Free Practice Questions for CyberArk PAM-DEF Exam

According to the CyberArk Defender PAM documentation1, when creating an onboarding rule, it will be executed upon both all accounts in the pending accounts list and any future accounts discovered by a discovery process. This means that the rule will automatically onboard and provision the accounts that match the rule criteria, regardless of when they were discovered. The rule will also apply to any new accounts that are discovered by subsequent discovery processes. This way, the onboarding rule can minimize the time and effort required to securely manage the accounts in the vault.

When troubleshooting a slow response in the Privileged Vault Web Access (PVWA), the first log files to analyze are the CyberArk.WebApplication.log and CyberArk.WebConsole.log. These logs contain detailed information about the activities carried out by the PVWA and can help identify any problems that may occur. The log files are created by the PVWA and stored on the Web server in the location specified in the LogFolder parameter in the web.config file1. By examining these logs, you can track business flows and troubleshoot failures without having to enable debug mode.

References:

CyberArk Docs - PVWA Logging1

 When users are unable to launch Web Type Connection components from the PSM server, the CyberArk Support Team will require specific logs to debug the issue. The logs that are typically helpful in such cases include:

PSMConsole.log: This log file contains informational messages and errors related to the PSM function, which can help identify issues with the PSM server’s operation1.

PSMTrace.log: This log file includes errors and trace messages, which can provide detailed insights into the issues occurring during the PSM server’s processes1.

<Session_ID>.Component.log: This log file contains errors and trace messages related to the connection component, which can be crucial for troubleshooting issues with launching Web Type Connection components1.

These logs can provide the necessary information to understand the problem and assist the support team in resolving the issue effectively.

References:

CyberArk’s official documentation on PSM for Web Troubleshooting, which outlines the types of logs available and their purposes in the troubleshooting process1.

Additional resources on managing and interpreting PSM logs, which provide guidance on using logs for diagnosing and resolving issues with the PSM server2

The time access restrictions for a safe are configured in the PrivateArk Administrative Client, which is a graphical user interface that allows users to manage safes and their properties. The time access restrictions are set in the Time Access Restrictions tab of the Safe properties window. This tab enables users to specify the days and hours when the safe can be accessed. If the time access restrictions are turned off, the safe can be accessed at any time. References: PrivateArk Safe management, Advanced Safe Management

To run the Password Upload Utility, you need to create or configure the following files:

A comma delimited upload file: This is a text file that contains the passwords and their properties that will be uploaded to the Vault. The file must have a .csv extension and follow a specific format. The first line in the file defines the names of the password properties as specified in the Password Vault. Every other line represents a single password object and its property values, according to the properties specified in the first line1.

PACli.ini: This is a configuration file that stores the parameters for the PACli, which is a command-line interface that enables communication between the Password Upload Utility and the Vault. The PACli.ini file must be located in the same folder as the Password Upload Utility executable file. The file must contain the following parameters: Vault, User, Password, and LogFile2.

conf.ini: This is a configuration file that stores the parameters for the Password Upload Utility. The conf.ini file must be located in the same folder as the Password Upload Utility executable file. The file must contain the following parameters: InputFile, LogFile, and ErrorFile3.

You do not need to create or configure the following file to run the Password Upload Utility:

Vault.ini: This is a configuration file that stores the parameters for the Vault server, such as the database name, port, and password. This file is not used by the Password Upload Utility, and it is not located in the same folder as the Password Upload Utility executable file. The Vault.ini file is located in the Vault installation folder, and it is used by the Vault service and the PrivateArk Client4. References:

1: Create the Password File

2: PACli.ini

3: Password Upload Utility Parameter File (conf.ini)

4: [CyberArk Privileged Access Security Implementation Guide], Chapter 2: Installing the Vault, Section: Configuring the Vault, Subsection: Vault.ini

According to the CyberArk Defender PAM documentation1, the PTA detection that requires the deployment of a Network Sensor or installing the PTA Agent on the domain controller is Golden Ticket. A Golden Ticket is a type of attack that involves creating a forged Kerberos Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT) that grants the attacker access to any resource in the domain. The attacker needs to compromise the domain controller and steal the KRBTGT account password hash to create the Golden Ticket. The PTA Network Sensor or the PTA Agent can detect this attack by analyzing the network traffic and identifying anomalies in the Kerberos protocol, such as TGTs with abnormal lifetime, encryption type, or renewal time. The PTA Server then alerts the security team and provides details about the attack, such as the source IP, the target domain, and the ticket properties. References:

PTA Network Sensors - CyberArk

 The Onboarding RestAPI functions are a set of web services that allow you to integrate CyberArk with your accounts provisioning process. You can use the Onboarding RestAPI functions to create, update, delete, or verify accounts in the CyberArk Vault, as well as to retrieve information about accounts, platforms, and safes. The Onboarding RestAPI functions are part of the Central Credential Provider component, which is installed on a dedicated server that communicates with the Vault. References:

[Defender PAM Course], Module 4: Onboarding Accounts, Lesson: Onboarding RestAPI Functions

[Onboarding RestAPI Functions Guide], Introduction

 The PSMConnect user is a local user on the PSM server that is used to establish RDP connections to the PSM server. The PSMConnect user has the following permissions: Log on locally, Log on as a batch job, and Allow log on through Remote Desktop Services. The PSMConnect user is also a member of the local group PSMUsers, which has access to the PSM web console. The other user IDs are not used for RDP connections to the PSM server. The PSMMaster user is a local user on the PSM server that is used to run the PSM services. The PSMGwUser user is a local user on the PSM server that is used to run the PSM Gateway service. The PSMAdminConnect user is a local user on the PSM server that is used to connect to the PSM web console as an administrator. References: Privileged Session Manager, Defender - PAM, PSM for Web Console, Connect through PSM for SSH

A Logon Account cannot be specified in the Master Policy. The Master Policy is a set of rules that define the security and compliance policy of privileged accounts in the organization, such as access workflows, password management, session monitoring, and auditing1. The Master Policy does not include any technical settings that determine how the system manages accounts on various platforms1. A Logon Account is a technical setting that defines the account that the CPM uses to log on to a target system and perform password management tasks, such as changing, verifying, or reconciling passwords2. A Logon Account can be specified in the Platform Management settings, which are configured by the IT administrator for each platform2. The Platform Management settings are independent of the Master Policy and can be customized according to the organization’s environment and security policies1. References:

The Master Policy

[Platform Management]

 Users who have the ‘Access Safe without confirmation’ safe permission on a safe where accounts are configured for Dual control, do not need to request approval to use the account. The ‘Access Safe without confirmation’ safe permission is a special permission that allows a user to bypass the Dual control mechanism and access the accounts in the safe without requiring confirmation from other authorized users. This permission can be useful for emergency situations or trusted users who need immediate access to the accounts. However, this permission also increases the risk of unauthorized or malicious access, so it should be granted with caution and monitored closely1.

References:

1: Access without confirmation