Free Practice Questions for Paloalto Networks PCCP Exam

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) technologies provide comprehensive visibility and real-time threat prevention directly on endpoint devices. EDR continuously monitors process activities, file executions, and system calls to detect malware, suspicious behaviors, and zero-day threats at the source. Palo Alto Networks’ Cortex XDR platform exemplifies this by correlating endpoint telemetry with network and cloud data to provide a holistic defense against attacks. Operating locally on endpoints allows EDR to prevent lateral movement and respond to threats quickly, filling security gaps that network-centric tools alone cannot address. This endpoint-level insight is critical to identifying sophisticated threats that initiate or manifest on user devices.

Attack Surface Management (ASM) platforms focus on continuous discovery and monitoring of all internet-facing assets, both internal and external, to identify attack vectors, vulnerabilities, and exposures that could be exploited by threat actors.

SOAR platforms are unique in their ability to automate incident response through the use of predefined workflows. These workflows allow repetitive security tasks to be executed automatically, improving response speed and efficiency.

DNS tunneling is an attack technique where data packets are disguised as DNS queries and sent to a remote server. That server, often under the attacker's control, responds with additional data or instructions, effectively creating a covert command-and-control (C2) channel over DNS.

Lateral movement is a key stage where the attacker moves across the network to find valuable targets.

Privilege escalation involves gaining higher access rights to expand control within the compromised environment.

Communication with covert channels is a tactic used during persistence or exfiltration, while deletion of critical data is not a standard APT lifecycle stage — it’s more characteristic of destructive attacks.

Xpanse is a tool from Palo Alto Networks that provides attack surface management by analyzing exposed services and internet-facing assets, giving security operations teams visibility into environmental risks and helping prioritize remediation of vulnerabilities.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), including Prisma Cloud’s offering, continuously monitors all cloud resources — such as compute instances, storage, network configurations, and identities — to detect misconfigurations, vulnerabilities, and potential threats in near real time.

Advanced malware employs sophisticated techniques such as polymorphism, encryption, and stealth to evade detection by traditional signature-based tools. It adapts to different environments, modifies its code to avoid static analysis, and maintains persistence through obfuscation and anti-forensic measures. Palo Alto Networks’ threat prevention technologies use machine learning, behavior analysis, and sandboxing to detect these evasive malware strains. Such adaptive capabilities distinguish advanced malware from simpler threats that are easily identified and removed, underscoring the need for modern, layered security controls capable of dynamic threat detection.

A User Entity Behavior Analysis (UEBA) tool performs active monitoring by continuously analyzing the behavior of users and entities to detect anomalies that may indicate insider threats, compromised accounts, or malicious activity. It uses machine learning and analytics to identify unusual patterns in real time.