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Directory traversal attacks exploit improper file path validations to access unauthorized directories and files. To prevent this, it is critical to restrict what areas of the file system an application or user can access. Limiting file system permissions prevents attackers from gaining access to sensitive areas even if a traversal vulnerability exists.

As explained in SCAZT Section 4 (Application and Data Security, Pages 85–87), enforcing minimal privileges and file system segmentation is a key defense against such attacks.

The MITRE ATT&CK framework is a globally recognized knowledge base that catalogs adversary behavior. One of its most crucial components is its matrix of Tactics and Techniques.

“Techniques for accessing credentials” is a key example of the Techniques layer within the MITRE ATT&CK matrix.

These techniques describe how adversaries achieve tactical objectives—such as gaining access to credentials for lateral movement or privilege escalation.

In the SCAZT guide under Threat Response, organizations are advised to map telemetry and detection tools (like Cisco Secure Analytics, SecureX, and Secure Endpoint) to the MITRE ATT&CK framework to enhance visibility and accelerate threat response.

Zero Trust is based on the concept of “never trust, always verify.” It ensures that no user or device is inherently trusted, even if they are inside the corporate network. Cisco’s Zero Trust Architecture implements continuous trust verification for every access request, using identity, device posture, and behavior analysis.

SCAZT Section 1 (Cloud Security Architecture, Pages 13–17) describes how Cisco’s Zero Trust model authenticates and authorizes access before permitting resource interaction.

Automation of containment and response actions—such as isolating compromised endpoints and applying predefined security policies—is a critical capability of Cisco’s XDR and SecureX platform. According to SCAZT Section 6: Threat Response (Pages 112–117), automating threat containment allows security teams to rapidly limit the blast radius of incidents and improve mean time to respond (MTTR), without relying solely on manual intervention.

The Secure Cloud Analytics alert indicates suspicious heartbeat-based connections from an internal server (ip-10-201-0-16) to multiple suspicious IPs over UDP/port 53 (DNS). This behavior suggests command-and-control (C2) activity or botnet communications.

B: Alerting the incident response (IR) team is a critical next step in escalating a verified threat as per SCAZT Section 6 (Threat Response, Pages 114–117).

D: Blocking the identified malicious IPs on perimeter firewalls or network access control devices is an appropriate containment step to disrupt communication.

Reinstallation (A/E) is premature without a full forensic investigation. Validating IDS logs (C) is useful but not immediate response-focused compared to actions B and D.

The Cisco SAFE architecture uses the concept of Secure Domains as foundational blocks. These domains represent areas of the network (e.g., Branch, Data Center, Cloud, Edge) that require specific security controls. Each domain aligns with controls across visibility, segmentation, threat protection, and identity services.

To preserve the user for investigation while immediately revoking access, the correct approach is to disable the user in the Duo Admin Panel. This action blocks authentication without deleting logs or user data. Simultaneously, resetting the password from Active Directory ensures any potentially compromised credentials are revoked.

According to SCAZT (Section 2: User and Device Security, Pages 40–44), disabling user accounts in Duo offers secure containment during security incidents while maintaining data for forensic review.

The SCAZT documentation emphasizes that when Cisco Secure XDR identifies a high-risk threat (e.g., risk score 8 out of 10 for malware distribution, as shown in the exhibit), the first priority is to prevent lateral movement and data exfiltration. The recommended first response action is to isolate the affected endpoint from the network.

Cisco Secure Endpoint and XDR allow you to trigger an "isolate" response directly from the dashboard, cutting off all non-management communication from the compromised device. This preserves the environment and enables forensic analysis before removing malware or taking destructive actions like rebuilding the system.

In the provided screenshot of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC), the rule labeled "Block Facebook" is intended to block access to Facebook and Facebook Apps. However, the rule lacks correct zone configurations, which is why the block is ineffective.

Per Cisco's best practices outlined in the Designing and Implementing Secure Cloud Access for Users and Endpoints (SCAZT) documentation and Cisco Secure Firewall documentation:

The source zone should reflect where the traffic is originating from—in this case, from internal users. Therefore, Source Zone must be set to inside (Answer: E).

The destination zone should reflect where the traffic is headed—in this case, towards the internet. So, Destination Zone must be set to outside (Answer: D).

Without properly defining source and destination zones, FMC rules may not match the traffic correctly, resulting in traffic being incorrectly allowed.