Cisco 350-701 - Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR 350-701 v2.0)

Cisco FMC is assigned the role of a client in the pxGrid ecosystem. A client is a partner that subscribes to the contextual data published by other partners or by ISE. A client can also publish its own data, but it does not have to. A client can use the contextual data to enforce security policies, perform threat analysis, or provide visibility. Cisco FMC can subscribe to various topics from ISE or other partners, such as user identity, session directory, endpoint profile, SGT mapping, threat events, or vulnerability assessment. Cisco FMC can also publish its own threat events to ISE or other partners. Cisco FMC can use the contextual data to apply access control rules, correlation policies, or network discovery policies based on the attributes of the users, endpoints, or sessions12.

The other options are not correct because they are not the roles assigned for Cisco FMC. A server is a partner that publishes contextual data to other partners or to ISE. A server can also subscribe to data, but it does not have to. A server can provide valuable information about the network, such as device inventory, configuration, or compliance. An example of a server is Cisco Prime Infrastructure3. A controller is the core component of the pxGrid ecosystem that manages the communication, authentication, and authorization between the partners. The controller is always ISE, and it is responsible for creating and maintaining the pxGrid domain, distributing the certificates, and facilitating the data exchange4. A publisher is a partner that publishes contextual data to other partners or to ISE, but does not subscribe to any data. A publisher can provide useful information about the network, such as security events, alerts, or incidents. An example of a publisher is Cisco Stealthwatch. References :=

Integrate FMC with ISE using pxGrid | Blue Network Security

How To: Integrate Firepower Management Center (FMC) 6 … - Cisco Community

Cisco Prime Infrastructure and ISE pxGrid Integration - Cisco

pxGrid Overview - Cisco

[Cisco Stealthwatch and ISE pxGrid Integration - Cisco]

Cisco ASA NetFlow v9 Secure Event Logging (NSEL) is a security logging mechanism that is built on NetFlow Version 9 technology and provides stateful, IP flow tracking for significant events in a flow. NSEL requires a collector to receive and process the exported data records. To configure NSEL, you need to define a flow-export event type under a policy using the Modular Policy Framework (MPF). The event type specifies which events to export, such as flow-create, flow-denied, flow-teardown, flow-update, or all. You also need to configure the NSEL collectors, the template timeout intervals, and the flow-update interval. Optionally, you can disable the redundant syslog messages and reset the runtime counters.

The other statements are false because:

To view bandwidth usage for NetFlow records, the QoS feature is not required. You can use a NetFlow collector or analyzer to view the bandwidth usage and other statistics from the exported data records.

A sysopt command cannot be used to enable NSEL on a specific interface. NSEL is enabled globally on all interfaces by default when you configure a flow-export event type under a policy.

NSEL cannot be used without a collector configured. NSEL exports data records to the configured collectors using NetFlow over UDP. If no collector is configured, the data records are discarded.

CoA (Change of Authorization) is a feature that allows ISE to dynamically change the authorization attributes of an endpoint after it has been authenticated. CoA can be triggered by various events, such as posture assessment, profiling, or manual intervention1. There are different types of CoA that ISE can send to the network access device (NAD) to perform different actions on the endpoint session. The CoA type that achieves the goal of forcing an endpoint to re-authenticate without disrupting its session is CoA Reauth. CoA Reauth instructs the NAD to initiate a new RADIUS authentication for the endpoint, which allows ISE to apply a new or updated policy based on the latest attributes of the endpoint2. The other CoA types do not achieve this goal, as they either disconnect the endpoint session or do not change the authorization attributes. Port Bounce causes the NAD to shut down and bring up the port where the endpoint is connected, which effectively disconnects and reconnects the endpoint session2. CoA Terminate causes the NAD to terminate the endpoint session and send an Accounting-Stop message to ISE2. CoA Session Query causes the NAD to send an Accounting-Request message to ISE with the current session information, but does not change the authorization attributes of the endpoint2. References:

Cisco Content Hub - Manage Network Devices, section “CoA Types”

Solved: COA and ISE Clarification - Cisco Community, answer by Tarik Admani

Configuring Profiler Policies [Cisco Identity Services Engine] - Cisco …, section “Change of Authorization”

To block certain URLs based on the “Chat and Instant Messaging” category, the network administrator should select a reputation score of 5. A reputation score is a numerical value that indicates the likelihood of a URL being malicious or unwanted. The lower the score, the higher the risk. A score of 5 means that the URL is suspicious or potentially harmful, and should be blocked or inspected12. A score of 3 means that the URL is unknown or unverified, and may be allowed or blocked depending on the policy settings12. A score of 10 means that the URL is trustworthy or benign, and should be allowed12. A score of 1 means that the URL is malicious or high-risk, and should be blocked12. Therefore, a score of 5 is the most appropriate to block the “Chat and Instant Messaging” category, which may contain unwanted or problematic websites. References:

Reputation score, section “Reputation score”.

Web content filtering, section “What is web content filtering?”.

Anycast IP is a component of Cisco umbrella architecture that increases reliability of the service by allowing the same IP address to exist on multiple servers around the world. This way, the user’s request is automatically routed to the nearest and fastest data center, and failover is seamless in case of an outage. Anycast IP also reduces latency and improves performance by using BGP to select the shortest path to the destination12. References := 1: Why Cisco Umbrella uses anycast routing - Cisco Umbrella 2: Cisco Umbrella At a Glance

One of the main reasons why a user would choose an on-premises ESA versus the CES solution is to have more control over the sensitive data that flows through the email system. With an on-premises ESA, the user can ensure that the data is stored and processed within their own network and data center, and that they comply with any regulatory or organizational requirements for data security and privacy. With a CES solution, the user would have to trust Cisco to handle the data in their cloud infrastructure, and to adhere to the service level agreements and security policies that are agreed upon. Some users may not be comfortable with this level of outsourcing, especially if they have strict data governance or compliance needs12. References: 1: Physical ESA vs Cloud ESA - Cisco Community 2: Cisco Email Security Appliance - Data Sheet

Cisco Catalyst Center Software Image Management separates image deployment into distribution and activation operations. POST /dna/intent/api/v1/image/distribution copies a previously imported software image from Catalyst Center to the selected device. After the image is present in device flash, POST /dna/intent/api/v1/image/activation/device schedules or triggers activation by using the device UUID and image UUID. Both operations are asynchronous, so automation should monitor the returned task information. The Plug and Play import endpoint onboards device records and does not distribute software. The network site endpoint manages hierarchy or site data, while the template-programmer endpoint creates configuration templates. Neither performs Software Image Management. Therefore, requests A and C are the two calls that implement the required distribute-then-activate workflow. Cisco Catalyst Center distribution API Cisco Catalyst Center activation API

Cisco Umbrella is a cloud-delivered and SaaS-based solution that provides DNS-layer security and web filtering for internet traffic. It blocks requests to malicious domains or IPs before a connection is even established, and logs and inspects all web traffic for greater transparency, control, and protection1.

However, not all domains or IPs are clearly malicious or benign. Some of them may be risky, meaning that they host both legitimate and malicious content, or that they have a low reputation score based on various factors. For these domains or IPs, Cisco Umbrella offers the option to proxy the traffic through the intelligent proxy, which is a selective web proxy that performs deeper inspection and analysis of the web content2.

The intelligent proxy can apply URL filtering, file inspection, and file type control to the proxied traffic, and block or allow it based on the policy settings. The intelligent proxy can also leverage Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) and antivirus engines to scan files for malware and threats3.

Therefore, by using the intelligent proxy, Cisco Umbrella can manage traffic that is directed toward risky domains more effectively, and provide an additional layer of security and visibility for the organization.

References :=

Manage the Intelligent Proxy

Manage File Inspection

Cisco Umbrella At a Glance

ETHOS is one of the many detection engines that AMP uses to continuously protect you from malware. It is only available in the public cloud, as it requires a large amount of data and processing power to operate. ETHOS uses machine learning to analyze the behavior and characteristics of files and determine their maliciousness. It can detect both known and unknown threats, as well as polymorphic and metamorphic malware that can change their appearance or code. ETHOS is part of the AMP cloud’s dynamic analysis capabilities, which also include SPERO and Threat Grid12.

The private cloud instance of AMP does not have ETHOS, as it is meant to be an on-premises, self-contained solution that satisfies stringent privacy requirements. The private cloud instance also does not have SPERO or Threat Grid, unless they are deployed separately as additional appliances. The private cloud instance relies on the TETRA detection engine, which is a signature-based engine that can identify known malware. TETRA is updated regularly with new signatures from the AMP cloud, but it cannot detect unknown or zero-day threats as effectively as ETHOS34.

Therefore, the capability that is exclusive to the AMP public cloud instance as compared to the private cloud instance is the ETHOS detection engine. References: 1: Cisco Advanced Malware Protection Private Cloud Appliance Data Sheet 2: What is AMP Private Cloud 3: Deploy Cisco AMP Private Cloud on Cisco HyperFlex Systems 4: AMP Private Cloud vs Public Cloud Dashboard different

In a remote access VPN configuration, dynamic split tunneling allows traffic to certain trusted domains to bypass the VPN tunnel and exit through the client ' s local internet gateway. This feature selectively directs only the necessary traffic over the VPN, while allowing direct internet access for specific domains or traffic deemed safe or trusted, optimizing bandwidth and performance for remote users.

 SNMPv3 is a security model that uses authentication and encryption to provide secure access to devices. SNMPv3 requires the configuration of SNMP groups, users, and views. SNMP groups define the security model, security level, and access rights for a set of users. SNMP users are members of SNMP groups and have passwords for authentication and encryption. SNMP views define the subset of the MIB tree that a group of users can access. To facilitate access to the SNMP views, the network administrator must map the SNMPv3 users to the SNMP views using the snmp-server group command with the v3 and view keywords. This command assigns a view to a group of users and specifies the security model and level for that group. For example, the following command maps the SNMPv3 users in the group admin to the view all using the authPriv security level:

snmp-server group admin v3 authPriv read all write all

This command allows the users in the group admin to access all the MIB objects in the view all using authentication and encryption. The other options are not correct because they are not related to the SNMP views. Option B is incorrect because the password for SNMPv3 authentication is configured for each user using the snmp-server user command with the auth keyword. Option C is incorrect because the encryption algorithm for SNMPv3 is also configured for each user using the snmp-server user command with the priv keyword. Option D is incorrect because the UDP port used by SNMP is not configurable and is always 161 for queries and 162 for traps. References :=

Some possible references for this question are:

SNMP Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS XE Release 3SE (Catalyst 3850 Switches) - SNMP Version 3

Configuration Template for SNMPv3 - Cisco Community

Configure ESXi for SNMP v3 - VMware Docs

How to Configure SNMPv3 and How It Works - CBT Nuggets

Trusted Automated Exchange of Indicator Information (TAXII) is a standard that defines how to exchange cyber threat intelligence (CTI) over HTTPS. CTI includes indicators of compromise (IOCs), such as malware hashes, IP addresses, URLs, and domains, that can be used to detect and respond to cyberattacks. TAXII enables the sharing of CTI in a secure, automated, and interoperable way among different organizations and tools. Structured Threat Information Expression (STIX) is a standard that defines how to represent and structure CTI in a common language. STIX and TAXII are often used together to facilitate the exchange of CTI. Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) is not a standard, but a term used to describe a sophisticated and stealthy cyberattack that persists over a long period of time, often targeting specific organizations or sectors. Open Command and Control (OpenC2) is a standard that defines how to communicate and execute cyber defense actions across different technologies and domains. OpenC2 enables the orchestration and automation of cyber defense actions, such as blocking, isolating, or redirecting malicious traffic or devices. References :=

Some possible references are:

[Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v1.0], Module 4: Content Security, Lesson 4.3: Cisco Umbrella, Topic 4.3.1: Cisco Umbrella Investigate

350-701 SCOR - Cisco, Exam Topics, 4.0 Content Security, 4.3 Describe the components, capabilities, and benefits of Cisco Umbrella, 4.3.a Investigate

TAXII - OASIS Cyber Threat Intelligence Technical Committee, Overview, Introduction

STIX - OASIS Cyber Threat Intelligence Technical Committee, Overview, Introduction

OpenC2 - OASIS Open Command and Control Technical Committee, Overview, Introduction

What is an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT)? | Fortinet, Definition, What is an APT?