Practice Free 312-39 Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) Exam Questions Answers With Explanation

The Systems Security Engineering Capability Maturity Model (SSE-CMM) is the framework that describes the essential characteristics of an organization’s security engineering process that must exist to ensure good security engineering. The SSE-CMM provides a standard metric for security engineering practices, covering the entire lifecycle of development, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning activities. It also includes management, organizational, and engineering activities, as well as interactions with other disciplines and organizations1.

References: The ISO/IEC 21827:2008 standard specifies the SSE-CMM and outlines its role in defining the essential characteristics of an organization’s security engineering process1. This standard is recognized and used as a reference for good security engineering practices within the industry.

• Planning and budgeting: This is the initial phase where you determine the scope, objectives, and financial resources available for the lab.
• Physical location and structural design considerations: Selecting a suitable location and designing the lab to meet operational needs and security requirements.
• Work area considerations: Organizing the space efficiently for different tasks such as evidence analysis, storage, and administrative work.
• Human resource considerations: Identifying the roles, responsibilities, and qualifications required for lab personnel.
• Physical security recommendations: Implementing measures to protect sensitive data and physical assets within the lab.
• Forensics lab licensing: Ensuring that the lab and its personnel are compliant with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.

References: While I can’t refer to specific EC-Council SOC Analyst courses or study guides, these steps are generally accepted as part of the process for setting up a computer forensics lab. For detailed guidance, it’s best to consult the official EC-Council resources and materials provided for the SOC Analyst certification.

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 The choice of SIEM architecture is influenced by several factors that impact how the SIEM system will collect, manage, and analyze data. Among the options provided, Network Topology is the most relevant factor. It determines the layout of the network, including the arrangement of nodes and the connections between them, which directly affects how the SIEM system will be integrated into the environment. A well-designed network topology ensures that the SIEM system can efficiently collect and correlate data from across the network.

SMTP Configuration, DHCP Configuration, and DNS Configuration are related to specific services and protocols that may be monitored by a SIEM, but they do not determine the choice of SIEM architecture itself.

References: For further understanding, you can refer to the EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst course material and study guides, which provide detailed insights into SIEM architectures and the factors influencing their selection. Additionally, resources like Exabeam’s “SIEM Architecture: Technology, Process and Data” offer a comprehensive overview of SIEM systems and their components1.

A Hybrid Attack is a type of cyber attack that combines elements of a dictionary attack with a brute force attack. It involves taking words from a dictionary (which could be a list of common passwords or related words) and augmenting them with numbers and symbols to generate potential passwords. This method increases the chances of cracking a password by including the common variations that users often add to their passwords to meet complexity requirements.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) resources describe various types of attacks and their methodologies. According to these resources, a Hybrid Attack specifically refers to this combined approach, which is more sophisticated than a simple dictionary attack and is designed to overcome the limitations of dictionary attacks by including additional characters1.

The Task Category in Windows logs is used to define the type of event that has occurred. It is a subcategory within the event itself that provides additional context about the event, such as whether it is a Correlation Hint, Response Time, SQM, WDI Context, etc. This categorization helps in filtering and identifying events based on their nature and type.

References: The information is verified as per the SOC Analyst documents and learning resources provided by EC-Council, which emphasize the importance of understanding log management and correlation within a SOC environment12. Additionally, the definition and role of the Task Category field in Windows logs are supported by technical documentation and resources that describe the structure and use of Windows event logs34.

 In the context of a threat intelligence strategy plan, ‘threat trending’ is a critical component that should be included to make the plan effective. Threat trending involves analyzing data over time to identify patterns and trends in cyber threats. This allows an organization to anticipate potential future attacks and prepare accordingly. It is an essential part of a proactive threat intelligence program, enabling the organization to stay ahead of threats rather than just reacting to them.

The other options, while they may be relevant in certain contexts, are not as central to the development of a threat intelligence strategy plan as ‘threat trending’ is. ‘Threat pivoting’ refers to the process of using one piece of data to uncover more data (e.g., using an IP address to find related domains). ‘Threat buy-in’ is not a standard term in threat intelligence, but it could refer to gaining organizational support for threat intelligence efforts. ‘Threat boosting’ is not a recognized term in the field of cybersecurity.

References: The answer is derived from the components of a threat intelligence strategy as outlined in the EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) training and certification program, which emphasizes the importance of understanding and implementing a threat intelligence-driven SOC12. The CSA program also covers the use of threat intelligence for enhanced incident detection1. The EC-Council materials highlight the need for SOC analysts to understand various types of cyber threats and the importance of threat intelligence in detecting and responding to these threats2.

 The command to enable logging in iptables for incoming packets is $ iptables -A INPUT -j LOG. This command appends a rule to the INPUT chain that logs the packet information. The -A flag is used to append the rule to the end of the specified chain, which in this case is INPUT, indicating that the rule applies to incoming packets. The -j LOG part of the command specifies the target of the rule, which is LOG, meaning that the packet will be logged.

References:

• EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) training materials and certification guidelines1
• InfraExam 2024, Certified SOC Analyst Part 01, which includes details on iptables commands2

To filter the output of the ‘show logging’ command to include entries related to a specific access control list, Peter should use the ‘include’ keyword followed by the access list number. The correct command would be ‘show logging | include 210’. This command will display all log entries that contain the string ‘210’, which is the number of the access control list he wants to monitor.

References: The use of the ‘include’ keyword in Cisco router commands is a standard method for filtering show command outputs to display only lines that contain a specified string or pattern. This is covered in Cisco’s documentation and training materials related to router commands and access control list management12.

CrowdStrike FalconTM Orchestrator is a tool designed to automate the response to security incidents, including those involving web applications. It integrates with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform to provide a range of capabilities such as real-time response, incident investigation, and remediation. This makes it suitable for recovering from web application incidents by allowing security teams to quickly identify, understand, and resolve threats.

References The EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) course materials and study guides discuss various tools and their applications in incident response. CrowdStrike FalconTM Orchestrator is recognized in the industry for its incident response capabilities, aligning with the learning resources provided by EC-Council for SOC Analysts.

PCI-DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. It is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. The PCI-DSS is a widely recognized set of guidelines that includes requirements for security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design, and other critical protective measures. This comprehensive standard is intended to help organizations proactively protect customer account data.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) course materials and study guides include information on various security standards, including PCI-DSS, which is specifically focused on the protection of account data. The course would cover the importance of adhering to such standards to ensure the security and integrity of sensitive payment card information1234.

UrlScan is a security tool that screens all incoming requests to a server and filters these requests based on rules set by the administrator. It is particularly effective against SQL Injection attacks because it can block requests that appear to be malicious, such as those containing SQL syntax or certain keywords often used in SQL Injection.

Nmap is a network scanning tool, not specifically designed for filtering web requests. ZAP Proxy is an open-source web application security scanner, which is used for finding vulnerabilities in web applications but not specifically for filtering requests. Hydra is a password cracking tool, which again, is not used for filtering web requests.

References: The answer is verified as per the EC-Council’s SOC Analyst course materials and learning resources, which include training on various security tools and their purposes. Specifically, the EC-Council’s SQL Injection Training and other related courses provide insights into the tools and techniques for defending against SQL Injection attacks123.

The HTTP status codes that fall within the range of 1XX represent informational messages. These are provisional responses that indicate the initial part of a request has been received and has not yet been rejected by the server. The server is informing the client that it has received the header of the request and the client should continue to send the request body if it has not already done so. These status codes are used to provide an interim response to the client while the server processes the full request.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) program includes the study of HTTP status codes as part of understanding web server logs and troubleshooting web server issues. The informational responses (1XX status codes) are covered in the curriculum and can be found in the official EC-Council SOC Analyst study guides and courses. The information is also consistent with the standard definitions provided by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in RFC 9110, as well as other reputable sources such as MDN Web Docs1 and Wikipedia2.

In the scenario described, Robin's organization is capable of handling several critical SIEM functions internally, such as Correlation, Analytics, Reporting, Retention, Alerting, and Visualization. However, they need to outsource the collection and aggregation services to a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP). This setup indicates a Hybrid Model of SIEM implementation, where both the organization and the MSSP share responsibilities for managing different aspects of the SIEM. The term "Jointly Managed" further clarifies that both parties - the organization and the MSSP - will have active roles in the SIEM's operation, albeit in different capacities. This approach combines the advantages of in-house management with the expertise and resources of an MSSP, offering a balanced solution tailored to the organization's specific capabilities and needs.

References:

• "Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Implementation," by David R. Miller, Shon Harris, Allen Harper, Stephen VanDyke, and Chris Blask.
• "Managed SIEM Services: What's Right for Your Organization?" by SANS Institute.

The Windows event that is logged when a user tries to access a “Registry” key is identified by the event ID 4657. This event ID corresponds to the modification of a registry value. Here’s how the process is tracked and logged:

• Detection: The system monitors access to registry keys and values.
• Logging: If a user accesses a registry key, and the key’s audit policy is set to log such events, the event is logged.
• Event ID 4657: This specific event ID is used to denote that a registry value was modified, which includes creation, modification, and deletion of registry values.
• Audit Policy: For the event to be logged, “Set Value” auditing must be enabled in the registry key’s System Access Control List (SACL).

References: The EC-Council SOC Analyst course materials and study guides detail the various Windows event IDs and their significance in monitoring and analyzing security events. Event ID 4657 is specifically covered as part of the curriculum that deals with registry access monitoring and logging1. Additionally, Microsoft’s official documentation provides comprehensive information on this event ID and its role in security auditing2.

The eradication stage is where the root cause of the incident is determined from the forensic results. This stage involves not only removing the threat from the affected systems but also identifying and fixing the vulnerabilities that were exploited. It’s crucial to understand how the incident occurred to prevent future occurrences. After the containment stage, where the immediate threat is isolated, eradication ensures that the threat is completely removed and that the root cause is addressed.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified Incident Handler (E|CIH) program outlines the stages of incident handling and response, which include preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned. The eradication stage specifically deals with eliminating the threat and addressing the root cause based on forensic analysis. This information is covered in the E|CIH program and can be found in the official EC-Council learning resources1.

A DHCP Starvation Attack is a type of network attack that aims to deplete the pool of available IP addresses on the DHCP server. The attacker floods the DHCP server with fake DHCP DISCOVER messages using spoofed MAC addresses. If successful, the server will exhaust its address space, denying IP configuration to legitimate clients. This can lead to a denial of service (DoS) for new devices attempting to join the network. Additionally, the attacker may set up a rogue DHCP server to issue malicious IP configurations to clients, potentially redirecting traffic or causing further disruption1.

References: The EC-Council SOC Analyst course and study materials cover various network attacks, including DHCP Starvation Attacks. These resources provide insights into the nature of these attacks, their potential impact, and strategies for prevention and mitigation213.

A Rainbow Table Attack involves using a precomputed table of hash values for every possible combination of characters for a given password policy. This table, known as a rainbow table, is then used to look up the corresponding plaintext password for a given hash value. The process involves the following steps:

• Precomputation: Generate the rainbow table by computing hash values for all possible password combinations according to the password policy.
• Storage: Store these precomputed hash values in a table, associating each with its plaintext password.
• Lookup: When a hash value is obtained during a password cracking attempt, search the rainbow table for the corresponding plaintext password.
• Match: If a match is found, the plaintext password associated with the hash value is the cracked password.

Rainbow tables are effective because they trade storage space for time, allowing for quicker password cracking compared to brute-force or dictionary attacks, which compute hash values on the fly.

References: The EC-Council’s materials on password cracking techniques discuss various methods including dictionary attacks, brute-force attacks, and rainbow table attacks. Specifically, the EC-Council Learning Paths and Skill Packs provide detailed insights into these techniques, emphasizing the use of rainbow tables as a method of cracking passwords by comparing precomputed hash values to those obtained from a system12. Additionally, EC-Council’s CyberQ platform offers practical exercises related to password cracking, including the use of rainbow tables2.

Once an L2 SOC Analyst like Charline confirms an incident, the SOC workflow dictates that the incident must be formally documented. This involves raising a ticket in the incident management system. The ticket should include all relevant details from the investigation, such as the nature of the incident, the affected systems, and the initial priority assigned. After raising the ticket, the L2 Analyst should forward it to the Incident Response Team (IRT). The IRT will then take over the incident to conduct a deeper analysis, perform containment measures, eradicate the threat, and recover systems to normal operation.

References:

• Certified SOC Analyst Training | CSA Certification - EC-Council1
• Managing the SOC and Responding to Incidents Effectively - EC-Council2
• Crafting an Effective Incident Report: A Guide for SOC Analysts3
• Certified SOC Analyst - CERT - EC-Council4

SIEM Agents are primarily responsible for the initial stages of data processing within a SIEM system. Their duties include:

• Collecting data: SIEM Agents collect logs and other data from various devices across the network. This is a crucial step as it ensures that all relevant data is gathered for analysis.
• Normalizing data: Once the data is collected, SIEM Agents normalize it, which means they convert different log and data formats into a standardized format. This process is essential for the SIEM’s central engine to analyze and correlate the data effectively.

The responsibilities of SIEM Agents generally do not include correlating data (which is typically done by the central SIEM engine) or visualizing data (which is usually a function of the SIEM’s user interface or reporting tools).

References: The roles and responsibilities of SIEM Agents are outlined in EC-Council’s SOC Analyst course materials and official certification guides. These resources emphasize the importance of data collection and normalization as foundational tasks performed by SIEM Agents in a Security Operations Center (SOC)12.

  ThreatConnect Complete (TC Complete) is a Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) designed to aggregate, analyze, and disseminate threat intelligence data. TIPs like TC Complete enable organizations to understand and act upon threats by providing a comprehensive view of the threat landscape, integrating with other security tools, and facilitating collaboration among security teams. Unlike general management systems like SolarWinds MS, note-taking applications like Keepnote, or threat intelligence APIs like Apility.io, TC Complete is specifically built to handle the lifecycle of threat intelligence, from collection and analysis to sharing and applying intelligence. This makes it a pivotal tool for organizations looking to enhance their security posture through informed decision-making based on timely and relevant threat intelligence.

References:

• "Threat Intelligence Platforms: Open Source and Commercial Options", by SANS Institute.
• "ThreatConnect Platform Overview", ThreatConnect Official Website.

The attack described is a Directory Traversal Attack. This type of attack occurs when an attacker exploits vulnerabilities in a web application (or a web server’s software) to gain unauthorized access to files and directories that are stored outside of the web root folder. By manipulating variables that reference files with ../ sequences (also known as dot-dot-slash), the attacker can move up the directory hierarchy and access files or directories that should be restricted. This can lead to information disclosure, such as reading sensitive files like /etc/passwd, which contains user password details in Unix-based systems.

In the given URL http://www.terabytes.com/process.php./../../../../etc/passwd , the attacker uses the ../ pattern to navigate up from the current directory where process.php resides, aiming to reach the root directory and then descend into the /etc/ directory to access the passwd file. This is a classic example of a Directory Traversal Attack.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst course covers various types of cyber attacks, including Directory Traversal Attacks. Specific references to this type of attack can be found in the EC-Council’s official training materials for the Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) program, such as the CSA study guide and related courses that discuss web application vulnerabilities and attacks123.

Egress filtering is a network security measure that involves scanning the headers of IP packets as they leave a network. The purpose of this technique is to ensure that unauthorized or malicious traffic does not exit the internal network. This is achieved by implementing rules that define which types of traffic are allowed to leave the network. By filtering outgoing traffic, egress filtering helps prevent data exfiltration and blocks the communication of malware with external command-and-control servers.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) program covers the fundamentals of SOC operations, including the importance of egress filtering in protecting a network’s perimeter. The CSA training and credentialing program provides in-depth knowledge on various SOC processes, such as log management, SIEM deployment, incident detection, and response, which includes the implementation of egress filtering as a security control12.

Counter Intelligence in the context of threat intelligence refers to efforts to deceive, manipulate, or mislead potential attackers to uncover their intentions, capabilities, or identities. This type of intelligence is proactive and often involves setting up honeypots or other traps to engage the attacker without them realizing they are being monitored and analyzed. The goal is to gather information about the attacker that can be used to strengthen defenses and prevent future attacks.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA) program discusses various types of threat intelligence, including counter intelligence, which is designed to mislead attackers and gather information about them1. This concept is also covered in the Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) training, where analysts learn to use predictive capabilities using threat intelligence to detect and counteract sophisticated threats2. Additional resources and study guides from the EC-Council and other cybersecurity training programs will provide more in-depth information on this topic34.

The level of risk is typically calculated by considering the consequence (or impact) of an event and the likelihood (or probability) of its occurrence. The formula represents a fundamental risk assessment concept where risk is the product of the two factors:

• Consequence (Impact): The outcome or result if a threat does exploit a vulnerability.
• Likelihood (Probability): The chance that a given threat will exploit a vulnerability.

By multiplying these two factors, one can determine the level of risk, which helps in prioritizing risks and deciding on the appropriate level of controls and mitigation strategies.

References: The EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) course materials and study guides cover the concepts of risk assessment and management, which include the formula for calculating risk levels as the product of consequence and likelihood. These concepts are aligned with industry best practices and standards for security operations centers.