Free Practice Questions for CyberArk PAM-DEF Exam

The minvalidity parameter on a platform policy in CyberArk determines the minimum amount of time that must pass between the retrieval of a password and when the account becomes eligible for a password change. This parameter ensures that a user has a guaranteed period to use the password before it is changed again, providing stability and predictability in password management1. References: The information provided is based on general knowledge of CyberArk PAM best practices and the functionality of the minvalidity parameter as outlined in CyberArk’s official documentation

According to the web search results, when an auditor initiates a live monitoring session to PSM server to view an ongoing live session, the auditor’s machine makes an RDP connection to the PSM server using the PSMAdminConnect user. The PSMAdminConnect user is a local or domain user that starts PSM sessions on the PSM machine for authorized users who want to monitor or terminate active sessions1. The PSMAdminConnect user has limited permissions and access rights on the PSM server, and its credentials are managed by the CPM. The PSMAdminConnect user retrieves the credentials of the target account from the vault and uses them to establish a secure connection to the target machine. The auditor can then view the live session through the PSM session, while the PSM server records and audits the session activity.

The PrivateArk is a utility that allows the Vault administrator to access and manage the Vault data, users, groups, policies, and settings. The PrivateArk can be used to correct the problem of a user receiving the error message “ITATS006E Station is suspended for User jsmith” when attempting to sign into the PVWA. The error message means that the user has exceeded the number of invalid password attempts and has been locked out from the Vault. To unlock the user, the Vault administrator can use the PrivateArk to activate the suspended station for the user in the Trusted Net Areas1.

The other options are not utilities that can be used to correct this problem. The createcredfile.exe is a utility that creates a credential file for the CPM to connect to the target systems2. The cavaultmanager.exe is a utility that performs various Vault maintenance tasks, such as backup, restore, and encryption3. The PVWA is not a utility, but a web interface that allows the users to access and use the Vault features, such as managing accounts, requesting passwords, and initiating sessions. References:

Vault - ITATS006E Station is suspended for User Administrator - force.com, section “Resolution”

Create a Credential File - CyberArk, section “Create a Credential File”

Vault Maintenance - CyberArk, section “Vault Maintenance”

[Password Vault Web Access - CyberArk], section “Password Vault Web Access”

The purpose of the PrivateArk Server service is to make Vault data accessible to components, such as the PVWA, the CPM, the PSM, and the PTA, and handle the requests from the clients and components. The PrivateArk Server service is a Windows service that runs the Vault and communicates with the PrivateArk Database service, which maintains the Vault metadata. The PrivateArk Server service can start automatically or manually depending on the Server’s key configuration. The PrivateArk Server service can also be run in “console” mode for troubleshooting purposes1.

The other options are not the purpose of the PrivateArk Server service, although they may be related to other services or components of the Vault. The Central Policy Manager component is the component that executes password changes, verifications, and reconciliations for the accounts that are managed by the Vault. The Event Notification Engine service is the service that sends email alerts from the Vault, based on predefined events and recipients. The PrivateArk Client is a utility that allows the Vault administrator to access and manage the Vault data, users, groups, policies, and settings. References:

Server Components - CyberArk, section “The PrivateArk Server process (Dbmain)”

According to the web search results, the diamond.log is the main log file that records the PTA system activities, such as receiving and processing events, generating alerts, and sending notifications1. The diamond.log also contains information about errors related to PTA, such as connection failures, configuration issues, parsing problems, or internal exceptions2. The diamond.log can be found in the /opt/tomcat/logs directory on the PTA machine1. The debug level of the diamond.log can be changed using the changeLogLevel.sh utility or manually editing the log4j.properties file1. The diamond.log can be used for troubleshooting PTA issues and viewing statistics

A Vault Admin may still access a safe outside of the hours that it has been configured to be accessible, as long as he has the Bypass Safe Time Restrictions authorization on the Vault. The Bypass Safe Time Restrictions authorization enables a user to access any safe in the Vault, regardless of the time restrictions that are defined for that safe. This authorization is useful for emergency situations or maintenance tasks that require access to safes outside of the normal working hours. By default, the Vault Admins group has this authorization, as well as other administrative authorizations on the Vault1.

References:

1: Vault Member Authorizations

 To create a cold storage backup, you would install the PAReplicate utility on the DR Vault as per the installation guide. This utility is part of the CyberArk Vault’s backup solution and is used to export the encrypted contents of your Safes securely to a computer outside the Vault environment. After installation, you would configure the logon ini file with the necessary credentials and define the scheduled tasks for both full and incremental backups. This ensures that the Safes are regularly backed up and that the data is available for recovery if needed1.

References:

CyberArk’s official documentation on using the CyberArk Backup Process, which includes details on the PAReplicate utility and how to configure it for cold storage backups1.

Additional information on installing the Vault Backup Utility and configuring backup options, which provides context for the correct answer

To add a user directly to the Vault Admin Group in CyberArk, you can use the following methods:

REST API: The REST API allows for programmatic management of users and groups within the Vault, including adding users to the Vault Admin Group1.

PrivateArk Client: The PrivateArk Client provides a graphical interface for managing users and groups, and it can be used to add users directly to the Vault Admin Group2.

PACLI: The PACLI (Privileged Access Command Line Interface) is a command-line tool that enables administrators to manage the Vault, including adding users to groups2.

These methods provide different ways to manage users and their group memberships within the CyberArk Vault, offering flexibility for administrators to choose the most suitable approach for their needs.

References:

CyberArk’s official documentation on using the REST API to manage users and groups1.

Information on managing users and groups through the PrivateArk Client and PACLI2.

 A linked account is an account that is associated with another account to enable the password management process. A linked account can be used for various purposes, such as logging on to a target system, changing the password of another account, or enabling privileged commands. A linked account can be defined either on the platform level or on the account level, depending on the type and scope of the linked account. The types of linked accounts that are supported by CyberArk are1:

Logon account: An account that contains the password required to log on to a remote machine in order to perform a task using the regular account. A common use case for using a logon account is managing root accounts on a Unix system. The best practice for Unix systems is to disallow the root user from logging in using SSH. However, SSH is what the CPM uses to sign in to a system to manage the password. To manage the root password without violating this practice, the CPM establishes the session with a non-root account and then SUs to root (the target account). This is done using a linked account called a logon account.

Reconcile account: An account that contains the password used in reconciliation processes. Reconciliation is a process that restores the password of a privileged account to the value that is stored in the Vault, in case it is changed or out of sync. A reconcile account is a privileged account that has the permission to reset the password of another account on the target system. By associating a reconcile account with the target account, the CPM can use the reconcile account to restore the password of the target account, in case it is changed or out of sync.

Other additional accounts: Additional accounts can be used in various cases. For example:

Enable password: when managing network devices that require an enable password to access privileged mode.

Jump account: when using a custom plugin in a complex work flow that requires to first log on to a jump server.

The other options are not the purpose of a linked account, because:

A. To ensure that a particular collection of accounts all have the same password. This is not the purpose of a linked account, but of a group account. A group account is an account that is associated with multiple target systems that share the same credentials. A group account allows the CPM to manage the password of multiple systems with a single password object in the Vault2.

B. To ensure a particular set of accounts all change at the same time. This is not the purpose of a linked account, but of a password change schedule. A password change schedule is a feature that allows the administrator to define a time frame for changing the passwords of a set of accounts. A password change schedule can be configured either in the Master Policy or in the Platform settings3.

C. To connect the CPNI to a target system. This is not the purpose of a linked account, but of a service account. A service account is an account that is used by a service or an application to connect to a target system. A service account can be managed by the Central Credential Provider (CCP), which is a component that provides applications and services with the credentials they need to access target systems4.

References:

1: Linked Accounts

2: Group Accounts

3: Password Change Schedule

4: Service Accounts