Free Practice Questions for Paloalto Networks PSE-Strata Exam

WildFire, a cloud-based malware analysis service provided by Palo Alto Networks, supports the analysis of various file types to detect malicious content. Specifically, it supports:

B. 7-Zip: WildFire can analyze compressed files in the 7-Zip format, which is commonly used to distribute malware in compressed archives.

C. Flash: Analysis of Flash files helps in detecting malware that can be embedded in Flash content, which has historically been a common vector for exploits.

D. RPM: WildFire supports the analysis of RPM packages, which are used in various Linux distributions and can be used to distribute malicious software.

Dynamic User Groups (DUGs) is a built-in feature of PAN-OS that allows NGFW administrators to create policies that provide auto-remediation for anomalous user behavior and malicious activity while maintaining user visibility. DUGs dynamically update group membership based on user attributes and behavior, enabling real-time policy enforcement and automatic response to security incidents.

Palo Alto Networks Single Pass Parallel Processing (SP3) architecture is designed to handle traffic efficiently and securely. The key aspect of SP3 is:

Single Pass Processing (C): This means that all traffic is processed in a single pass through the firewall, regardless of the number of security features enabled. There is no additional performance impact for each feature because the firewall processes all security functions (such as threat prevention, URL filtering, and application control) simultaneously in a single pass. This architecture ensures high performance and low latency while maintaining robust security.

References:

Palo Alto Networks, Single Pass Parallel Processing (SP3) Whitepaper.

Palo Alto Networks, Firewall Performance and Architecture Documentation.

To enable Credential Phishing Prevention on a Palo Alto Networks firewall, three key settings must be configured:

Define an SSL Decryption Rulebase: SSL decryption is necessary to inspect encrypted traffic for credential submission attempts. Without decryption, the firewall cannot see the contents of SSL/TLS encrypted traffic.

Enable User-ID: User-ID is needed to associate traffic with specific users, which is crucial for applying user-specific security policies, including credential phishing prevention.

Define URL Filtering Profile: A URL filtering profile is used to identify and block access to phishing websites. This profile can be configured to enforce strict controls over websites that users are allowed to access, thus preventing credential submission to malicious sites.

These configurations ensure that the firewall can effectively monitor and prevent phishing attempts by inspecting traffic, associating it with users, and controlling access to potentially harmful websites.

To configure SSL Forward Proxy, two types of certificates can be used:

Enterprise CA-signed certificates: These certificates are issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) within the organization, ensuring trust within the enterprise environment.

Self-Signed certificates: These are generated and signed by the firewall itself. While easier to deploy, they may not be trusted by external clients unless explicitly added to their trust stores.

Both types of certificates allow the firewall to decrypt and inspect SSL/TLS traffic, ensuring that malicious traffic can be detected and blocked even when encrypted.

References: Palo Alto Networks SSL Decryption documentation.

The Decryption Broker in Palo Alto Networks supports the following types of security chains:

Virtual wire: This mode allows for seamless integration of the Decryption Broker into the network without the need for IP addressing, providing a transparent method of traffic inspection and decryption.

Layer 3: In this mode, the Decryption Broker operates at the network layer, allowing for routing and advanced inspection of decrypted traffic.

These security chains enable the Decryption Broker to decrypt SSL/TLS traffic and forward it to other security devices for further inspection, enhancing overall security posture.

References:

Palo Alto Networks Decryption Broker Documentation

Palo Alto Networks SSL Decryption Guide

During a security event, the Traps agent (part of Cortex XDR) performs several actions beyond just preventing the activity:

Collects forensic information about the event: The Traps agent gathers detailed information regarding the event, which helps in understanding the nature and source of the threat.

Communicates the status of the endpoint to the ESM (Endpoint Security Manager): This communication ensures that the ESM is aware of the current state of the endpoint, helping in centralized management and response.

Notifies the user about the event: The agent informs the user about the occurrence of a security event, which can help in immediate local response and awareness.

References:

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Documentation

Palo Alto Networks Traps Agent User Guide

The Vulnerability Protection Profile on a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) includes signatures specifically designed to protect against a variety of threats, including brute force attacks. This profile utilizes a database of known vulnerabilities and exploits to detect and block malicious attempts to compromise network security. By applying this profile, administrators can prevent attackers from successfully using brute force methods to gain unauthorized access to systems.

For the User-ID Agent to perform WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) Authentication on a Windows Server, the following domain permissions are required:

Domain Administrators: This group has the highest level of privileges in the domain and can perform any action within the Active Directory domain.

Distributed COM Users: This group allows members to launch, activate, and use Distributed COM objects on the server.

Event Log Readers: This group provides read access to the event logs, which is crucial for the User-ID Agent to collect security events necessary for user identification​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

The Eval Systems, Security Lifecycle Reviews, and Prevention Posture Assessment tools serve several purposes:

When you're delivering a security strategy: These tools help in presenting a comprehensive security strategy to clients by highlighting the effectiveness and benefits of using Palo Alto Networks' solutions.

When clients want to see the power of the platform: They provide an opportunity for clients to witness the capabilities and impact of the Palo Alto Networks platform in real-world scenarios.

Assess the state of NGFW feature adoption: These tools help in evaluating how well the Next-Generation Firewall features have been adopted and utilized within the client's network, identifying areas for improvement and optimization.

References:

Palo Alto Networks Security Lifecycle Review Guide

Palo Alto Networks Prevention Posture Assessment Documentation