Pass the Paloalto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Associate PCCET Questions and answers with CertsForce

A perimeter-based network security strategy relies on firewalls, routers, and other devices to create a boundary between the internal network and the external network. This strategy assumes that every internal endpoint can be trusted, and that any threat comes from outside the network. However, this assumption is flawed, as internal endpoints can also be compromised by malware, phishing, insider attacks, or other methods. Once an attacker gains access to an internal endpoint, they can use it to move laterally within the network, bypassing the perimeter defenses. Therefore, a perimeter-based network security strategy is not sufficient to protect an organization’s endpoint systems, and a more comprehensive approach, such as Zero Trust, is needed. References:

Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)

Traditional perimeter-based network defense is obsolete—transform to a Zero Trust model

What is Network Perimeter Security? Definition and Components | Acalvio

Cortex XDR is an endpoint tool or agent that can enact behavior-based protection. Behavior-based protection is a method of detecting and blocking malicious activities based on the actions or potential actions of an object, such as a file, a process, or a network connection. Behavior-based protection can identify and stop threats that are unknown or evade traditional signature-based detection, by analyzing the object’s behavior for suspicious or abnormal patterns. Cortex XDR is a comprehensive solution that provides behavior-based protection for endpoints, networks, and cloud environments. Cortex XDR uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to continuously monitor and analyze data from multiple sources, such as logs, events, alerts, and telemetry. Cortex XDR can detect and prevent advanced attacks, such as ransomware, fileless malware, zero-day exploits, and lateral movement, by applying behavioral blocking and containment rules. Cortex XDR can also perform root cause analysis, threat hunting, and incident response, to help organizations reduce the impact and duration of security incidents. References:

Cortex XDR - Palo Alto Networks

Behavioral blocking and containment | Microsoft Learn

Behaviour Based Endpoint Protection | Signature-Based Security - Xcitium

The 12 Best Endpoint Security Software Solutions and Tools [2024]

A worm is a type of malware that replicates itself to spread rapidly through a computer network. Unlike a virus, a worm does not need a host program or human interaction to infect other devices. A worm can consume network bandwidth, slow down the system performance, or deliver a malicious payload, such as ransomware or a backdoor123. References: Types of Malware & Malware Examples - Kaspersky, 10 types of malware + how to prevent malware from the start, Computer worm - Wikipedia

A worm replicates through the network while a virus replicates, not necessarily to spread through the network.

page 211 "Consolidating servers within trust levels: Organizations often consolidate servers within the same trust level into a single virtual computing environment: ... ... ... This virtual systems capability enables a single physical device to be used to simultaneously meet the unique requirements of multiple VMs or groups of VMs. Control and protection of inter-host traffic with physical network security appliances that are properly positioned and configured is the primary security focus."

"In serverless apps, the developer uploads only the app package itself, without a full container image or any OS components. The platform dynamically packages it into an image, runs the image in a container, and (if needed) instantiates the underlying host OS and VM and the hardware required to run them."

Least privileges access control is the capability of a Zero Trust network security architecture that leverages the combination of application, user, and content identification to prevent unauthorized access. Least privileges access control means that users and devices are only granted the permissions they need to perform their tasks, and nothing more. This helps reduce the attack surface and makes it more difficult for attackers to gain access to sensitive data or resources. Least privileges access control is based on the principle of Zero Trust, which assumes that there are attackers both within and outside of the network, so no users or devices should be automatically trusted. Zero Trust verifies user identity and privileges as well as device identity and security, and requires end-to-end encryption. Least privileges access control also involves careful management of user permissions and network segmentation, which limit the amount of information and length of time people can access something, and contain the damage if someone does get unauthorized access. References: What Is Zero Trust Architecture? | Microsoft Security, Zero Trust security | What is a Zero Trust network? | Cloudflare, What is Zero Trust Architecture? | SANS Institute, What Is a Zero Trust Architecture? | Zscaler, What is Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA)? - CrowdStrike.

Sanctioned SaaS applications are those that are approved and supported by the organization’s IT department. They provide business benefits such as increased productivity, collaboration, and efficiency. They are fast to deploy because they do not require installation or maintenance on the user’s device. They require minimal cost because they are usually paid on a subscription or usage basis, and they do not incur hardware or software expenses. They are infinitely scalable because they can adjust to the changing needs and demands of the organization without affecting performance or availability12. References: 8 Types of SaaS Solutions You Must Know About in 2024, What is SaaS (Software as a Service)? | SaaS Types | CDW, Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician

Attack communication traffic is usually hidden with various techniques and

tools, including:

● Encryption with SSL, SSH (Secure Shell), or some other custom or proprietary encryption

● Circumvention via proxies, remote access tools, or tunneling. In some instances, use of

cellular networks enables complete circumvention of the target network for attack C2 traffic.

● Port evasion using network anonymizers or port hopping to traverse over any available open

ports

● Fast Flux (or Dynamic DNS) to proxy through multiple infected endpoints or multiple,

ever-changing C2 servers to reroute traffic and make determination of the true destination

or attack source difficult

● DNS tunneling is used for C2 communications and data infiltration

Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is an example of a distance-vector routing protocol that uses hop count as its routing metric. To prevent routing loops, in which packets effectively get stuck bouncing between various router nodes, RIP implements a hop limit of 15, which limits the size of networks that RIP can support. After a data packet crosses 15 router nodes (hops) between a source and a destination, the destination is considered unreachable.