Answer:

C

Answer:

A, C, E

Explanation:
Threat intelligence in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) enhances SOC capabilities by identifying known
attack patterns, suspicious activity, and malicious indicators.
Essential Steps in Developing Threat Intelligence:
Collecting Data from Trusted Sources (A)
Gather data from threat intelligence feeds (e.g., STIX, TAXII, OpenCTI, VirusTotal, AbuseIPDB).
Include internal logs, honeypots, and third-party security vendors.
Analyzing and Correlating Threat Data (C)
Use correlation searches to match known threat indicators against live data.
Identify patterns in network traffic, logs, and endpoint activity.
Operationalizing Intelligence Through Workflows (E)
Automate responses using Splunk SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response).
Enhance alert prioritization by integrating intelligence into risk-based alerting (RBA).
Incorrect Answers:
❌
B. Conducting regular penetration tests – Important for security, but not a core part of threat
intelligence development.
❌
D. Creating dashboards for executives – Helps in reporting but does not develop threat
intelligence.
Reference:
Splunk Threat Intelligence Framework
How to Use Threat Intelligence in Splunk

Answer:

A

Explanation:
Aggregation policies in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) are used to group related notable events,
reducing alert fatigue and improving incident analysis.
Role of Aggregation Policies in Correlation Searches:
Group Related Notable Events (A)
Helps SOC analysts see a single consolidated event instead of multiple isolated alerts.
Uses common attributes like user, asset, or attack type to aggregate events.
Improves Incident Response Efficiency
Reduces the number of duplicate alerts, helping analysts focus on high-priority threats.
Incorrect Answers:
❌
B. To index events from multiple sources – Correlation searches analyze indexed data but do not
control indexing.
❌
C. To normalize event fields for dashboards – Field normalization is handled by Splunk CIM
(Common Information Model).
❌
D. To automate responses to critical events – While SOAR automates response actions,
aggregation focuses on event grouping.
Reference:
Splunk ES Aggregation Policies Documentation
Best Practices for Correlation Searches

Answer:

A, C, D

Explanation:
Splunk SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) improves security operations by
automating routine tasks.
✅
1. Faster Incident Resolution (A)
SOAR playbooks reduce response time from hours to minutes.
Example:
A malicious IP is automatically blocked in the firewall after detection.
✅
2. Scaling Manual Efforts (C)
Automation allows security teams to handle more incidents without increasing headcount.
Example:
Instead of manually reviewing phishing emails, SOAR triages them automatically.
✅
3. Consistent Task Execution (D)
Ensures standardized responses to security incidents.
Example:
Every malware alert follows the same containment process.
❌
Incorrect Answers:
B . Reducing false positives → SOAR automates response but does not inherently reduce false
positives (SIEM tuning does).
E . Eliminating all human intervention → Human analysts are still needed for decision-making.
Additional Resources:
Splunk SOAR Automation Guide
Best Practices for SOAR Implementation

Answer:

C

Explanation:
Updating the SOP for Handling Phishing Incidents
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) should focus on prevention, detection, and response.
✅
1. Documenting Steps for User Awareness Training (C)
Training employees helps prevent phishing incidents.
Example:
Teach users to identify phishing emails and report them via a Splunk SOAR playbook.
❌
Incorrect Answers:
A . Ensuring all reports are manually verified by analysts → Automation (via SOAR) should be used
for initial triage.
B . Automating the isolation of suspected phishing emails → Automation is useful, but user
education prevents incidents.
D . Reporting incidents to the executive board immediately → Only major security breaches should
be escalated to executives.
Additional Resources:
NIST Incident Response Guide
Splunk Phishing Detection Playbooks

Answer:

A, B, D

Explanation:
Effective security reporting helps SOC teams, executives, and compliance officers make informed
decisions.
✅
1. Automating Report Generation (A)
Saves time by scheduling reports for regular distribution.
Reduces manual effort and ensures timely insights.
Example:
A weekly phishing attack report sent to SOC analysts.
✅
2. Customizing Reports for Different Audiences (B)
Technical reports for SOC teams include detailed event logs.
Executive summaries provide risk assessments and trends.
Example:
SOC analysts see incident logs, while executives get a risk summary.
✅
3. Providing Actionable Recommendations (D)
Reports should not just show data but suggest actions.
Example:
If failed login attempts increase, recommend MFA enforcement.
❌
Incorrect Answers:
C . Including unrelated historical data for context → Reports should be concise and relevant.
E . Using dynamic filters for better analysis → Useful in dashboards, but not a primary factor in
reporting effectiveness.
Additional Resources:
Splunk Security Reporting Guide
Best Practices for Security Metrics

Answer:

B D

Explanation:
Summary indexing in Splunk improves search efficiency by storing pre-aggregated data, reducing the
need to process large datasets repeatedly.
Key Benefits of Summary Indexing:
Improves Search Performance on Aggregated Data (B)
Reduces query execution time by storing pre-calculated results.
Helps SOC teams analyze trends without running resource-intensive searches.
Increases Data Retention Period (D)
Raw logs may have short retention periods, but summary indexes can store key insights for longer.
Useful for historical trend analysis and compliance reporting.
Incorrect Answers:
❌
A. Reduces storage space required for raw data – Summary indexing creates additional storage,
rather than reducing raw data size.
❌
C. Provides automatic field extraction during indexing – Field extraction is not automatic in
summary indexing; it depends on how data is processed.
Reference:
Splunk Summary Indexing Best Practices
Improving Search Performance with Summary Indexing

Answer:

A, C

Explanation:
An audit report provides an overview of security operations, compliance adherence, and past
incidents, helping organizations ensure regulatory compliance and improve security posture.
Key Elements of an Audit Report:
Analysis of Past Incidents (A)
Includes details on security breaches, alerts, and investigations.
Helps identify recurring threats and security gaps.
Compliance Metrics (C)
Evaluates adherence to regulatory frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, GDPR).
Measures risk scores, policy violations, and control effectiveness.
Incorrect Answers:
❌
B. List of unprocessed log data – Unprocessed logs do not contribute to security insights in an
audit report.
❌
D. Asset inventory details – While asset tracking is important, audit reports focus on security and
compliance data.
Reference:
Security Audit Reports Best Practices
Splunk Compliance and Audit Frameworks

Answer:

B

Explanation:
Splunk SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) helps SOC teams automate threat
detection, investigation, and response by integrating security tools and orchestrating workflows.
Primary Purpose of Splunk SOAR:
Automates Security Tasks (B)
Reduces manual efforts by using playbooks to handle routine incidents automatically.
Accelerates threat mitigation by automating response actions (e.g., blocking malicious IPs, isolating
endpoints).
Orchestrates Security Workflows (B)
Connects SIEM, threat intelligence, firewalls, endpoint security, and ITSM tools into a unified security
workflow.
Ensures faster and more effective threat response across multiple security tools.
Incorrect Answers:
❌
A. To accelerate data ingestion – Splunk SOAR focuses on incident response automation, not data
ingestion.
❌
C. To improve indexing performance – Indexing is managed by Splunk Enterprise, not Splunk
SOAR.
❌
D. To provide threat intelligence feeds – While SOAR can use threat intelligence, it does not
provide them.
Reference:
Splunk SOAR Overview
Automating Incident Response with Splunk SOAR

Answer:

A

Explanation:
MITRE ATT&CK is a threat intelligence framework that helps security teams map attack techniques to
detection rules.
✅
1. Develop Custom Detection Rules Based on Attack Techniques (A)
Maps Splunk correlation searches to MITRE ATT&CK techniques to detect adversary behaviors.
Example:
To detect T1078 (Valid Accounts):
index=auth_logs action=failed | stats count by user, src_ip
If an account logs in from anomalous locations, trigger an alert.
❌
Incorrect Answers:
B . Use it only for reporting after incidents → MITRE ATT&CK should be used proactively for threat
detection.
C . Rely solely on vendor-provided threat intelligence → Custom rules tailored to an organization’s
threat landscape are more effective.
D . Deploy it as a replacement for current detection systems → MITRE ATT&CK complements existing
SIEM/EDR tools, not replaces them.
Additional Resources:
MITRE ATT&CK & Splunk
Using MITRE ATT&CK in SIEMs

Answer:

A, B, C

Explanation:
Indexing issues can cause search performance problems, data loss, and delays in security event
processing.
✅
1. Use btool to Check Configurations (A)
Helps validate Splunk configurations related to indexing.
Example:
Check indexes.conf settings:
splunk btool indexes list --debug
✅
2. Monitor Queues in the Monitoring Console (B)
Identifies indexing bottlenecks such as blocked queues, dropped events, or indexing lag.
Example:
Navigate to: Settings → Monitoring Console → Indexing Performance.
✅
3. Review Internal Logs Such as splunkd.log (C)
The splunkd.log file contains indexing errors, disk failures, and queue overflows.
Example:
Use Splunk to search internal logs:
❌
Incorrect Answer:
D . Enable distributed search in Splunk Web → Distributed search improves scalability, but does not
troubleshoot indexing problems.
Additional Resources:
Splunk Indexing Performance Guide
Using btool for Debugging

Answer:

B

Explanation:
When a correlation search in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) generates excessive notable events due
to test accounts, the best approach is to filter out test accounts while keeping legitimate detections
active.
✅
1. Apply Filtering to Exclude Test Accounts (B)
Modifies the correlation search to exclude known test accounts.
Reduces false positives while keeping real threats visible.
Example:
Update the search to exclude test accounts:
index=auth_logs NOT user IN ("test_user1", "test_user2")
❌
Incorrect Answers:
A . Disable the correlation search for test accounts → This removes visibility into all failed logins,
including those that may indicate real threats.
C . Lower the search threshold for failed logins → Would increase false positives, making it harder for
SOC teams to focus on real attacks.
D . Suppress all notable events temporarily → Suppression hides all alerts, potentially missing real
security incidents.
Additional Resources:
Splunk ES: Managing Correlation Searches
Reducing False Positives in SIEM

Answer:

ACD

Explanation:
A notable event in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) represents a significant security detection that
requires investigation.
Key Elements of a Good Notable Event:
✅
Meaningful Descriptions (Answer A)
Helps analysts understand the event at a glance.
Example: Instead of "Possible attack detected," use "Multiple failed admin logins from foreign IP
address".
✅
Proper Categorization (Answer C)
Ensures events are classified correctly (e.g., Brute Force, Insider Threat, Malware Activity).
Example: A malicious file download alert should be categorized as "Malware Infection", not just
"General Alert".
✅
Relevant Field Extractions (Answer D)
Ensures that critical details (IP, user, timestamp) are present for SOC analysis.
Example: If an alert reports failed logins, extracted fields should include username, source IP, and
login method.
Why Not the Other Options?
❌
B. Minimal use of contextual data – More context helps SOC analysts investigate faster.
Reference & Learning Resources
Building Effective Notable Events in Splunk ES: https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/ES
SOC Best Practices for Security Alerts: https://splunkbase.splunk.com
How to Categorize Security Alerts Properly: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security

Answer:

B

Explanation:
How to Reduce False Positives in Correlation Searches?
High false positives can overwhelm SOC teams, causing alert fatigue and missed real threats. The
best solution is to fine-tune suppression rules and refine thresholds.
How Suppression Rules & Threshold Tuning Help:
✅
Suppression Rules: Prevent repeated false positives from low-risk recurring events (e.g., normal
system scans).
✅
Threshold Refinement: Adjust sensitivity to focus on true threats (e.g., changing a login failure
alert from 3 to 10 failed attempts).
Example in Splunk ES:
Scenario: A correlation search generates too many alerts for failed logins.
✅
Fix: SOC analysts refine detection thresholds:
Suppress alerts if failed logins occur within a short timeframe but are followed by a successful login.
Only trigger an alert if failed logins exceed 10 attempts within 5 minutes.
Why Not the Other Options?
❌
A. Increase the frequency of the correlation search – Increases search load without reducing false
positives.
❌
C. Disable the correlation search temporarily – Leads to blind spots in detection.
❌
D. Limit the search to a single index – May exclude critical security logs from detection.
Reference & Learning Resources
Splunk ES Correlation Search Optimization Guide: https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/ES
Reducing False Positives in SOC Workflows: https://splunkbase.splunk.com
Fine-Tuning Security Alerts in Splunk: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security

Answer:

B

Explanation:
Why Use Risk-Based Dashboards for Tracking Threat Trends?
Risk-based dashboards in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) provide a structured way to track threats
over time.
How Risk-Based Dashboards Help:
✅
Aggregate security events into risk scores → Helps prioritize high-risk activities.
✅
Show historical trends of threat activity.
✅
Correlate multiple risk factors across different security events.
Example in Splunk ES:
Scenario: A SOC team tracks insider threat activity over 6 months.
✅
The Risk-Based Dashboard shows:
Users with rising risk scores over time.
Patterns of malicious behavior (e.g., repeated failed logins + data exfiltration).
Correlation between different security alerts (e.g., phishing clicks → malware execution).
Why Not the Other Options?
❌
A. Event sampling – Helps with performance optimization, not threat trend tracking.
❌
C. Summary indexing – Stores precomputed data but is not designed for tracking risk trends.
❌
D. Data model acceleration – Improves search speed, but doesn’t track security trends.
Reference & Learning Resources
Splunk ES Risk-Based Alerting Guide: https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/ES
Tracking Security Trends Using Risk-Based Dashboards: https://splunkbase.splunk.com
How to Build Risk-Based Analytics in Splunk: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security