Free Splunk SPLK-5001 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 2

When an event is identified as suspicious but is expected or normal behavior within the environment, the appropriate disposition to assign isBenign. This categorization distinguishes such events from true security incidents or false positives, providing analysts with clarity on what to expect in their environment.

ATrue positiveindicates a confirmed security incident or threat that requires further investigation or response.

False positiverefers to an alert incorrectly triggered by benign activity that resembles malicious behavior but is not.

Informationaldisposition is typically reserved for events that provide data without implying suspicion or threat.

Benignis used for events that may look suspicious but are accepted as normal or expected in the specific environment context, helping reduce noise and improve analyst efficiency.

TheSplunk Cybersecurity Defense Analyst documentationadvises SOC teams to clearly define and apply dispositions consistently to ensure proper event triage and avoid alert fatigue.

In most organizations, the Security Engineer is typically responsible for implementing new processes or solutions that have been selected to protect assets. This role involves the practical application of security tools, technologies, and practices to safeguard the organization’s infrastructure and data.

Role of Security Engineer:

Implementation:Security Engineers are tasked with the hands-on deployment and configuration of security systems, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and endpoint protection solutions. When a risk is identified, they are the ones who implement the necessary technological controls or processes to mitigate that risk.

Technical Expertise:Security Engineers possess the technical skills required to integrate new solutions into the existing environment, ensuring that they operate effectively without disrupting other systems.

Collaboration:While Security Architects design the overall security architecture and the SOC Manager oversees operations, the Security Engineer works on the ground, implementing the detailed aspects of the solutions.

Contrast with Other Roles:

Security Architect:Designs the security framework and architecture but does not usually perform the actual implementation.

SOC Manager:Oversees the security operations and might coordinate the response but does not directly implement new solutions.

Security Analyst:Monitors and analyzes security data, but typically does not implement new security systems.

The fastest SPL (Search Processing Language) search in Splunk is one that leverages index and sourcetype constraints upfront to minimize the amount of data scanned, thereby reducing search latency significantly. According to theSplunk Cybersecurity Defense Analyst Study Guide, searches that specifyindexandsourcetypein the base search filter data more efficiently by restricting the search scope immediately at the indexing layer before any processing occurs. This contrasts with searches that filter fields only after the raw data is retrieved, which is less efficient.

Option D explicitly specifies theindex-networkandsourcetype=netflow, combined with the exact field filterssrc_ip=1.2.3.4,src_port=2938, andprotocol=top. This precise filtering directly reduces the dataset Splunk has to scan.

Options A and C use theindex-networkbut filter some fields after the initial search (e.g., using search src_ip=1.2.3.4 after stats aggregation), causing unnecessary processing overhead.

Option B lacks any index or sourcetype specification, meaning Splunk performs a much broader search across all indexes and data, which is slower.

TheSplunk Cybersecurity Defense Analyst official documentationemphasizes that applying early filtering with index and sourcetype limits is crucial for search performance, particularly in high-volume network data scenarios.

Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) provides various features to enhance security monitoring, analysis, and incident response. One of the powerful features in Splunk ES isAnnotations. This feature allows security analysts to map and categorize correlation search results according to well-known industry frameworks such as the CIS Critical Security Controls, MITRE ATT&CK, and the Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain®.

Purpose of Annotations:

Annotations help analysts understand and categorize security events by aligning them with recognized security frameworks. This alignment provides context, making it easier to understand the nature of threats and how they fit within broader threat models or attack strategies.

How Annotations Work:

When a correlation search in Splunk ES triggers an alert, Annotations can automatically tag the alert with relevant tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) from frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK. This helps in categorizing the event within the context of known attack patterns, offering insights into potential next steps by an attacker and recommended defensive actions.

Annotations can be manually added or configured to be applied automatically based on the nature of the search results.

Integration with Frameworks:

MITRE ATT&CK:Annotations can map alerts to specific techniques and tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, which provides a detailed knowledge base of adversary behaviors, tactics, and techniques.

CIS Critical Security Controls:These controls can also be mapped through annotations, allowing the organization to measure and improve its security posture against these controls.

Lockheed Martin Cyber Kill Chain®:This model focuses on the stages of a cyberattack, and annotations can help identify where in the kill chain a particular alert fits, providing a clearer understanding of the attack’s progression.

Annotations in Splunk ES:Practical Example:Consider a correlation search that detects unusual behavior indicating potential lateral movement within a network. If this alert is annotated with a reference to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, it might map to techniques like "T1021 - Remote Services," which is associated with the lateral movement tactic. This mapping not only categorizes the event but also helps in planning the next steps for containment and investigation.

Efficiency in Response:By aligning alerts with industry frameworks, annotations help in quickly identifying the nature and potential impact of a threat.

Consistency in Analysis:Provides a standardized method for categorizing and responding to alerts, ensuring that all analysts interpret and react to threats in a consistent manner.

Improved Reporting:Allows for better visualization and reporting of threats according to established frameworks, making it easier to communicate risks and actions to stakeholders.

In the context of theTTP (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures)framework used in cybersecurity, the termProcedurerefers to the specific implementation or method used by an adversary to execute an attack or achieve an objective. Here, "LoudWiner" represents a particular malware or tool used by the adversary to hijack resources for crypto mining, which is an actualprocedure—the concrete steps or methods taken to accomplish the broader technique or tactic.

Tacticis the adversary’s goal or objective (e.g., resource hijacking for financial gain).

Techniqueis a general method used to achieve the tactic (e.g., crypto mining via malware).

Procedureis the specific variant or implementation of the technique (e.g., using LoudWiner malware).

Problemis not a recognized element in the TTP framework.

TheMITRE ATT&CK frameworkdefines procedures as real-world implementations of techniques by adversaries. Splunk’s cybersecurity analyst materials emphasize understanding these distinctions to better map observed adversary behavior.

TheRisk Frameworkin Splunk Enterprise Security is designed to raise the threat profile of individuals or assets based on their activities. It allows security teams to assign risk scores to users or devices that engage in suspicious or anomalous behaviors, making it easier to identify entities that may require further investigation.

Risk Framework:

This framework aggregates risk events and calculates risk scores that help in prioritizing alerts and focusing on high-risk entities within the organization.

By identifying and raising the profile of entities involved in suspicious activities, it enables proactive threat detection and response.

Incorrect Options:

A. Threat Intelligence Framework:Integrates threat intelligence feeds but does not directly handle risk scoring of assets.

C. Notable Event Framework:Manages notable events but is not focused on risk profiling.

D. Asset and Identity Framework:Manages asset and identity data, linking them with events, but does not perform risk scoring.

In Splunk Enterprise Security, theRisk Event Timelineprovides a chronological view of risk events associated with a particular Risk Object, such as a user or device. This timeline helps analysts visualize and understand the sequence and nature of risk events over time, aiding in the investigation of security incidents.

Risk Event Timeline:

The Risk Event Timeline is accessible by clicking the risk event count associated with a Risk Object in the Incident Review dashboard. This action opens up the timeline view, which provides a detailed chronological perspective on how risk events have unfolded.

This feature is particularly useful for tracking the progression of threats and understanding the context of incidents.

Incorrect Options:

A. Running the Risk Analysis Adaptive Response action within the Notable Event:This option pertains to running a response action rather than visualizing risk events over time.

B. Via a workflow action for the Risk Investigation dashboard:Although workflow actions can lead to various dashboards, the specific visualization described is accessed via the Risk Event Timeline.

C. Via the Risk Analysis dashboard under the Security Intelligence tab in Enterprise Security:While this dashboard provides valuable insights into risk data, the specific chronological visualization is found in the Risk Event Timeline.

Tactical intelligenceprovides insights into the specific behaviors, tools, and techniques used by threat actors. When a Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) team produces a report detailing a threat actor’s typical behaviors and intent, they are delivering tactical intelligence. This type of intelligence is actionable and directly supports defenders in identifying, mitigating, and responding to threats in a timely manner.

Tactical Intelligence:

Focuses on the specific, detailed activities of threat actors, such as the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) they employ.

This intelligence helps in creating defensive strategies, such as refining detection rules, improving incident response plans, and enhancing threat hunting efforts.

Incorrect Options:

A. Operational:Operational intelligence involves real-time information and insights that support ongoing operations, often within a narrow timeframe.

B. Executive:Executive intelligence is high-level and strategic, intended for decision-makers and typically involves summaries rather than detailed technical information.

D. Strategic:Strategic intelligence is long-term and broad in scope, focusing on overall trends and the geopolitical context, rather than specific TTPs.

In theSplunk Common Information Model (CIM), the Authentication Data Model defines standardized field names to normalize data from various sources. For privilege escalation events, the user who initiates the escalation (i.e., the actor performing the elevated action) is represented by the fieldsrc_user. This field captures the source or originating user account involved in the authentication event.

src_user: Typically refers to the user who initiated the action, such as the account escalating privileges.

dest_user: Refers to the target user account involved, such as the user being impersonated or the elevated account.

src_user_idandusernameare either deprecated or less precise in CIM for privilege escalation contexts.

TheSplunk CIM documentation(specifically the Authentication Data Model section) states thatsrc_useris the correct normalized field to capture the initiating user in escalation or impersonation events, supporting consistent searches, alerts, and dashboards across varied log sources.

In the context of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), determining whether an event is a True Negative, True Positive, False Negative, or False Positive depends on the system's detection and the reality of the situation.

Let's break down the scenario:

IDS Signature Explanation:

The IDS is set to detect and alert on logins to a server, but only if they happen during a specific time window, from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM.

The question states that no alerts occur during this time frame, but the IDS signature is known to be correct.

Understanding Detection Terms:

True Positive: The IDS correctly detects an intrusion or suspicious activity that is actually happening.

True Negative: The IDS does not detect any activity because no suspicious or malicious activity is occurring, and this lack of detection is correct.

False Positive: The IDS detects an intrusion or activity, but it is a false alarm (i.e., there is no real threat).

False Negative: The IDS fails to detect a real intrusion or activity when it should have, missing a legitimate alert.

Applying the Scenario:

In this case, no IDS alerts occurred during the specified time frame. If there were no actual logins during this period and the signature was designed correctly, then the absence of alerts is expected and appropriate.

Since no suspicious logins occurred, and the IDS did not trigger any alerts, this situation represents a True Negative—the system correctly identified that there was no suspicious activity to alert on.

Why the Answer is "True Negative":

The IDS signature is working as expected.

The condition that would trigger an alert (logins during the specified time) did not happen, so the lack of alerts is a correct response.

Therefore, this is classified as a True Negative because no malicious activity took place, and the IDS correctly refrained from raising an alert.

Comparison to Other Options:

B. True Positive – This would indicate that an alert occurred because of actual suspicious activity, but in this case, no alerts occurred.

C. False Negative – This would mean that suspicious activity occurred, but the IDS failed to detect it. In this case, there was no activity to detect, so this option is not correct.

D. False Positive – This would suggest the IDS raised an alert when no suspicious activity happened, but again, no alerts occurred, so this doesn’t apply.