An IDS signature is designed to detect and alert on logins to a certain server, but only if they occur from 6:00 PM - 6:00 AM. If no IDS alerts occur in this window, but the signature is known to be correct, this would be an example of what?
Correct Answer:A
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.
References:
Cybersecurity analysts working with IDS systems frequently use concepts like True Negative and False Positive in evaluating the effectiveness of their detection tools.
The correct handling of such detection cases is critical to minimizing unnecessary alerts (False Positives) and ensuring real threats are not missed (avoiding False Negatives).
Which of the following is a best practice for searching in Splunk?
Correct Answer:A
In Splunk,streaming commandsprocess each event individually as it is passed through the search pipeline and should be placed beforeaggregating commands, which operate on the entire set of results at once. This best practice ensures efficient processing and minimizes resource usage, as streaming commands reduce the amount of data before aggregation occurs. This approach leads to faster and more efficient searches. In contrast, the other options, such as using wildcards excessively or searching over all time, can lead to performance issues and excessive data processing.
What goal of an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group aims to disrupt or damage on behalf of a cause?
Correct Answer:A
Hacktivismrefers to the use of hacking techniques by an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group to promote a political agenda or social cause. Unlike other motivations such as financial gain or espionage, the primary goal of hacktivism is to disrupt, damage, or deface systems to draw attention to a cause or to protest against something the group opposes.
✑ Hacktivism:
✑ Incorrect Options:
✑ Cybersecurity Literature:Books and articles on APT motivations often highlight hacktivism as a distinct category with a focus on ideological or political goals.
How are Notable Events configured in Splunk Enterprise Security?
Correct Answer:D
Notable Events in Splunk Enterprise Security are configured as part of a correlation search, where an Adaptive Response Action can be set to create a Notable Event when certain conditions are met. These correlation searches are pre-defined or custom searches that look for specific patterns of interest, such as security incidents or anomalies. The use of Adaptive Response Actions within these searches allows for the automated creation of Notable Events, which can then be investigated by security analysts. This configuration is a crucial part of Splunk's security operations capabilities.
Which of the Enterprise Security frameworks provides additional automatic context and correlation to fields that exist within raw data?
Correct Answer:A
TheAsset and Identityframework within Splunk Enterprise Security provides additional automatic context and correlation to fields that exist within raw data. By associating IP addresses, usernames, and other identifiers with known assets and identities within the organization, this framework enhances the context of security events and facilitates moreaccurate and meaningful analysis. This allows analysts to better understand the impact of security incidents and to prioritize their responses based on the criticality of the assets involved.
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A threat hunter generates a report containing the list of users who have logged in to a particular database during the last 6 months, along with the number of times they have each authenticated. They sort this list and remove any user names who have logged in more than 6 times. The remaining names represent the users who rarely log in, as their activity is more suspicious. The hunter examines each of these rare logins in detail.
This is an example of what type of threat-hunting technique?
Correct Answer:A
The scenario described is an example ofLeast Frequency of Occurrence Analysis. This threat-hunting technique focuses on identifying events or behaviors that occur infrequently, under the assumption that rare activities could indicate abnormal or suspicious behavior. By filtering out users who log in frequently and focusing on those with rare login attempts, the threat hunter aims to identify potentially suspicious activity that warrants further investigation. This technique is particularly effective in detecting stealthy attacks that might evade more common detection methods.
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