Cisco Certified CyberOps Professional 350-201 Exam Guide

The Performing CyberOps Using Cisco Security Technologies v1.1 (CBRCOR 350-201) is a structured 120-minute examination aligned with the Cisco CyberOps Professional Certification. This exam evaluates a candidate’s comprehensive understanding of essential cybersecurity operations, encompassing fundamentals, advanced techniques, diverse processes, and the role of automation in cybersecurity. The preparatory course for this exam, titled “Performing CyberOps Using Cisco Security Technologies,” is designed to equip candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge.

1.0 Fundamentals (20%)

• Interpret the components within a playbook: Understand the structured sets of guidelines designed to perform specific actions in response to particular security events, enabling consistent and quick responses.
• Determine the tools needed based on a playbook scenario: Select appropriate tools and technologies required to effectively execute the steps outlined in a playbook for various security incidents.
• Apply the playbook for a common scenario: Implement the designated procedures in a playbook to manage typical security incidents such as unauthorized access, denial of service attacks, or website defacement, ensuring readiness and effective response.
• Infer the industry for various compliance standards: Understand and apply different regulatory compliance standards like PCI, FISMA, and GDPR that are relevant to specific industries to ensure legal and security requirements are met.
• Describe the purpose of cyber risk insurance: Explain the role of insurance in mitigating financial losses associated with cyber incidents, highlighting its importance in a comprehensive risk management strategy.
• Analyze elements of a risk analysis: Evaluate the interrelationships between assets, vulnerabilities, and threats to determine potential security risks and their impacts on the organization.
• Apply the incident response workflow: Execute steps in the incident response process from preparation to recovery to manage and mitigate security breaches effectively.
• Describe characteristics and areas of improvement using common incident response metrics: Assess and enhance the incident response process using metrics such as time to detect and time to respond, facilitating continuous improvement.
• Describe types of cloud environments: Discuss different cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models (public, private, hybrid) to understand their unique security implications.
• Compare security operations considerations of cloud platforms: Evaluate how security operations differ across various cloud platforms, focusing on the specific challenges and strategies associated with each type.

2.0 Techniques (30%)

• Recommend data analytic techniques to meet specific needs or answer specific questions: Suggest appropriate analytic methods to extract insights from data effectively, enhancing security operations.
• Describe the use of hardening machine images for deployment: Explain the process of securing machine images to prevent vulnerabilities and ensure secure deployment environments.
• Describe the process of evaluating the security posture of an asset: Outline how to assess the security level of assets to identify potential vulnerabilities and implement necessary security measures.
• Evaluate the security controls of an environment, diagnose gaps, and recommend improvement: Critically analyze existing security controls, identify deficiencies, and propose enhancements to fortify security.
• Determine resources for industry standards and recommendations for hardening of systems: Identify and utilize industry-standard resources and guidelines to secure systems effectively.
• Determine patching recommendations, given a scenario: Provide appropriate patch management strategies to address vulnerabilities in software and systems.
• Recommend services to disable, given a scenario: Advise on disabling unnecessary services to minimize attack surfaces and enhance system security.
• Apply segmentation to a network: Implement network segmentation to isolate and protect sensitive data and systems within an organization.
• Utilize network controls for network hardening: Deploy robust network security measures to strengthen the overall security posture.
• Determine SecDevOps recommendations (implications): Integrate security practices into the DevOps process to enhance the security of development and operational activities.

3.0 Processes (30%)

• Analyze components in a threat model: Break down and examine elements of threat modeling to understand potential security threats and devise effective mitigation strategies.
• Determine the steps to investigate the common types of cases: Outline procedural steps for investigating typical cybersecurity incidents, ensuring thorough and effective resolutions.
• Apply the concepts and sequence of steps in the malware analysis process: Execute a structured approach to malware analysis, from identification to detailed examination, using both dynamic and static methods to understand malware behavior and impact.

4.0 Automation (20%)

• Compare concepts, platforms, and mechanisms of orchestration and automation: Discuss the differences and benefits of using orchestration and automation in managing security operations to enhance efficiency.
• Interpret basic scripts (for example, Python): Understand and modify Python scripts to automate repetitive or complex security tasks, increasing operational efficiency.
• Modify a provided script to automate a security operations task: Adapt existing scripts to automate specific security tasks, tailoring solutions to meet organizational needs.
• Recognize common data formats (for example, JSON, HTML, CSV, XML): Identify and work with various data formats that are commonly used in security operations to ensure compatibility and effectiveness in data handling.
• Determine opportunities for automation, orchestration, and machine learning: Identify processes within security operations that can benefit from automation and machine learning, driving innovation and efficiency.
• Determine the constraints when consuming APIs: Acknowledge and manage limitations associated with API usage such as rate limiting and time-outs, optimizing integration and functionality.
• Explain the common HTTP response codes associated with REST APIs: Interpret and respond to standard HTTP codes in the context of API interactions to troubleshoot and resolve issues effectively.
• Evaluate the parts of an HTTP response (response code, headers, body): Analyze the components of an HTTP response to understand and troubleshoot API responses comprehensively.
• Interpret API authentication mechanisms: Understand different authentication methods for APIs, such as basic authentication, custom tokens, and API keys, to secure API access effectively.
• Utilize Bash commands: Employ Bash shell commands to manage files, navigate directories, and configure environment variables, enhancing command-line proficiency and system management.