XSIAM-Analyst Sample Questions Answers

The correct answer isD – Hostnames, user names, IP addresses, and Active Directory.

These are commonly used and supported asfeatured fieldsin Cortex XSIAM for filtering, correlation, and highlighting key data points across incidents and alerts.

"Featured fields can include hostnames, user names, IP addresses, and Active Directory objects for enhanced alert context and searchability."

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Page:Page 18 (Endpoint Management/Incident Handling section)

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The correct answer isA– the query using the fieldcausality_actor_effective_username.

When analyzing events where privilege escalation is used, it is essential to identify the original effective user that initiated the causality chain, not merely the process’s own running user (as provided by other fields). The fieldcausality_actor_effective_usernamespecifically provides the effective username context of the actor behind the entire chain of actions that resulted in launching the suspicious executable.

Explanation of fields from Official Document:

causality_actor_effective_username: This field indicates the original effective user who started the entire causality chain.

actor_process_usernameandaction_process_username: These fields indicate the immediate process username, not necessarily reflecting the correct original context when privilege escalation occurs.

Therefore, to always identify the correct user context in privilege escalation scenarios, optionAis the verified correct answer.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The correct answer isB – The artifact verdict has changed from a previous state to "Malware."

Thehexagon-shaped object with an exclamation markin Cortex XSIAM artifact analysis indicates achange or escalation in verdict—typically from "Unknown" or another previous state to "Malware." This symbol is a visual cue for analysts to pay attention to the updated status, as the system has reclassified the file/object to "Malware" based on new intelligence or analysis.

“The exclamation mark in a hexagon is used to signal that the verdict of the artifact has changed, most commonly to indicate a new classification as 'Malware.'”

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 37 (Threat Intel Management section, Artifact verdict/status changes)

Correct answers areA and D.

Option A (Correct): IOC rules within Cortex XSIAM can detect specific indicators such as files, registry keys, IP addresses, hashes, and URLs.

Option D (Correct): IOC rules can indeed be uploaded or updated programmatically using REST APIs, enabling automation and bulk management.

Options B and C are incorrect due to the following reasons:

Expiration dates for IOC rules vary depending on system settings, and there is no strict 180-day limit explicitly defined in the provided documentation.

IOC rules are managed through general alert exclusion mechanisms as well as through suppression rules.

"IOC rules can detect specific files, hashes, registry keys, IP addresses, and URLs and can be managed programmatically via REST API."

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Exact Page:Page 33 (Alerting and Detection section)

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

D (Correct):The process cmd.exe is marked as theCausality Group Owner (GCO)in the image, meaning it is the root process responsible for spawning or causing the rest of the chain, including the execution of Malware.pdf.exe.

B (Correct):Thealert iconsshown next to Malware.pdf.exe are typical when the malware profile is set to "Report" mode, which allows detection and alerting on the behavior without actively blocking it (otherwise, the process would not execute fully, and you'd see prevention action).

A (Incorrect):While Malware.pdf.exe is shown as responsible for generating the alerts, the entire chain starts from cmd.exe, not Malware.pdf.exe.

C (Incorrect):The image shows two alert icons, not three, so this statement cannot be determined as true from the causality chain.

"The GCO (Causality Group Owner) in the causality chain visual indicates the parent/root process. If a prevention profile is set to Report, the process is logged and not blocked."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf, Page 46 (Incident Handling – Causality Investigation)

The correct answer isD, a risk scoring policy for the critical asset.

In Cortex XSIAM, to consistently apply a high score (e.g., 100) to any alert involving a particular asset, analysts should define and apply a risk scoring policy. Such policies allow organizations to specifically customize and enforce a scoring framework to reflect the critical nature of certain assets, ensuring they are always prioritized during incident response activities.

Asset criticality alone (option A) doesn't automatically assign a static high score to every alert.

SmartScore (option B) is AI-driven and dynamic; it cannot guarantee a fixed, always-maximized score.

User scoring rules (option C) target user entities, not specifically the assets themselves.

"Risk scoring policies are explicitly defined to consistently assign specific scores to incidents or alerts involving critical assets, ensuring prioritized visibility in the incident queue."

The correct answer isA – Input Results.

In Cortex XSIAM playbooks, when sub-playbooks are configured to loop, theInput Resultstab within the task view allows analysts to see exactly what input data was provided to the sub-playbook during each iteration of the loop. This is essential for understanding playbook behavior and troubleshooting automation flows.

“The Input Results tab in the playbook task provides visibility into the data supplied to a sub-playbook for every loop iteration, allowing analysts to review how the input changes across executions.”

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 39 (Automation section)

(Both steps together are needed for accurate configuration: "Filter and select one or more file, IP address, and domain indicators." AND "Select profiles for prevention")

The correct steps are tofilter and select one or more file, IP address, and domain indicators(C) and thenselect profiles for prevention(D).

When configuring an indicator prevention rule in Cortex XSIAM/XDR, after naming the rule and setting its severity, the analyst should:

Filter and select the specific indicators(e.g., file hashes, IP addresses, domains) that are to be blocked or prevented.

Select the appropriate endpoint profiles or groupswhere the rule should be enforced for active prevention.

"Before saving an indicator prevention rule, filter and select the relevant indicators (file, IP address, and domain), then assign the prevention profiles that will enforce the rule on endpoints."

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Page:Page 16-17 (Endpoint Policy Management section)

The correct answer isD – Sequence of events, alerts, rules and other actions involved over the lifespan of an incident.

Thetimeline viewin Cortex XSIAM provides achronological sequence of all events, alerts, and actionsthat have occurred in relation to a specific incident, helping analysts understand the incident’s progression from start to finish.

"The timeline view provides a detailed, chronological sequence of events, alerts, and actions for the lifespan of an incident."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 32 (Incident Handling section)

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The correct answer isA – The file retrieval policy applied to the endpoints may restrict access to certain system or kernel files.

Cortex XSIAM and XDR implement security policies and permissions that mayrestrict the retrieval of sensitive system files, including kernel files, for safety and compliance reasons. When a file retrieval action is initiated, the endpoint policy controls which files are accessible; kernel and other protected files are often excluded from remote retrieval actions to prevent accidental or unauthorized access.

"The file retrieval policy controls which files can be remotely collected from endpoints. Sensitive files, such as kernel or system files, may be restricted by policy and are not accessible through standard remote retrieval actions."

Document Reference:EDU-270c-10-lab-guide_02.docx (1).pdf

Exact Page:Page 13 (Agent Deployment and Configuration section)

The correct answer isB, Collecting the evidence manually through the agent by accessing the machine directly and running "Generate Support File".

In situations where full isolation is enabled on an endpoint, all network communication is completely restricted. To ensure that the endpoint remains isolated while still obtaining forensic evidence such as memory dumps or disk images, the analyst needs to use manual collection via the agent directly on the machine. The "Generate Support File" feature within the agent allows analysts to locally gather detailed forensic data without breaking network isolation.

This manual method ensures the endpoint does not reconnect or communicate externally, maintaining strict isolation for security purposes.

"In endpoint isolation mode, network communication is completely blocked. Analysts should utilize the local 'Generate Support File' function on the agent to collect forensic data while maintaining full isolation."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Exact Page:Page 14 (Endpoints section)

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:

The correct answers areC – Block 192.168.1.199andD – Isolate the affected workstation.

Block 192.168.1.199:The image shows that the suspicious or malicious activity originated from this source IP address, making it a potential threat actor or compromised system on the network. Blocking this IP helps prevent further communication or lateral movement from the suspected attacker.

Isolate the affected workstation:Since suspicious activities (like powershell_ise.exe running as an admin and launching splunkd.exe) are detected, isolating the workstation is a critical containment measure. This action disconnects the endpoint from the network, stopping any ongoing attack, lateral movement, or command-and-control activity, while allowing for forensic investigation.

"Isolating an endpoint and blocking the source IP address are best practices for immediate containment in the event of detected compromise or suspicious activity."

Document Reference:XSIAM Analyst ILT Lab Guide.pdf

Page:Page 40 (Incident Handling section)