Splunk SPLK-5002 - Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Engineer

Why Use "Data Models" for Standardized Search Accuracy and Detection Logic?

SplunkData Modelsprovide astructured, normalized representationof raw logs, improving:

✅Search consistency across different log sources✅Detection logic by ensuring standardized field names✅Faster and more efficient querieswith data model acceleration

💡Example in Splunk Enterprise Security:🚀Scenario:A SOC team monitors login failures acrossmultiple authentication systems.✅Without Data Models:Different logs usesrc_ip, source_ip, or ip_address, making searches complex.✅With Data Models:All fieldsmap to a standard format, enablingconsistent detection logic.

Why Not the Other Options?

❌A. Field Extraction– Extracts fields from raw events butdoes not standardize field names across sources.❌C. Event Correlation– Detects relationships between logsbut doesn’t normalize data for search accuracy.❌D. Normalization Rules– A general term; Splunkuses CIM & Data Models for normalization.

References & Learning Resources

📌Splunk Data Models Documentation: https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Knowledge/Aboutdatamodels 📌Using CIM & Data Models for Security Analytics: https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/263 📌How Data Models Improve Search Performance: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/tips-and-

Building Effective Dashboards for Program Analytics

Well-designed dashboards help SOC teams visualize security trends, performance metrics, and compliance adherence efficiently.

✅1. Applying Accelerated Data Models for Better Performance (B)

Speeds up dashboard loading times by using pre-aggregated datasets.

Improves SIEM performance when analyzing large volumes of security logs.

Example:

Instead of running a full search, an accelerated data model pre-indexes event counts by severity level.

❌Incorrect Answers:

A. Using predefined templates without modification → Dashboards should be customized for security needs.

C. Avoiding the use of filters and tokens → Filters improve usability by allowing analysts to refine searches.

D. Limiting the number of visualizations → Dashboards should balance performance and visibility rather than limit insights.

📌Additional Resources:

Splunk Accelerated Data Models

Building Fast and Efficient Dashboards

Privileged accounts pose ahigh security risk, and tracking their activity iscritical for compliance(e.g.,PCI DSS, NIST, ISO 27001, SOC 2).

✅1. Automate Report Generation for Privileged Accounts (A)

Ensurescontinuous monitoringofadmin/root accounts.

Helpsdetect misuse or unauthorized access.

Example:

Splunk Enterprise Security (ES)can generate scheduled reports on:

Failed login attempts by privileged users.

Actions performed using admin credentials.

❌Incorrect Answers:

B. Use summary indexes to delete old data→ Summary indexes improve performance butdo not help track privileged accounts.

C. Focus only on low-priority account activity→ Privileged accountsshould always be high-priority.

D. Exclude privileged accounts from reporting→ This wouldviolate compliance requirements.

📌Additional Resources:

Splunk Security Monitoring for Privileged Accounts

NIST Access Control Guide

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a process improvement methodology used to enhance operational efficiency by reducing waste, eliminating errors, and improving consistency.

Primary Function of Lean Six Sigma in a Security Program:

Improves security operations efficiency by optimizing alert handling, threat hunting, and incident response workflows.

Reduces unnecessary steps in SOC processes, eliminating redundancies in threat detection and response.

Enhances decision-making by using data-driven analysis to improve security metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).