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Cisco 300-220 Exam Details
Exam Name: Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate (300-220)
Exam Code: 300-220
Certification: Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate
Exam Duration: 120 minutes
Number of Questions: 100-125 (varies)
Question Types: Multiple choice, drag and drop, simlets, and scenario-based questions
Passing Score: Typically around 825-850 (scaled score)
Exam Language: English (additional languages may be available)
Exam Cost: Varies by region (generally around $300 USD)
Prerequisites: None, but foundational knowledge of cybersecurity and Cisco security technologies is recommended
Exam Delivery: Cisco Authorized Testing Centers, Pearson VUE online testing
Cisco 300-220 Exam Topics
The exam assesses your knowledge in key areas of cybersecurity operations, threat hunting, and Cisco security technologies. The main topics include:
1. Security Concepts and Cybersecurity Frameworks
– Understanding cybersecurity principles
– Security models and architectures
– Risk management and compliance
2. Cybersecurity Operations and Incident Response
– Incident response process and lifecycle
– Security operations center (SOC) functions
– Incident detection, analysis, and mitigation
3. Threat Intelligence and Threat Hunting
– Gathering and analyzing threat intelligence
– Techniques for proactive threat hunting
– Indicators of compromise (IOCs) and tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)
4. Cisco Security Technologies and Solutions
– Cisco Firepower, ASA, and Threat Defense appliances
– Cisco SecureX platform and integrations
– Cisco Umbrella and other cloud security solutions
5. Network Security and Traffic Analysis
– Monitoring network traffic for suspicious activity
– Using Cisco tools for traffic analysis and anomaly detection
– Signatures and rules for threat detection
6. Vulnerability Management and Penetration Testing
– Vulnerability assessment processes
– Pen testing basics and tools
– Mitigation strategies
7. Secure Access and Network Segmentation
– VPNs, NAC, and segmentation techniques
– Zero Trust security models
– Authentication and authorization mechanisms
8. Security Policies, Procedures, and Best Practices
– Developing and implementing security policies
– Security awareness and training
– Compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA)
9. Cisco Threat Defense Architecture
– Integration of Cisco security products
– Deployment best practices
– Automating threat detection and response
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QUESTION 1
What is the classification of the pass-the-hash technique according to the MITRE ATT&CK framework?
A. Lateral movement
B. Persistence
C. Credential access
D. Privilege escalation
Answer: C
Explanation:
The pass-the-hash (PtH) technique is classified under Credential Access in the MITRE ATT&CK
framework. Specifically, it aligns with the Credential Access tactic (TA0006) and the technique Use
Alternate Authentication Material (T1550), sub-technique Pass the Hash (T1550.002). This
classification is based on the attackers primary objective: abusing stolen credential material”in this
case, NTLM password hashes”to authenticate to systems without knowing the actual plaintext password.
From a professional cybersecurity and threat hunting perspective, PtH exploits weaknesses in how
Windows authentication mechanisms handle credential storage and reuse. When users authenticate
to a system, password hashes may be cached in memory or stored in places such as LSASS (Local
Security Authority Subsystem Service). If an attacker gains administrative or SYSTEM-level access to a
host, they can extract these hashes and reuse them to authenticate to other systems across the environment.
Although pass-the-hash is often observed during lateral movement, MITRE intentionally classifies it
under Credential Access because the defining action is the theft and misuse of credential material,
not the movement itself. Lateral movement is a downstream outcome enabled by the stolen
credentials, but the core technique is about accessing and abusing authentication secrets.
This distinction is important for threat hunters and detection engineers. When hunting for PtH
activity, defenders focus on indicators such as abnormal NTLM authentication events, logons using
NTLM where Kerberos is expected, reuse of the same hash across multiple systems, and suspicious
access to LSASS memory. Endpoint telemetry, Windows Security Event Logs (e.g., Event IDs 4624 and
4672), and EDR memory access alerts are commonly used data sources.
Understanding PtH as a credential access technique helps security teams prioritize protections such
as credential guard, LSASS hardening, disabling NTLM where possible, enforcing least privilege, and
monitoring authentication anomalies. This classification also reinforces a core professional principle:
identity is the new perimeter, and protecting credential material is foundational to modern threat hunting and defense.
QUESTION 2
Refer to the exhibit.
A forensic team must investigate how the company website was defaced.
The team isolates the web server, clones the disk, and analyzes the logs. Which technique was used by the attacker initially to access the website?
A. exploit public-facing application
B. external remote services
C. command and scripting interpreter
D. drive-by compromise
Answer: A
Explanation:
The correct answer is Exploit public-facing application. The log excerpt in the exhibit clearly shows a
malicious HTTP GET request targeting a WordPress plugin PHP file with a crafted SQL injection payload:
UNION ALL SELECT CONCAT(…)
This syntax is a classic indicator of SQL injection, a well-documented attack technique used to exploit
insufficient input validation in web applications. According to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this
behavior maps to the Initial Access tactic (TA0001) and the technique Exploit Public-Facing
Application (T1190). The attacker is directly interacting with a publicly accessible web service and
abusing a vulnerability in the application code to gain unauthorized access.
From a threat hunting and forensic standpoint, this is a textbook example of how attackers commonly
achieve initial access to web servers. The attacker did not authenticate via remote services (such as
SSH or RDP), nor did they rely on user interaction (as in a drive-by compromise). Instead, they sent a
specially crafted request to a vulnerable endpoint exposed to the internet. This makes option B
incorrect because External Remote Services requires legitimate service access mechanisms. Option C
is also incorrect because Command and Scripting Interpreter is typically used after initial access,
once code execution is already achieved. Option D does not apply because there is no evidence of
malicious content being delivered to end users.
The forensic teams actions”isolating the server, cloning the disk, and analyzing logs”are standard
post-incident procedures to reconstruct the attack chain. Web server access logs are especially
valuable in these cases, as they often reveal malicious payloads, attacker IP addresses, targeted
endpoints, and timestamps.
For defenders and threat hunters, this scenario reinforces the importance of monitoring web logs for
anomalous query strings, enforcing secure coding practices, conducting regular vulnerability scans,
and promptly patching third-party plugins. Public-facing applications remain one of the most
exploited initial access vectors, making this technique a critical focus area in modern threat hunting programs.
QUESTION 3
The security team detects an alert regarding a potentially malicious file named
Financial_Data_526280622.pdf downloaded by a user. Upon reviewing SIEM logs and Cisco Secure
Endpoint, the team confirms that the file was obtained from an untrusted website. The hash analysis
of the file returns an unknown status. Which action must be done next?
A. Submit the file for sandboxing.
B. Review the directory path where the file is stored.
C. Run a complete malware scan on the user’s workstation.
D. Investigate the reputation of the untrusted website.
Answer: A
Explanation:
The correct next action is to submit the file for sandboxing. In professional security operations and
threat hunting workflows, sandboxing is the most appropriate step when a file originates from an
untrusted source and hash-based reputation checks return an unknown result. An unknown hash
means the file has not yet been classified as benign or malicious by threat intelligence databases,
which is common with newly created malware or targeted attacks.
Sandboxing allows the security team to perform dynamic analysis by executing the file in an isolated,
controlled environment. This process observes runtime behaviors such as process creation, registry
modification, network communications, command-and-control callbacks, file system changes, and
exploit attempts. These behaviors provide high-fidelity indicators that static analysis or hash lookups cannot reveal.
Option B, reviewing the directory path, is useful for contextual awareness but does not determine
whether the file is malicious. Option C, running a full malware scan, is premature; modern malware
often evades signature-based scans, especially when the file is previously unknown. Option D,
investigating the reputation of the website, is a supporting activity but does not assess the actual
behavior or payload of the downloaded file.
From a threat hunting and incident response standpoint, sandboxing bridges the gap between
detection and confirmation. If the sandbox analysis confirms malicious behavior, the team can
escalate to containment actions such as isolating the endpoint, blocking hashes and domains, and
performing scope analysis to identify other affected systems. Additionally, sandbox results can be
used to create new SIEM detections and EDR behavioral rules, strengthening future defenses.
This approach aligns with professional best practices: unknown file + untrusted source = dynamic
analysis first. It ensures accurate classification while minimizing unnecessary disruption to the user or environment.
QUESTION 4
A security team wants to create a plan to protect companies from lateral movement attacks. The
team already implemented detection alerts for pass-the-hash and pass-the-ticket techniques. Which
two components must be monitored to hunt for lateral movement attacks on endpoints? (Choose two.)
A. Use of the runas command
B. Linux file systems for files that have the setuid/setgid bit set
C. Use of Windows Remote Management
D. Creation of scheduled task events
E. Use of tools and commands to connect to remote shares
Answer: C E
Explanation:
The correct answers are Use of Windows Remote Management (C) and Use of tools and commands
to connect to remote shares (E). Both are core mechanisms attackers leverage for lateral movement
after gaining valid credentials through techniques such as pass-the-hash or pass-the-ticket.
Windows Remote Management (WinRM) is a legitimate administrative service used for remote
command execution and system management. However, attackers frequently abuse WinRM to move
laterally by executing commands on remote endpoints using stolen credentials. From a threat
hunting perspective, abnormal WinRM usage”such as execution outside normal administrative
hours, from unusual source hosts, or by non-administrative user accounts”is a strong indicator of
lateral movement activity.
Similarly, the use of tools and commands to connect to remote shares (such as net use, wmic, SMBbased
access, or mounting administrative shares like C$) is a classic lateral movement technique.
Attackers use remote shares to transfer tools, stage payloads, and execute malware across systems.
Monitoring these activities at the endpoint level helps identify suspicious authentication attempts,
unexpected share access, and abnormal file transfers.
Option A (runas) relates more to privilege escalation than lateral movement. Option B is specific to
Linux privilege persistence and is not relevant to endpoint lateral movement hunting in this context.
Option D (scheduled task creation) is primarily associated with persistence rather than movement
between systems.
By monitoring WinRM activity and remote share usage, security teams gain visibility into credentialbased
movement, which remains one of the most common and dangerous attacker behaviors in
enterprise environments. Effective lateral movement hunting focuses on how credentials are used,
not just how they are stolen.
QUESTION 5
The SOC team receives an alert about a user sign-in from an unusual country. After investigating the
SIEM logs, the team confirms the user never signed in from that country. The incident is reported to
the IT administrator who resets the user’s password. Which threat hunting phase was initially used?
A. Collect and process intelligence and data
B. Response and resolution
C. Hypothesis
D. Post-incident review
Answer: A
Explanation:
The correct answer is Collect and process intelligence and data. In this scenario, the initial threat
hunting phase occurred when the SOC team received the alert and began analyzing SIEM logs to
validate whether the activity was legitimate or malicious. This aligns directly with the first phase of
the threat hunting lifecycle, which focuses on gathering, normalizing, and analyzing security-relevant data.
Threat hunting is a structured, hypothesis-driven process, but it always begins with data collection
and intelligence processing. This includes ingesting logs from identity providers, authentication
systems, cloud platforms, VPNs, and endpoint telemetry into a SIEM. In this case, the alert regarding
a sign-in from an unusual country triggered analysts to examine historical login patterns and
geolocation data. By confirming that the user had never authenticated from that country, the team
established that the event was anomalous and likely malicious.
Option B (Response and resolution) occurred after the initial phase, when the IT administrator reset
the users password to contain the threat. Option C (Hypothesis) would involve formulating a theory
such as oethe account may be compromised due to credential theft, but this step requires validated
data first. Option D (Post-incident review) only happens after the incident has been fully resolved and
lessons learned are documented.
From a professional cybersecurity operations perspective, this phase is critical because high-quality
data determines hunt effectiveness. Poor log coverage or incomplete identity telemetry would
prevent analysts from confidently confirming the anomaly. This example also highlights why identityrelated
telemetry is foundational to modern threat hunting”compromised credentials remain one
of the most common initial access vectors.
In short, before a SOC can hypothesize, respond, or improve controls, it must first collect and process
accurate intelligence and data, making option A the correct answer.
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