PCCSE Prisma Certified Cloud Security Engineer Questions and Answers

The audit trail section of an asset's detail view in Prisma Cloud typically includes a log of configuration changes and alert and vulnerability events associated with the asset. These elements are crucial for tracking the history of modifications to an asset's configuration and the security incidents that have affected it. This information is instrumental in understanding the security posture of the asset over time and in conducting thorough investigations after a security event has been detected.

For CI/CD plugins supported by Prisma Cloud as part of its DevOps Security, BitBucket (Option A) and CircleCI (Option C) are the correct choices. BitBucket is widely used for source code management and collaboration, while CircleCI is a popular CI/CD platform. Prisma Cloud integrates with these tools to scan code repositories and CI/CD pipelines for security issues, ensuring that vulnerabilities are identified and addressed early in the development process. Visual Studio Code (Option B) and IntelliJ (Option D) are IDEs rather than CI/CD tools, and while they are supported by Prisma Cloud for scanning and security purposes, they are not considered CI/CD plugins.

Prisma Cloud supports different scanning modes for its agentless scanning feature. Based on the context of cloud environments and typical terminology used in Prisma Cloud documentation, "Spoke Account Mode" and "Hub Account Mode" are plausible modes supported for agentless scanning. These modes allow for the extension of scanning capabilities across multiple accounts, with 'Spoke' typically referring to linked accounts and 'Hub' referring to the central account in a hub-and-spoke architecture. Hence, the correct answers are A and B.

Log into Console. / Go to Manage > Alerts > Logging. / Configure Prisma Cloud to send audit event records to syslog, stdout and Prometheus.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/audit/logging

To ingest all Console and Defender logs into Splunk within Prisma Cloud Compute, the most effective method is to enable the syslog option in the Console. This configuration allows the direct export of logs in a format compatible with Splunk, facilitating real-time log analysis and monitoring. This setup supports continuous security monitoring and advanced threat detection capabilities by utilizing Splunk's extensive data processing and visualization tools.

In WAAS Access control for file uploads, Prisma Cloud supports various file types out-of-the-box to ensure secure and controlled file upload functionality. The supported file types include Text, Images, and Documents. These categories cover a wide range of commonly used file formats, allowing organizations to manage and restrict file uploads based on the content type. This feature helps in preventing malicious file uploads and ensures that only approved file types are uploaded to applications and services.

You can have twistcli generate a detailed report for each scan. The following procedure shows you how to scan an image with twistcli, and then retrieve the results from Console.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/tools/twistcli_scan_images

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/manage-prisma-cloud-alerts/prisma-cloud-alert-notifications

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/vulnerability_management/vuln_management_rules

Configuring vulnerability policies within Prisma Cloud involves several options that cater to different aspects of vulnerability management and policy enforcement. Options A, C, and D are valid configurations for vulnerability policies:

A. Individual actions based on package type allow for tailored responses to vulnerabilities found in specific types of software packages, enabling more granular control over the remediation process.

C. Applying policies only when a vendor fix is available helps prioritize the remediation of vulnerabilities for which a patch or update has been released by the software vendor, ensuring efficient use of resources in addressing the most actionable security issues.

D. Setting individual grace periods for each severity level allows organizations to define different time frames for addressing vulnerabilities based on their severity, enabling a prioritized and risk-based approach to vulnerability management.

These configurations support a comprehensive vulnerability management strategy by allowing customization and prioritization based on the nature of the vulnerability, the availability of fixes, and the risk level associated with each vulnerability.

The Defender type "Container Defender - Linux" in Prisma Cloud is typically deployed as a container. This deployment method allows the Defender to integrate seamlessly into containerized environments, providing runtime protection and monitoring for container activities. By running as a container, the Container Defender can leverage the native capabilities of the container orchestration platform, such as Kubernetes, to provide security features like threat detection, vulnerability management, and compliance enforcement within the containerized environment. This approach ensures that the security protections are closely aligned with the dynamic and scalable nature of containerized applications.

Cloud Provisioning Admin (Defender Manager) DevOps team members that need to manage Defender deployments without sysadmin privileges. https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/authentication/prisma_cloud_user_roles

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/investigate-incidents-on-prisma-cloud/investigate-config-incidents-on-prisma-cloud

The correct RQL to trigger the audit event activity shown is Option A. This RQL is designed to capture events from cloud audit logs where a ConsoleLogin operation occurs by the 'root' user. The given audit event details match this RQL's criteria, which specifies the operation type and the user involved in the event.

In the SecOps dashboard of a cloud security platform like Prisma Cloud, filters such as Time range and Account Groups are essential for narrowing down the data or security alerts based on specific time periods or organizational structures. The Time range filter allows users to view incidents or compliance data for a particular timeframe, facilitating trend analysis and focusing on recent events. The Account Groups filter enables the segregation of data based on different cloud accounts or organizational units, making it easier for security teams to manage and prioritize security tasks according to the business structure or cloud architecture.

Ensuring that builds can function properly after a Console upgrade in Prisma Cloud involves strategies that maintain compatibility and functionality with the latest versions of the Prisma Cloud tools and services.

• Option B: Updating any build environments that have twistcli included to use the latest version is crucial because twistcli is Prisma Cloud's CLI tool used for scanning images, serverless functions, and IaC for vulnerabilities and compliance issues. Ensuring that twistcli is up to date in all build environments guarantees compatibility with the latest features and security definitions provided by Prisma Cloud, as well as ensures that any new or updated policies and checks are accurately enforced during the build process.
• Option C: Configuring build pipelines to download twistcli at the start of each build ensures that the most current version of twistcli is used every time a build is initiated. This approach is beneficial in dynamic CI/CD environments where builds are frequent, and maintaining the latest security posture is critical. By downloading twistcli dynamically, teams can automatically adapt to any updates or changes introduced in the Prisma Cloud Console without manual intervention, ensuring seamless integration and continuous compliance with Prisma Cloud's security standards.

References:

• Prisma Cloud Documentation: Emphasizes the importance of keeping security tools up to date and integrating them into CI/CD pipelines for continuous security.
• Best Practices for Integrating Security Tools in CI/CD: Guides on how to effectively incorporate security scanning tools like twistcli into the CI/CD process to ensure builds are secure and compliant.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/19-11/prisma-cloud-compute-edition-admin/firewalls/deploy_cnaf

When configuring Cloud Native Application Firewall (CNAF) rules, the specified port should be the one where the container itself listens for web traffic. In this scenario, since the NGINX container is listening on port 8080, the CNAF rule should be configured to protect traffic on port 8080. This ensures that the firewall rule is applied to the traffic intended for the container, regardless of the port mapping on the host.

The documentation from Palo Alto Networks provides guidance on deploying CNAF and specifies that the port in the firewall rule should match the container’s listening port, not the host’s mapped port. This is an important distinction for properly securing containerized applications with CNAF.

B --> Anomaly Trusted List—Exclude trusted IP addresses when conducting tests for PCI compliance or penetration testing on your network. Any addresses included in this list do not generate alerts against the Prisma Cloud Anomaly Policies that detect unusual network activity such as the policies that detect internal port scan and port sweep activity, which are enabled by default. C --> Trusted Alert IP Addresses—If you have internal networks that connect to your public cloud infrastructure, you can add these IP address ranges (or CIDR blocks) as trusted ... Prisma Cloud default network policies that look for internet exposed instances also do not generate alerts when the source IP address is included in the trusted IP address list and the account hijacking anomaly policy filters out activities from known IP addresses. Also, when you use RQL to query network traffic, you can filter out traffic from known networks that are included in the trusted IP address list.

For a customer who does not want alerts to be generated from network traffic originating from trusted internal networks, the appropriate setting is C. Trusted Alert IP Addresses. This setting allows for specifying certain IP addresses as trusted, meaning alerts will not be triggered by activities from these IPs, ensuring that internal network traffic is not flagged as potentially malicious.

In Prisma Cloud Enterprise, for alerts to be generated for configuration assets in an onboarded public cloud account, it is essential that the account is associated with an alert rule that matches the enabled config policies. If the account is not linked to an alert rule or if the existing alert rules do not match the config policies, no alerts will be generated even though configuration resource ingestion is visible, and RQL statements return config resource results. This requirement emphasizes the need for a well-structured alerting mechanism to ensure that security incidents are promptly identified and addressed​​.

To add AWS accounts to the Prisma Cloud Enterprise tenant, the correct API endpoint is option C: https://api.prismacloud.io/cloud/aws. This endpoint is specifically designed for integrating cloud accounts with Prisma Cloud, enabling centralized visibility and security posture management across multiple cloud environments. By using this API endpoint, each AWS account can be individually onboarded to the Prisma Cloud platform, allowing for immediate posture visibility and consistent security policy enforcement across the newly acquired company's extensive AWS footprint. This process aligns with Prisma Cloud's capabilities for multi-cloud security and compliance management, ensuring that the onboarding of cloud accounts is both efficient and aligned with the platform's best practices for cloud security.

Using the Prisma Cloud API, users can fetch various attributes of policies, including the policy label (Option A) and policy mode (Option C). The policy label helps in categorizing and organizing policies, while the policy mode determines how the policy is enforced (e.g., alert, enforce). The policy signature (Option B) is not a standard attribute exposed via the API for fetching, as it relates more to the internal identification and handling of policies. The policy violation (Option D) is an outcome or event resulting from a policy breach, not an attribute of the policy itself that can be fetched via the API.

To create a custom policy within a cloud security platform like Prisma Cloud, security teams have the flexibility to either add a new policy from scratch or clone an existing one to serve as a foundation for customization. Adding a new policy allows for the creation of a completely tailored rule set based on specific security requirements. Cloning an existing policy, on the other hand, provides a quick start by using the structure of an already established policy, which can then be modified to fit particular needs. This approach is beneficial for maintaining consistency with existing policies while addressing unique security scenarios. Disabling an out-of-the-box policy (option C) or editing the query in an out-of-the-box policy (option D) are actions that might be taken to customize policy enforcement but do not equate to the creation of a new custom policy.

Prisma Cloud integrates with various secret managers to manage sensitive information such as passwords, tokens, and keys. However, it cannot integrate with IBM Secret Manager. The other options, Azure Key Vault, HashiCorp Vault, and AWS Secret Manager, are supported for integration with Prisma Cloud, providing secure storage and handling of secrets.

For upgrading Defenders with a Console v20.04 and Kubernetes deployment, the following two options are viable:

• C. Remove Defenders, and then deploy the new DaemonSet: This option involves manually removing the existing Defenders and then deploying a new DaemonSet. This method ensures that the Defenders are updated to the latest version without relying on automatic updates12.
• D. Let Defenders automatically upgrade: Prisma Cloud provides the capability for Defenders to automatically upgrade themselves. This feature simplifies the upgrade process by eliminating the need for manual intervention3.

Both methods are supported and can be used depending on the organization’s policies and preferences regarding Defender upgrades. The automatic upgrade feature is particularly useful for maintaining up-to-date security without manual oversight, while the manual removal and redeployment of a new DaemonSet can be preferred in environments where more control over the upgrade process is desired123.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/vulnerability_management/vuln_explorer

The top critical CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) for deployed images in Prisma Cloud can be found in the Vulnerabilities Explorer under the Monitor tab. This is where users can input the CVE of interest and get a filtered list of images impacted by that CVE. The Vulnerability Explorer provides a comprehensive view of the vulnerabilities, allowing users to see details such as risk score, CVE risk factors, environmental risk factors, and impacted packages1. This tool is essential for identifying and managing vulnerabilities within your cloud environment, ensuring that all images pulled into deployments or test environments are properly identified and secured.

https://knowledgebase.paloaltonetworks.com/KCSArticleDetail?id=kA14u0000004MfoCAE

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/upgrade/upgrade_process_saas After the Console has been upgraded, check and upgrade any of the Defenders that have reached the end of their support lifecycle (Defenders are backward compatible for N-2 releases). The Defender release image is built from the UBI8-minimal base image and on upgrade it is a full container image upgrade, which means that the old Defender container is replaced with a new container. Then, upgrade all other Prisma Cloud components, such as the Jenkins plugin.

Learning mode is the phase in which Prisma Cloud performs either static or dynamic analysis. Because the model depends on behavioral inputs, images stay in learning mode for 1 hour to complete the model. After this 1 hour, Prisma Cloud enters a 'dry run' period for 24 hours to ensure there are no behavioral changes and the model is complete. If during these 24 hours, behavioral changes are observed, the model goes back to Learning mode for an additional 24 hours.

In Prisma Cloud, the capability to scan serverless functions, such as AWS Lambda functions, for vulnerabilities is an integral part of ensuring cloud security posture management (CSPM) and compliance. Specifically, option C is correct because Prisma Cloud provides a dedicated section for defining policies related to serverless function vulnerabilities under the "Defend > Vulnerabilities > Functions" page. This feature allows administrators to create and manage policies that automatically scan serverless functions for known vulnerabilities, ensuring that the functions comply with the organization's security standards before they are deployed. This approach aligns with Prisma Cloud's comprehensive security model that covers various aspects of cloud security, including serverless functions, as outlined in the "Guide to Cloud Security Posture Management Tools" document​​

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/22-12/prisma-cloud-compute-edition-admin/vulnerability_management/serverless_functions

The correct construction for scanning a container image using the TwistCLI tool in Prisma Cloud is option B. This command specifies the address of the Prisma Cloud Console and the image to be scanned, including its tag. The TwistCLI tool is part of Prisma Cloud's capabilities to integrate security into the CI/CD pipeline, allowing for the scanning of images for vulnerabilities as part of the build process, thus ensuring that only secure images are deployed​​.

The "overly permissive service access" compliance check is specifically designed to evaluate and ensure that cloud services are not granted more permissions than necessary, which could lead to potential security risks. Among the listed options, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is known for its extensive service offerings and the complexity of its Identity and Access Management (IAM) configurations. Prisma Cloud, a comprehensive cloud security platform by Palo Alto Networks, provides extensive support for AWS, including checks for overly permissive service access. This ensures that AWS environments adhere to the principle of least privilege, reducing the attack surface by limiting access to the minimum necessary to perform required tasks. Prisma Cloud's capabilities in AWS environments are detailed in various resources, including documentation and guides provided by Palo Alto Networks, which highlight its effectiveness in identifying and mitigating risks associated with excessive permissions in AWS services.

1. Post /Login 2. Get /report 3. Get report/id/download

In Prisma Cloud, the list of people who are receiving e-mails for alerts is managed within the configuration of individual Alert Rules.

• Option D: Set Alert Notification section within an Alert Rule is where administrators can specify the e-mail recipients for alerts generated by Prisma Cloud. This section allows for the customization of alert notifications, including the selection of recipients who should receive email notifications when an alert is triggered. This granularity ensures that the right stakeholders are informed about specific security incidents or compliance violations, facilitating timely and appropriate responses.

References:

• Prisma Cloud Alert Configuration Documentation: Details the process of setting up alert rules in Prisma Cloud, including how to configure notification settings and specify recipients for email alerts.
• Alert Management Best Practices: Offers insights into effective alert management strategies, highlighting the importance of targeted alert notifications in ensuring that critical security information reaches the relevant parties promptly.

Kubernetes, Openshift, ECS https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/install/deploy-defender/orchestrator

Prisma Cloud supports integration with multiple orchestrators to facilitate the deployment of its Defender component in various environments. The supported orchestrators include Red Hat OpenShift, Amazon ECS, and Kubernetes. These platforms are supported because they provide robust environments for container orchestration, allowing Prisma Cloud to efficiently manage security operations across different cloud-native technologies.

1) Select Policies 2) Select the policy rule to edit, on 3 Compliance Standards click + and associate the policy with the compliance standard (https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/prisma-cloud-compliance/create-a-custom-compliance-standard )

To protect a web application container from an SQL Injection (SQLi) attack, the administrator should create a Cloud Native Application Firewall (CNAF) policy. CNAF policies are designed to protect applications running in containers from various types of attacks, including SQLi, by inspecting the traffic going to and from the containerized applications and blocking malicious requests.

In the context of Prisma Cloud, the policy type that is specifically designed to detect unusual activities, such as port scanning, within a customer's environment is classified under "Anomaly." Anomaly-based policies leverage advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and behaviors that deviate from the norm, which could indicate potential security threats like port scanning attempts. By detecting such anomalies, these policies help organizations proactively identify and respond to potential reconnaissance activities by attackers seeking to discover open ports and vulnerable services.

Enabling anomalous compute provisioning in Prisma Cloud allows for the detection of unusual and potentially unauthorized activities related to the creation of compute instances. This feature is particularly useful for identifying scenarios where an unauthorized network of compute instances might be established, either accidentally due to misconfigurations or maliciously for purposes such as cryptojacking. Cryptojacking involves the unauthorized use of someone else's compute resources to mine cryptocurrency, and anomalous compute provisioning can help in identifying such activities by highlighting unusual patterns in the provisioning of compute resources.

Similarly, Prisma Cloud integration with external systems such as Amazon GuardDuty, AWS Inspector, Qualys, and Tenable allow you to import vulnerabilities and provide additional context on risks in the cloud. https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/configure-external-integrations-on-prisma-cloud

The protection in the runtime rule that would cause the audit message indicating "/bin/ls launched and is explicitly blocked in the runtime rule" is related to "Processes". In container security, a runtime rule set to monitor and restrict processes can block specific executables or commands from running within a container. If the rule is triggered, it indicates that a process that is explicitly denied by the policy attempted to execute, which in this case is the 'ls' command.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/22-12/prisma-cloud-compute-edition-admin/runtime_defense/runtime_audits

Prisma Cloud Compute Compliance enforcement for hosts covers several aspects to ensure a secure and compliant host environment, particularly within containerized environments. These include:

• Docker daemon configuration files: Ensuring that Docker daemon configuration files are set up according to best security practices is crucial. These files contain various settings that control the behavior of the Docker daemon, and misconfigurations can lead to security vulnerabilities.
• Docker daemon configuration: Beyond just the configuration files, the overall configuration of the Docker daemon itself is critical. This encompasses runtime settings and command-line options that determine how Docker containers are executed and managed on the host.
• Host configuration: The security of the underlying host on which Docker and other container runtimes are installed is paramount. This includes the configuration of the host's operating system, network settings, file permissions, and other system-level settings that can impact the security of the containerized applications running on top.

By focusing on these areas, Prisma Cloud ensures that not just the containers but also the environment they run in is secure, adhering to compliance standards and best practices to mitigate risks associated with containerized deployments.

By default, Prisma Cloud's vulnerability policy is configured to alert on all detected vulnerabilities across containers and images, without filtering based on the severity of the vulnerabilities. This default setting ensures that administrators are made aware of all potential security issues, providing them with comprehensive visibility into the security posture of their environment. Administrators can then assess and prioritize these vulnerabilities based on their context, severity, and impact on the organization's assets​​.

In Azure, to enable Prisma Cloud to calculate net effective permissions across Management Groups, the necessary permission is "Microsoft.Management/managementGroups/descendants/read." This permission grants Prisma Cloud the ability to read the management group hierarchy and the related details, allowing for a comprehensive analysis of the effective permissions applied across different levels of the management group structure. By having this level of access, Prisma Cloud can accurately assess and report on the permissions assigned to various resources and identities within the Azure environment, facilitating better security and compliance management.

Regarding the use of access keys, it is correct that up to two access keys can be active at any time for a single IAM user in AWS, and access keys are used for programmatic API calls to AWS services. This allows for rotation of keys without immediate invalidation of the old key and ensures secure access to AWS services via APIs.

The Adoption Advisor uses four categories to measure adoption progress for Cloud Security Posture Management: Visibility, Compliance, Governance, and Threat Detection and Response. Visibility helps to identify the resources in the environment and to ensure that security controls are in place. Compliance helps to ensure that the environment is meeting regulatory and industry standards. Governance helps to ensure that the environment is secure and managed according to policy. Threat Detection and Response helps to detect and respond to threats quickly and effectively.

The Adoption Advisor in Prisma Cloud uses categories such as Visibility, Compliance, Governance, and Threat Detection and Response to measure adoption progress for Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM). These categories represent key areas of focus for effectively managing and securing cloud environments. Visibility refers to the ability to see and understand all cloud resources and their configurations. Compliance involves ensuring that cloud resources comply with regulatory standards and best practices. Governance encompasses the policies and procedures that control cloud resource usage and security. Threat Detection and Response involves identifying and mitigating security threats to the cloud environment. By measuring adoption progress across these categories, organizations can assess how well they are utilizing CSPM capabilities to secure their cloud environments.

To receive daily email alerts for all policy violations, the SOC team should configure an alert rule that encompasses all policies and sets the notification frequency to once per day. This can be achieved by:

• Navigating to the “Policies” tab within the alert rule configuration and selecting “All Policies” to ensure that the rule applies to every policy.
• Moving to the “Set Alert Notifications” tab and choosing the “Email” notification method.
• Setting the notification to “Recurring” with a frequency of every 1 day.
• Enabling the email notification by specifying the recipient’s email address.

This configuration ensures that the SOC team will receive a consolidated email once a day that includes information on all policies that have been violated, rather than receiving multiple alerts throughout the day as new violations occur. It allows the team to review the compliance status efficiently and prioritize their response accordingly.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/runtime_defense/runtime_defense_containers

Managing Defender upgrades in a Prisma Cloud environment requires careful planning, especially in scenarios where not all Defenders can be upgraded simultaneously due to maintenance window constraints.

• Option C: Upgrade a subset of the Defenders by clicking the individual Actions > Upgrade button in the row that corresponds to the Defender that should be upgraded during the maintenance window is the recommended approach in this situation. This option allows administrators to manually select specific Defenders for upgrade within the available maintenance window, providing control over the upgrade process and ensuring that upgrades are aligned with operational requirements and maintenance schedules.

References:

• Prisma Cloud Defender Management Documentation: Details the procedures for managing and upgrading Prisma Cloud Defenders, including manual upgrade processes for individual Defenders.
• Best Practices for Managing Defender Upgrades: Offers guidelines on effectively planning and executing Defender upgrades, emphasizing the importance of aligning upgrade activities with maintenance windows to minimize disruption to the development environment.

Prisma Cloud, part of Palo Alto Networks' cloud security suite, offers Console images that can be retrieved for deployment in various environments. The correct process for obtaining these images involves using basic authentication with Docker, a widely-used containerization platform. Users must first access the official Palo Alto Networks registry at registry.paloaltonetworks.com. Here, they are required to authenticate using the "docker login" command, which prompts for credentials. Upon successful authentication, users can then use the "docker pull" command to retrieve the Prisma Cloud Console images. This method ensures secure access to the latest Console images for deployment within an organization's infrastructure, aligning with best practices for container image management and deployment.

To onboard an AWS account into Prisma Cloud for the purpose of monitoring resource configurations, the necessary information includes the Role ARN (Amazon Resource Name) and CloudTrail setup. The Role ARN (Option E) is crucial because Prisma Cloud requires permission to access and monitor resources within the AWS account, which is facilitated through an IAM role that Prisma Cloud can assume. This IAM role must have the necessary permissions to access AWS services and resources that Prisma Cloud needs to monitor. CloudTrail (Option A) is essential for auditing and monitoring API calls within the AWS environment, including those related to resource configurations. It provides visibility into user and resource activity by recording API calls made on the account. CloudTrail logs are used by Prisma Cloud to detect changes in resource configurations and ensure compliance with security policies. Subscription ID (Option B) and Active Directory ID (Option C) are more relevant to Azure cloud environments, not AWS. External ID (Option D) is used in a cross-account role trust relationship to prevent the "confused deputy" problem, but it's not specifically required just to onboard the account for resource configuration monitoring.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-rql-reference/rql-reference/event-query/event-query-examples

To enable a user to interact programmatically with Prisma Cloud APIs and for a nonhuman entity to access keys, the correct action is to create a role and assign it to the Service Account (D). Service accounts in Prisma Cloud are designed for programmatic access by applications or automated tools, allowing these entities to interact with Prisma Cloud APIs securely. By creating a specific role with the necessary permissions and assigning it to a service account, administrators can ensure that the entity has the appropriate level of access required for its operations, aligning with the principle of least privilege and enhancing the security posture of API interactions.

The "Data" policy type in Prisma Cloud is specifically designed to protect against threats related to data, including malware. These policies focus on securing data at rest and in transit, implementing data loss prevention (DLP) mechanisms, and scanning data stores and payloads for malicious content. By employing data policies, Prisma Cloud ensures that data stored within cloud environments is safeguarded against unauthorized access, exfiltration, and malware, thereby maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive information.

When automated remediation is enabled in Prisma Cloud, it is designed to address all applicable open alerts, regardless of when they were generated. The system automatically applies remediation actions to resolve the identified security issues or compliance violations that triggered the alerts. Once the remediation actions are successfully completed, the system updates the status of the affected alerts to "resolved," indicating that the security issues have been addressed. This feature helps streamline the remediation process, reducing the manual effort required by security teams and ensuring that security issues are promptly resolved to maintain the integrity and security of the cloud environment.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/vulnerability_management/serverless_functions You can also use the twistcli command line utility to scan your serverless functions. First download your serverless function as a ZIP file, then run: $ twistcli serverless scan

Prisma Cloud supports configuring Single Sign-On (SSO) with Identity Providers (IdPs) to streamline user authentication processes. However, for all the cloud accounts monitored by Prisma Cloud, only one IdP provider can be enabled at any given time. This limitation ensures a unified authentication mechanism across the platform, reducing complexity and potential security risks associated with managing multiple IdP configurations.

In the context of DoS protection, enforcing a rate limit is a common strategy to prevent abuse and ensure service availability. The scenario described involves limiting the rate at which users can post ".tar.gz" files to five within five seconds. The correct ban configuration for this requirement would be one that specifies an average rate of 5 with a file extension match on “.tar.gz" within the Web Application and API Security (WAAS) component of a security solution like Prisma Cloud. WAAS is designed to protect web applications and APIs from various threats, including DoS attacks, by applying policies that can limit actions based on specific criteria, such as file types and request rates. This configuration ensures that any attempt to upload more than five ".tar.gz" files within a five-second window would be detected and blocked, mitigating the risk of DoS attacks targeting this particular file upload functionality.

• Create SNS Topic Triggers: No data security scan
• Select an S3 bucket: Forward Scan only
• Select an S3 bucket with existing files: Forward or Backward Scan
• Link an S3 logging to CloudTrail: Backward Scan only

The scanning mode for Data Security in AWS typically depends on the configuration and the desired outcomes for monitoring and protecting data within S3 buckets.

Creating SNS Topic Triggers is a configuration step that does not directly involve scanning. It is part of setting up notifications for events in S3 buckets, but on its own, it does not initiate a data security scan.

Selecting an S3 bucket without specifying existing files typically implies that you intend to scan new objects as they are added to the bucket, which is known as a Forward Scan. This mode is proactive and scans files upon their arrival in the bucket.

When you select an S3 bucket with existing files, you can perform either Forward Scanning for new files or Backward Scanning to scan all existing files in the bucket. This option provides the most comprehensive scanning coverage for both new and existing data.

Linking an S3 logging to CloudTrail is usually a step taken to monitor access and changes to S3 resources. In the context of scanning, linking S3 to CloudTrail does not initiate a scan, but the CloudTrail logs can be used to trigger a Backward Scan if configured to do so, which scans historical files in the bucket based on CloudTrail events.

To configure serverless scanning in a cloud security platform like Prisma Cloud, the system needs to know where (Region) the serverless functions are deployed, how to access them (Credential), and on which cloud platform they are running (Provider). These settings ensure that the scanning tool can accurately locate and authenticate to the serverless functions across different cloud environments for vulnerability assessment. This aligns with the principle of providing comprehensive visibility and consistent security across multi-cloud environments as outlined in the "Guide to Cloud Security Posture Management Tools" document​​.

The activities listed (Backdoor account access, Hijacked processes, Lateral movement, Port scanning) are categorized as incidents (option B). Incidents represent security events or patterns of activity that indicate potential security breaches or malicious behavior within the environment. Prisma Cloud identifies and classifies such activities as incidents to highlight significant security concerns that require investigation and potential remediation. This categorization helps security teams prioritize their response efforts, focusing on activities that pose a real threat to the integrity and security of the cloud environment. By distinguishing incidents from other types of security findings, Prisma Cloud enables more effective incident response and threat management processes.

https://docs.prismacloud.io/en/classic/rql-reference/rql-reference/event-query/event-query-examples https://docs.prismacloud.io/en/classic/rql-reference/rql-reference/event-query/event-query-examples#idda895fd2-4496-4b31-9766-7d50215dcc18

After the Console has been upgraded, check and upgrade any of the Defenders that have reached the end of their support lifecycle (Defenders are backward compatible for N-2 releases). The Defender release image is built from the UBI8-minimal base image and on upgrade it is a full container image upgrade, which means that the old Defender container is replaced with a new container. Then, upgrade all other Prisma Cloud components, such as the Jenkins plugin. https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/upgrade/upgrade_process_saas

When enabling Registry Scanning in Prisma Cloud for a registry that stores Windows images, it's important to note that Windows host defenders must be deployed in the environment to scan these images effectively. The Windows host defenders are specialized versions of the Prisma Cloud Defender that are designed to run on Windows operating systems. They provide the necessary functionality to scan Windows container images stored in registries, identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring the images comply with security policies before they are deployed. This requirement underscores the importance of having the appropriate Defender deployments that match the operating systems of the images being scanned.

The correct command to scan the nginx:latest image for vulnerabilities and compliance issues using the Prisma Cloud twistcli tool is shown in Option D. This command uses twistcli images scan with specified parameters for the console address, username, and password, and it outputs the results to a file named scan-results.json. This allows for the scanning results to be saved and reviewed in a structured format, which aids in further analysis and tracking of vulnerabilities and compliance issues.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/configure-external-integrations-on-prisma-cloud#id24911ff9-c9ec-4503-bb3a-6cfce792a70d

The Run policies monitor resources and check for potential issues once these cloud resources are deployed Build policies enable you to check for security misconfigurations in the IaC templates and ensure that these issues do not make their way into production. https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/prisma-cloud-policies/create-a-policy

• B. Build policies: These are designed to identify insecure configurations in your Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates, such as AWS CloudFormation, HashiCorp Terraform, and Kubernetes App manifests. The goal of build policies is to detect security issues early in the development process, before the actual resources are deployed in runtime environments. This helps ensure that security issues are identified and remediated before they can affect production1.
• D. Run policies: These policies are focused on monitoring the deployed cloud resources and checking for potential issues during their operation. Run policies are essential for ongoing security and compliance in the production environment, as they provide visibility into the actual state of resources and their activities1.

Run and Network policies (A) are indeed part of the configuration policy set, but they do not highlight the difference between build and run policies. Similarly, while Run policies do monitor network activities ©, this statement does not contrast them with Build policies.

In Prisma Cloud, configuration policies are categorized to align with the different phases of the cloud security lifecycle, emphasizing a holistic approach to cloud security management. The subtypes "Build and Run" encapsulate this approach by covering both the development phase (Build) - where cloud resources and applications are designed and created, and the operational phase (Run) - where these resources and applications are deployed and actively used. This categorization ensures that security and compliance are integral throughout the lifecycle, from the initial creation of cloud infrastructure and applications to their deployment and day-to-day operation, thereby enhancing the overall security posture.

Onboarding an account for Data Security involves several critical steps to ensure comprehensive coverage and effective monitoring. The steps involved include B. Create a Cloudtrail with SNS Topic to track and manage API calls and relevant notifications, D. Enter the RoleARN and SNSARN to provide necessary access and integration points for data security functions, and E. Create a S3 bucket which serves as a storage solution for logging and data capture essential for security analysis.

CloudFormation templates, used to describe and provision all the infrastructure resources in cloud environments, support various elements including resources, mappings, parameters, and outputs. However, scan support for CloudFormation templates does not currently exist for nested references, macros, or intrinsic functions (option A). These advanced CloudFormation features can introduce complexity in scanning and interpreting the templates accurately for security and compliance checks.

In Prisma Cloud, to automatically enable all severity levels for alerts, a user would need to navigate to the Policies section, then to Settings. Within this area, there is an option for "auto-enable default policies," which, when checked for all severity levels, ensures that any default policies related to those severities are automatically activated. This is a configuration setting that streamlines the alerting process by ensuring that all relevant severity levels are covered by the default policies without the need for manual intervention.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/prisma-cloud-policies/manage-prisma-cloud-policies

Step 1- To enable global settings for Prisma Cloud default policies click "Settings" and select "Enterprise Settings" Step 2- To enable policies based on severity, select Auto enable new default policies of the type—Critical, High, Medium, Low or Informational.

The runtime audit message indicating "DNS resolution of suspicious name wikipedia.com. type A" would appear as an audit because the DNS was not learned as part of the Container model or added to the DNS allow list (option A). In cloud security platforms like Prisma Cloud, runtime protection policies monitor the behavior of running containers and compare it against a learned model of expected behavior. If a container attempts to resolve a DNS name that was not observed during the learning phase or specifically allowed, it triggers an audit event to alert security teams of potentially malicious activity.

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin-compute/continuous_integration/set_policy_ci_plugins

"you can also create configuration policies to scan your Infrastructure as Code (IaC) templates that are used to deploy cloud resources. The policies used for scanning IaC templates use a JSON query instead of RQL."

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/prisma/prisma-cloud/prisma-cloud-admin/prisma-cloud-policies/create-a-policy

Web Application and API Security (WAAS) bot protection within the Prisma Cloud ecosystem includes various types of bots, with "User-defined bots" and "Unknown bots" being two key categories. User-defined bots refer to bots that organizations have explicitly identified and categorized based on their behavior and purpose. These can include legitimate bots such as search engine crawlers or internal automation tools, which are recognized and allowed based on predefined criteria set by the user.

Unknown bots, on the other hand, encompass bots that have not been explicitly identified or categorized by the user or the system. These can potentially include malicious bots that attempt to scrape data, perform DDoS attacks, or exploit vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs. The categorization of unknown bots is crucial for maintaining security, as it allows for the monitoring and analysis of bot behavior to identify potential threats and take appropriate actions.

In the context of Prisma Cloud and its emphasis on securing cloud-native applications, the differentiation between user-defined and unknown bots is significant. Prisma Cloud's approach to WAAS bot protection is designed to provide granular control over bot traffic, enabling organizations to distinguish between beneficial and harmful bot activities. This aligns with the broader goal of ensuring the security and integrity of web applications and APIs in a cloud environment, as highlighted in documents such as the "Prisma-Cloud-Visibility-and-Control-Qualification-Guide" and "Guide-to-CSPM-Tools-Email-Social -LP-Copy." These resources emphasize the importance of comprehensive security measures that include the management of bot traffic to protect against a wide range of web-based threats.

References:

• "Prisma-Cloud-Visibility-and-Control-Qualification-Guide" discusses the importance of visibility and control in cloud environments, including the management of bot traffic as part of a comprehensive security strategy.
• "Guide-to-CSPM-Tools-Email-Social -LP-Copy" highlights the need for advanced security tools and practices, such as WAAS bot protection, to manage and mitigate the risks associated with web applications and APIs in the cloud.

The correct section of the Console that the administrator should use to review findings such as "User namespace is enabled", "An LDAP server is enabled", and "SSH root is enabled" is "Compliance".

The "Compliance" section in CSPM tools like Prisma Cloud provides an overview of the current compliance posture against various regulatory standards and best practices. It can help identify configurations that do not adhere to best practices or that may violate compliance requirements, such as enabling the user namespace, which could be a security risk, or having an LDAP server and SSH root enabled, which may not comply with certain security standards.

Reference to the use of the "Compliance" section can be found in CSPM documentation, where it details how compliance checks are used to assess the security and configuration of cloud resources against established benchmarks and standards, allowing organizations to maintain compliance and improve their security posture.