PSE-Strata Palo Alto Networks System Engineer Professional - Strata Questions and Answers

Palo Alto Networks Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) offers significant business value by automating and simplifying the process of adding new firewalls to the network, specifically the Panorama management server.

Automation and Simplification:

ZTP automates the initial configuration and deployment of new firewalls, reducing the need for manual intervention.

This leads to faster deployment times and reduces the potential for human error.

When configuring the NGFW to act as a decryption broker for multiple transparent bridge security chains, the following items are required:

A unique Transparent Bridge Decryption Forwarding Profile to a single Decryption policy rule (B): Each decryption policy rule must be associated with a unique Transparent Bridge Decryption Forwarding Profile. This ensures that decrypted traffic is forwarded appropriately to the specific security chain.

A unique Decryption policy rule is required per security chain (C): You need to create a separate decryption policy rule for each security chain. This allows you to distribute the decrypted traffic among multiple security chains based on policy criteria.

These configurations enable the firewall to effectively manage and distribute the load across multiple security chains, ensuring optimal performance and security​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)

The Palo Alto Networks Security Operating Platform is designed to prevent various stages of the cyberattack lifecycle. Specifically, it effectively prevents the following four stages:

Breach the Perimeter: By using advanced threat prevention mechanisms, the platform can stop initial attempts to penetrate the network perimeter.

Lateral Movement: Once inside the network, attackers often try to move laterally to access more systems. The platform uses network segmentation and advanced monitoring to detect and prevent such movements.

Exfiltrate Data: Data exfiltration is the process of unauthorized data transfer out of the network. The platform employs data loss prevention (DLP) technologies to detect and block such attempts.

Deliver the Malware: The platform can prevent malware delivery through its threat prevention capabilities, including anti-malware, anti-spyware, and sandboxing technologies.

These steps cover critical phases where the platform can intervene to stop attacks before they cause significant damage.

The customer currently lacks visibility into the Layer 7 application traffic on port 53, which is typically used for DNS. Palo Alto Networks' App-ID technology can identify applications traversing the network irrespective of the port, protocol, or encryption (SSL or SSH). By using App-ID, the customer can gain visibility into the specific applications being used, even if they are running over standard ports such as 53. This capability not only identifies the applications but also allows for granular control over them, enabling the customer to block unsanctioned applications if necessary.

To run Cortex XDR effectively, the following three mandatory components are required:

NGFW with PANOS 8.0.5 or Later: The Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) running PANOS 8.0.5 or later is necessary to provide advanced security features and integration with Cortex XDR.

Cortex Data Lake: This component is essential for storing and analyzing large volumes of data, providing the necessary infrastructure for Cortex XDR to perform threat detection and response.

Traps: Traps (now part of Cortex XDR Endpoint Protection) is essential for endpoint protection, helping to prevent, detect, and respond to threats on endpoints.

These components work together to provide comprehensive threat detection and response capabilities within the Cortex XDR framework.

GlobalProtect is the Palo Alto Networks security component designed to extend next-generation firewall (NGFW) policies to remote users. It provides comprehensive security by ensuring that all network traffic from remote devices is inspected and secured, just as if the users were on the corporate network. This helps maintain consistent security policies and protections regardless of user location.

Palo Alto Networks updates Command-and-Control (C2) signatures frequently to ensure the latest threats are detected and blocked. The recommended schedule for updating C2 signatures is once a day. This daily update ensures that the firewall has the most current threat intelligence, providing robust protection against C2 traffic.

An administrator needing a PDF summary report that compiles information from existing reports based on data for the top five in each category has the options to send this report on a daily or weekly basis. These timeframe options provide flexibility in monitoring and reviewing critical network and security metrics regularly, ensuring timely insights and actions.

References:

Palo Alto Networks Report Configuration Guide

Palo Alto Networks Reporting and Logging Documentation

To avoid split-brain scenarios in an active/passive high availability (HA) pair deployment, it is essential to ensure reliable communication between the HA peers. Using the management interface as the HA1 backup link provides an additional communication path between the firewalls, ensuring they can synchronize state information and avoid scenarios where both units assume the active role due to a communication failure.

Prisma SaaS offers several threat prevention capabilities, including:

File Quarantine: This feature isolates suspicious files detected in SaaS applications, preventing them from spreading or causing harm until they can be further analyzed and remediated.

WildFire Analysis: Prisma SaaS leverages WildFire, Palo Alto Networks' advanced malware analysis service, to examine suspicious files and links in SaaS applications, providing thorough threat detection and prevention​ (LIVEcommunity | Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

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.

In the first step of the Palo Alto Networks Five-Step Zero Trust Methodology, "Define the protect surface," an organization identifies its critical data, applications, assets, and services (DAAS). This step is crucial because it determines what needs to be protected within the Zero Trust framework. By clearly defining the protect surface, organizations can focus their security efforts on the most critical areas.

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.

Using a virtual wire (vWire) interface configuration can enhance the security of a production online system while minimizing the impact on the existing network.

Virtual Wire:

A vWire interface operates transparently at Layer 2, allowing the firewall to inspect traffic without making changes to the existing network topology.

This mode is ideal for inline deployments where minimal changes to the network configuration are desired.

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

Information about Command-and-Control (C2) hosts can be found in the following items:

Threat logs (A): These logs contain detailed information about detected threats, including C2 activities.

WildFire analysis reports (B): WildFire reports provide insights into malicious files and their behaviors, including any C2 communication attempts.

Botnet reports (C): These reports identify infected hosts within the network that are communicating with known botnet C2 servers.

These sources collectively provide comprehensive visibility into C2 activities within the network, aiding in the detection and mitigation of compromised hosts​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

The signature-based Threat Prevention features of the firewall that are informed by intelligence from the Threat Intelligence Cloud include Vulnerability Protection, Anti-Spyware, and Anti-Virus. The Threat Intelligence Cloud collects data from a variety of sources, including global threat intelligence networks, and analyzes this data to identify new threats. This intelligence is then used to update the signatures for these features, allowing the firewall to detect and prevent known threats effectively.

Vulnerability Protection: Uses updated signatures to detect and block exploit attempts against known vulnerabilities.

Anti-Spyware: Detects and prevents spyware based on signatures and threat intelligence.

Anti-Virus: Blocks known malware based on updated virus signatures.

These features are continuously updated with new intelligence, ensuring the firewall can defend against the latest threats.

References: Palo Alto Networks Threat Prevention documentation, Threat Intelligence Cloud overview.

When sizing the Cortex Data Lake for Traps Management Service, two key factors must be considered:

Retention Requirements: It is essential to determine how long the logs and data need to be retained in the Cortex Data Lake. This affects the overall storage capacity required, as longer retention periods will necessitate more storage space​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

The Number of Traps Agents: The total number of Traps agents deployed will directly impact the volume of data being generated and sent to the Cortex Data Lake. More agents mean more data, which in turn requires a larger data lake capacity to handle the increased load​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

When HTTP header logging is enabled on a URL Filtering profile in Palo Alto Networks firewalls, the attribute-value that can be logged includes:

X-Forwarded-For (A): This HTTP header is commonly used to identify the originating IP address of a client connecting to a web server through an HTTP proxy or load balancer. Logging this header allows administrators to track the source IP addresses of clients accessing resources through proxies, providing better visibility into user activity.

References:

Palo Alto Networks, URL Filtering Profiles Documentation.

HTTP Header Field Definitions (RFC 7239).

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.

To configure the rate of file submissions to WildFire in a Palo Alto Networks NGFW, you set a limit on the maximum number of files submitted per day. This configuration allows administrators to control and manage the volume of files sent to WildFire for analysis, ensuring that it fits within the limits of their license and operational requirements.

Decryption Broker on a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) provides two primary benefits:

Offloading SSL decryption: The NGFW decrypts traffic once and then forwards it to multiple security devices for inspection, avoiding the need to decrypt and re-encrypt traffic multiple times, thus improving efficiency.

Reducing third-party devices: By handling SSL decryption within the NGFW, the need for separate, dedicated SSL decryption devices is eliminated, reducing the complexity and number of devices required for network security.

These features streamline traffic analysis and enforcement while maintaining robust security.

References: Palo Alto Networks Decryption Broker documentation.

The three possible verdicts in WildFire Submissions log entries for a submitted sample are:

Benign: The sample is not considered harmful.

Spyware: The sample is identified as spyware, which is software designed to gather information about a person or organization without their knowledge.

Malicious: The sample is considered harmful and has the potential to cause damage or unauthorized access.

Grayware: The sample is not entirely benign nor fully malicious. It may exhibit behaviors that are suspicious or undesirable, such as adware or other unwanted software.

These classifications help in determining the necessary security measures and responses. Phishing, while a threat type, is not a separate WildFire verdict in the context of the WildFire analysis logs.

Dynamic User Groups (DUGs) in Palo Alto Networks are determined using tags. Tags are metadata assigned to users based on various criteria, such as behavior, location, or other attributes. These tags are used to dynamically update group memberships without manual intervention. For instance, if a user meets certain conditions defined by the administrator, they are automatically tagged and included in the respective DUG. This feature enhances the flexibility and automation of security policies, ensuring that the right policies are applied to the right users in real-time.

When access to a business site is blocked by URL Filtering inline machine learning (ML) and it is identified as a false positive, the appropriate way to resolve this is to create a custom URL category and add the site to the exceptions list of the inline ML profile. This ensures that the specific URL is no longer subjected to the filtering rules applied by the inline ML, thereby allowing access to the site.

Creating a custom URL category and adding it to the exceptions of the inline ML profile ensures that the legitimate business site is accessible without completely disabling the URL Filtering inline ML feature, which would reduce overall security effectiveness.

References:

Palo Alto Networks, URL Filtering Administration Guide.

Having WildFire machine learning (ML) capability inline on the firewall provides significant advantages in real-time threat prevention.

Inline ML Capability:

The firewall can analyze and block unknown malicious files in real-time, preventing the first instance of infection (patient zero).

This enhances security without disrupting business productivity, as threats are mitigated immediately.

Palo Alto Networks firewalls support several methods for mapping users to IP addresses, which are critical for implementing user-based security policies:

eDirectory Monitoring: The firewall can monitor Novell eDirectory servers to map IP addresses to usernames by reading user login events from the eDirectory server. This method is often used in environments where eDirectory is the primary directory service​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks Knowledge Base)​.

Client Probing: This method involves the firewall sending probes to the client machines to verify user login information. Probing can use protocols like NetBIOS, WMI, or XFF headers to collect user-to-IP mapping information directly from the clients​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

Active Directory Monitoring: The firewall can monitor Microsoft Active Directory domain controllers to collect user login events. This method is widely used in environments where Active Directory is the primary directory service. It provides real-time user mapping by tracking user logins and logouts across the domain controllers​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (LIVEcommunity | Palo Alto Networks)​.

WildFire signatures are generated based on the analysis of unknown files submitted to the WildFire cloud. These signatures are updated and pushed to the antivirus database every 24 hours. This frequent update cycle ensures that the firewall can detect and block the latest threats quickly and effectively, minimizing the window of exposure to new malware.

The smallest Panorama solution that can be used to manage up to 2500 Palo Alto Networks Next Generation firewalls is the M-200 appliance.

The M-200 is designed for medium-sized organizations and provides the necessary performance and scalability to manage a large number of firewalls efficiently.

The M-600 is a more powerful appliance but is not the smallest option.

The M-100 has been superseded by the M-200 and does not support as many devices.

The Panorama VM-Series can manage a large number of devices but is not typically considered the "smallest" solution due to its virtual nature and varying performance based on the underlying hardware.

In PAN-OS, when a portable executable (PE) file larger than 10 MB (default threshold) is encountered, it is not forwarded to the WildFire cloud service. This is due to size limitations on file submissions to the service.

Default Behavior:

Files exceeding the size limit are not forwarded to WildFire for analysis.

Expedition is a tool provided by Palo Alto Networks to help streamline the migration and optimization of security policies. Two key presales selling advantages of using Expedition are:

Streamline & Migrate to Layer7 Policies Using Policy Optimizer: Policy Optimizer helps in converting traditional Layer 3/4 policies into more granular Layer 7 application-based policies. This migration ensures more precise control and better security by focusing on the actual applications rather than just IP addresses and ports.

Reduce Effort to Implement Policies Based on App-ID and User-ID: Expedition facilitates the implementation of security policies based on Palo Alto Networks' App-ID and User-ID technologies. This reduces the complexity and effort required to manage security policies, as policies can be applied based on specific applications and user identities, leading to more effective and efficient security management.

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

Checking for Corporate Credential Submissions involves monitoring and validating credential usage within the network.

Doman Credentialiter (Option A):

Monitors the use of corporate credentials and alerts on suspicious activity.

When a packet associated with an existing session arrives at the firewall, it is processed through the fast path because the session establishment has already occurred, so the session lookup can be quickly determined. If the packet is subject to content inspection, it will then be processed through a single stream-based content inspection engine before it is allowed to egress. This approach ensures efficient packet handling and minimizes latency while maintaining necessary security inspections.

When beginning to understand the Zero Trust protect surface using the Palo Alto Networks Zero Trust reference architecture, the following two steps are crucial:

Validate User Identities through Authentication (A): This step involves ensuring that all users are authenticated properly. By verifying the identities of users attempting to access the network, organizations can ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive resources. This is a fundamental principle of Zero Trust, which operates on the premise of "never trust, always verify."

Categorize Data and Applications by Levels of Sensitivity (C): This involves identifying and classifying data and applications based on their sensitivity and importance to the organization. By understanding what needs to be protected and the level of sensitivity, security policies can be tailored to provide appropriate levels of protection. This helps in prioritizing security measures based on the criticality of the data and applications.

References:

Palo Alto Networks, Zero Trust Architecture Documentation.

NIST Zero Trust Architecture (NIST SP 800-207).

When deploying User-ID, it's crucial to specify included and excluded networks to ensure that only relevant traffic is monitored, reducing unnecessary load and potential privacy concerns. Enabling User-ID only on trusted zones minimizes the risk of exposing sensitive user information. Using a dedicated service account with minimal permissions necessary for User-ID services enhances security by limiting the potential damage if the account is compromised.

References:

Palo Alto Networks' User-ID Best Practices

NIST Special Publication 800-53 on Access Control

The SP3 (Single Pass Parallel Processing) architecture of Palo Alto Networks' Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) is designed to address high-throughput and low-latency requirements while providing comprehensive security features. This architecture allows the firewall to process network traffic in a single pass for all security functions, which significantly enhances performance by reducing latency and ensuring high throughput. By highlighting SP3, you can assure potential customers that the NGFW can handle their performance needs while delivering robust security.