platforms, such as Linux, Windows, or Docker, and can work with various version control systems, such as Git, SVN, or Mercurial. Jenkins can also orchestrate complex workflows, such as parallel or sequential execution, conditional branching, or parameterized triggering, using a graphical interface or a declarative syntax. Jenkins can help developers and DevOps teams achieve continuous integration and continuous delivery/deployment, by providing features such as:

•Pipeline as code: Jenkins allows users to define and manage their pipelines as code, using a domain-specific language (DSL) called Jenkinsfile. This enables users to store, version, and reuse their pipeline configurations, and to apply best practices such as code review and testing.

•Distributed builds: Jenkins can scale up or down to meet the demand of concurrent builds, by distributing the workload across multiple agents or nodes. This improves the performance and efficiency of the CI/CD process, and allows users to leverage different environments and resources for different stages of the pipeline.

•Plugin ecosystem: Jenkins has a rich and active community that contributes to its plugin ecosystem, which extends its functionality and compatibility with various tools and technologies. Users can find and install plugins from the Jenkins Plugin Manager, or create their own custom plugins using Java or Groovy.

•Blue Ocean: Jenkins offers a modern and user-friendly web interface called Blue Ocean, which simplifies the creation and visualization of pipelines. Blue Ocean provides features such as real-time feedback, interactive editing, branch and pull request support, and integration with popular chat platforms, such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.

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

Command and Control: Attackers establish encrypted communication channels back to command-and-control (C2) servers across the internet so that they can modify their attack objectives and methods as additional targets of opportunity are identified within the victim network, or to evade any new security countermeasures that the organization may attempt to deploy if attack artifacts are discovered.

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

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.

Event Viewer is a native Windows application that can be used to inspect actions taken at a specific time. Event Viewer displays detailed information about significant events on your computer, such as application, security, system, and setup events. You can use Event Viewer to monitor and troubleshoot problems with your computer, such as hardware failures, software errors, security breaches, network issues, etc. Event Viewer allows you to filter, sort, and search events by various criteria, such as date and time, event level, event source, event ID, etc. You can also view the event properties, which provide more details about the event, such as the event description, user name, computer name, event data, etc. Event Viewer can help you identify the root cause of a problem, or provide evidence of a malicious activity, by inspecting the actions taken at a specific time on your computer. References:

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

WinAppDriver and Desktop UI Test Automation - Microsoft Tech Community

Palo Alto Networks PCCET Quiz 1 Topic 14 Questions 1-5 - Buddy4Exam

Paloalto Networks Exam PCCET Questions and Answers - DumpsMate

Event Viewer - Windows 10 - Microsoft Docs

Phishing is a type of email attack where the attacker sends a lot of malicious emails in an untargeted way, pretending to be a trusted source, such as a bank or an online retailer, to trick users into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card numbers. Attackers use the information to steal money or to launch other attacks. A fake email from a bank asking you to click a link and verify your account details is an example of phishing1 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: Types of Email Attacks - Examples and Consequences - Tessian

4: What Is a Phishing Attack? Definition and Types - Cisco

Selective network security virtualization: Intra-host communications and live migrations are architected at this phase. All intra-host communication paths are strictly controlled to ensure that traffic between VMs at different trust levels is intermediated either by an on-box, virtual security appliance or by an off-box, physical security appliance.

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

● Networking

○ Software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs)

○ Virtual private networks (VPNs)

○ Zero Trust network access (ZTNA)

○ Quality of Service (QoS)

● Security

○ Firewall as a service (FWaaS)

○ Domain Name System (DNS) security

○ Threat prevention

○ Secure web gateway (SWG)

○ Data loss prevention (DLP)

○ Cloud access security broker (CASB)

According to the NIST definition, cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction1. One of the essential characteristics of cloud computing is on-demand self-service, which means that users can request and obtain computing resources as needed, without requiring human intervention from the service provider2. On-demand network services are an example of this characteristic, as they allow users to access network resources such as bandwidth, routing, firewall, or load balancing, on demand and in a scalable manner3. References:

The NIST definition of cloud computing

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

On-Demand Network Services - Palo Alto Networks

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

Tunneling is a method of transporting data across a network using protocols that are not supported by that network. Tunneling works by encapsulating packets: wrapping packets inside of other packets. Tunneling within commonly used services is a technique that uses file sharing or an instant messenger client such as Meebo running over HTTP to bypass firewalls or other network restrictions. The data packets are encapsulated within HTTP packets and sent as normal web traffic. This way, the data packets can reach their destination without being blocked or detected by the network. References: What is tunneling? | Tunneling in networking | Cloudflare, What Is Network Tunneling & How Is It Used? | Traefik Labs, networking - What is HTTP tunneling? - Stack Overflow

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."

Pharming is an attack that redirects traffic from a legitimate website to a malicious fake website, typically by corrupting the DNS system or modifying host files, with the intent of stealing user credentials or sensitive data.

Cortex XDR is a cloud-based, advanced endpoint protection solution that combines multiple methods of prevention against known and unknown malware, ransomware, and exploits. Cortex XDR uses behavioral threat protection, exploit prevention, and local analysis to stop the execution of malicious programs before an endpoint can be compromised. Cortex XDR also enables remediation on the endpoint following an alert or investigation, giving administrators the option to isolate, terminate, block, or quarantine malicious files or processes. Cortex XDR is part of the Cortex platform, which provides unified visibility and detection across the network, endpoint, and cloud. References:

Cortex XDR - Palo Alto Networks

Endpoint Protection - Palo Alto Networks

Endpoint Security - Palo Alto Networks

Preventing Malware and Ransomware With Traps - Palo Alto Networks

Authorization is the component of the AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) framework that regulates user access and permissions to resources after identity has been verified. It determines what actions or resources a user is allowed to access.

 A routed protocol is a protocol by which data can be routed. It provides appropriate addressing information in its internet layer or network layer to allow a packet to be forwarded from one network to another network. Examples of routed protocols are the Internet Protocol (IP) and Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX). IP is the most widely used routed protocol on the Internet and other networks. It assigns a unique logical address to each device and enables data to be fragmented, reassembled, and routed across multiple networks. References:

Routing v/s Routed Protocols in Computer Network

Routing protocol - Wikipedia

CCNA Certification: Routed Protocols vs Routing Protocols

What is the difference between Routing Protocols and Routed Protocols

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