Free Practice Questions for Checkpoint 156-536 Exam

In Harmony Endpoint, heartbeat messages are periodic signals sent from endpoint clients to the Endpoint Security Management Server to report their status and check for updates. The default time interval for these messages is 60 seconds. This interval ensures timely communication between clients and the management server without overwhelming the network. While the interval can be adjusted, the question refers to the standard setting, making 60 seconds (C) the correct choice. 60 milliseconds (A) is far too short for practical use, 60 minutes (B) is excessively long and would delay updates, and 30 seconds (D) is not the default value specified in the documentation.

According to the Check Point Harmony Endpoint Specialist - R81.20 (CCES) documentation, administrators can configure the length of the Remote Help response used in Full Disk Encryption (FDE) Pre-boot settings. For enabling a Very High-Security level, the default and maximum character length set for the Remote Help response is 30 characters. This specific length is designated as a high-security standard to protect against unauthorized access or compromise of encrypted systems.

Exact Extract from Official Document:

"Administrators can configure how many characters are in the Remote Help response that users must enter. The default length is 30 characters."

Harmony Endpoint’s Next-Generation Anti-Virus (NGAV) is designed to combat advanced threats using a combination of behavioral analysis, exploit prevention, and ransomware protection. The documentation specifies that NGAV includesAnti-Ransomware,Anti-Exploit, andBehavioral Guardas core capabilities.

TheCP_R81.20_Harmony_Endpoint_Server_AdminGuide.pdfoutlines these onpage 20, under "Endpoint Security Client":

"Harmony Endpoint Anti-Ransomware, Behavioral Guard and Forensics: Prevents ransomware attacks. Monitors files and the registry for suspicious processes and network activity. Analyzes incidents reported by other components."

Additionally, onpage 358, under "Harmony Endpoint Threat Extraction, Emulation and Anti-Exploit":

"Anti-Exploit: Detects and prevents exploitation of vulnerabilities in software."

While the term "NGAV" is not explicitly used, these components—Anti-Ransomware, Behavioral Guard, and Anti-Exploit—represent the next-generation approach to antivirus protection, focusing on behavior-based detection and prevention of advanced threats like exploits and ransomware. This matchesOption A.

The other options are incorrect:

Option B ("Anti-IPS, Anti-Firewall & Anti-Guard"): These are not recognized capabilities in the documentation; they appear to be fabricated terms.

Option C ("Zero-Phishing, Anti-Bot & Anti-Virus"): Zero-Phishing (page 366) and Anti-Bot (page 353) are separate features, and Anti-Virus is traditional, not NGAV-specific.

Option D ("Threat Extraction, Threat-Emulation & Zero-Phishing"): These relate to document sanitization and phishing protection (pages 358-366), not NGAV’s core focus.

Thus,Option Aaccurately reflects Harmony Endpoint NGAV capabilities.

According to the official Check Point Harmony Endpoint documentation, in a Standalone installation, the Endpoint Security Management Server (EMS) and the Network Management Server (NMS) are installed together on the same computer. This type of installation is ideal for smaller environments due to its simplicity.

Exact Extract from Official Document:

"In a Standalone installation, the EMS and NMS are installed on the same computer."

The Operational Overview dashboard in Harmony Endpoint provides key metrics includingActive Endpoints,Active Alerts,Deployment status,Pre-boot status, andEncryption Status. This is supported by theCP_R81.20_Harmony_Endpoint_Server_AdminGuide.pdfon page 63 under the "Overview Tab" section, which states, "General status reports can be viewed in the SmartEndpoint GUI client. You can monitor Endpoint Security client connection status, compliance to security policy status, information about security events, and more." While the exact list of metrics isn’t itemized verbatim, the description aligns with operational monitoring aspects like endpoint connectivity (Active Endpoints), alerts (Active Alerts), deployment progress (Deployment status), pre-boot authentication status (Pre-boot status), and encryption compliance (Encryption Status), as these are core functionalities detailed across the guide (e.g., Full Disk Encryption on page 217, Compliance on page 377).

Option A includes "Active Attacks" and "Harmony Endpoint Version," which are not explicitly mentioned in the Overview Tab description; attack data is more aligned with Forensics or Anti-Malware reports (page 346). Option C focuses on attack-specific metrics ("Hosts under Attack, Active Attacks, Blocked Attacks"), which are threat-centric rather than operational overview-focused. Option D mixes server types ("Desktops, Servers") with other metrics, but the dashboard focuses on endpoint statuses, not server categorizations. Option B best matches the documented scope of the Operational Overview dashboard.

When troubleshooting errors related to Active Directory (AD) Strong Authentication in the Endpoint Security Management Server, the appropriate log file to examine is specified in theCheck Point Harmony Endpoint Server Administration Guide R81.20. This guide provides detailed information on log file locations for various components of the Harmony Endpoint system.

Onpage 213, under the section "Troubleshooting Authentication in Server Logs," the guide explicitly states:

"The authentication logs are located in $UEPMDIR/logs/Authentication.log."

This statement directly identifies $UEPMDIR/logs/Authentication.log as the correct location for logs related to authentication issues, including those involving AD Strong Authentication. The $UEPMDIR variable represents the installation directory of the Endpoint Security Management Server, making this path specific to the Harmony Endpoint environment. Therefore,Option Cis the verified location for troubleshooting such errors.

To further validate this choice, consider the other options:

Option A: $FWDIR/log/Authentication.log– The $FWDIR directory is typically associated with Check Point’s firewall components (e.g., Security Gateway), not the Endpoint Security Management Server. This path is irrelevant for Harmony Endpoint authentication logs.

Option B: $FWDIR/logs/Auth.log– Similarly, $FWDIR pertains to firewall-related logs, and "Auth.log" is not a standard log file name in the Harmony Endpoint context, making this option incorrect.

Option D: $UEMPDlR/log/Authentication.elg– This option contains a typo ("UEMPDlR" instead of "UEPMDIR") and references a ".elg" file, which is typically used for debug logs in Check Point systems, not standard authentication logs. The correct extension, as per the guide, is ".log," not ".elg."

The documentation’s clear directive onpage 213confirms that $UEPMDIR/logs/Authentication.log is the authoritative source for troubleshooting AD Strong Authentication issues, solidifyingOption Cas the correct answer.

The Harmony Endpoint solution includes a capability calledCompliancethat ensures endpoint computers meet organizational security standards and allows administrators to assign varying security levels based on their compliance status. This is detailed in theCP_R81.20_Harmony_Endpoint_Server_AdminGuide.pdfonpage 20, under "Endpoint Security Client":

"Compliance: Allows you to enforce endpoint compliance on multiple checks before users log into the network. You can check that the appropriate endpoint security components are installed, correct OS service pack are installed on the endpoint, only approved applications are able to run on the endpoint, appropriate anti-malware product and version is running on the endpoint."

Further clarification is provided onpage 377, under "Compliance":

"The Compliance blade ensures that protected computers comply with your organization's requirements. You can assign different security levels according to the compliance state of the endpoint computer."

These extracts confirm thatCompliance Check(Option A) is the capability that verifies compliance and adjusts security levels accordingly, directly matching the question’s requirements.

The other options do not fit:

Option B ("Capsule Cloud Compliance"): "Capsule Cloud" is not referenced in the guide; it may be a misnomer or unrelated to this context.

Option C ("Forensics and Anti-Ransomware"): This focuses on threat analysis and ransomware prevention (page 329), not compliance enforcement.

Option D ("Full Disk Encryption"): This protects data via encryption (page 217) but does not manage compliance states or security levels.

Thus,Compliance Checkis the correct answer.

Pre-boot logon, part of Check Point Harmony Endpoint’s Full Disk Encryption (FDE), requires users to authenticatebefore the computer's main operating system starts. This is a fundamental security feature to protect the system at the boot stage. TheCP_R81.20_Harmony_Endpoint_Server_AdminGuide.pdfonpage 223, under "Authentication before the Operating System Loads (Pre-boot)," states:

"Pre-boot protection requires users to authenticate before the computer's operating system starts."

This extract directly supportsOption B, indicating that authentication occurs in a pre-boot environment—prior to the OS loading—where users must enter credentials such as a password or smart card details.

Option A ("Before password verification")is vague and incorrect; authentication itself involves password verification, making this option nonsensical.

Option C ("Before they enter their username")is inaccurate because entering a username is part of the authentication process in the pre-boot environment.

Option D ("Before the credentials are verified")is misleading; authentication inherently includes credential verification, and this happens before the OS starts, but B is the more precise answer.

In Harmony Endpoint, "Unauthenticated mode" refers to a configuration where computers and users possess credentials, but these credentials are not validated against Active Directory (AD). This mode is used when AD authentication is not implemented or required, yet some form of credential-based access control is still in place.

TheCP_R81.20_Harmony_Endpoint_Server_AdminGuide.pdfdoes not provide a single, explicit definition of "Unauthenticated mode" in a dedicated section. However, the concept is inferred from the authentication mechanisms described, particularly in relation to Active Directory integration. Onpage 208, under "Active Directory Authentication," the documentation states:

"Endpoint Security supports Active Directory authentication for users and computers. This allows for centralized management of user credentials and policies."

This indicates that AD authentication is a supported method for verifying credentials centrally. Onpage 209, in "Configuring Active Directory Authentication," the guide details the process for enabling AD-based authentication, implying that without this configuration, credentials are not verified through AD. In such cases, the system may rely on local credentials or alternative methods, which aligns with the concept of "Unauthenticated mode" (i.e., not authenticated via AD).

Option C("Computers and users have credentials, but they are not verified through AD") directly matches this scenario:

"Have credentials": Users and computers still use credentials (e.g., usernames and passwords) to access the system.

"Not verified through AD": These credentials are not checked against an AD server, distinguishing this mode from AD-authenticated setups.

Let’s analyze the other options:

Option A ("Computers and users might present a security risk, but still have access"): This could be a potential outcome of unauthenticated mode, as lack of AD verification might increase risk. However, it describes a consequence rather than defining the mode itself, making it less precise.

Option B ("Computers and users are trusted based on their IP address and username"): The documentation does not mention trust based on IP address and username without AD verification, so this is unsupported.

Option D ("Computers and users are trusted based on the passwords and usernames only"): This is partially correct, as unauthenticated mode may involve local credential checks. However, it lacks the critical distinction of "not verified through AD," which is central to the concept in Harmony Endpoint.

Thus,Option Cis the most accurate and specific definition based on the documentation’s discussion of authentication methods.

The Harmony Endpoint solution provides a range of protections under its Data Security Software Capability, aimed at securing data on endpoint devices. Among the options listed,Remote Access VPNis explicitly identified as a key component of the Endpoint Security Client, contributing to data security by ensuring secure, encrypted access to corporate networks remotely.

TheCP_R81.20_Harmony_Endpoint_Server_AdminGuide.pdfdetails this onpage 20, in the "Endpoint Security Client" section, which lists components available on Windows:

"Remote Access VPN: Provide secure, seamless access to corporate networks remotely, over IPsec VPN."

This extract confirms thatRemote Access VPN(Option D) is a data security protection, as it safeguards data in transit by establishing a secure VPN tunnel. Further elaboration is found onpage 415, under "Remote Access VPN":

"The Remote Access VPN component is a simple and secure way for endpoints to connect remotely to corporate resources over the Internet, through a VPN tunnel."

This reinforces its role in protecting data during remote access, aligning with the question's focus on data security capabilities.

The other options do not match the documentation:

Option A ("Data Leak Firewall"): The guide mentions a "Firewall" component (page 20), but it is not specifically termed "Data Leak Firewall," and its primary role is network traffic control, not data leak prevention as a standalone capability.

Option B ("Memory Encryption"): No reference to "Memory Encryption" exists in the guide. Encryption features like Full Disk Encryption (page 217) or Media Encryption (page 280) focus on disk and removable media, not memory.

Option C ("Dynamic Data Protection"): This term is not used in the documentation. While features like Full Disk Encryption or Behavioral Guard exist, they are not labeled as "Dynamic Data Protection."

Thus,Remote Access VPNis the correct answer, directly supported as a data security protection in Harmony Endpoint.