250-580 Exam Dumps - Symantec Certification Questions and Answers

In Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP), when files are blocked by hash in the deny list policy,SHA256is supported in addition to MD5. SHA256 provides a more secure hashing algorithm compared to MD5 due to its longer hash length and higher resistance to collisions, making it effective for uniquely identifying and blocking malicious files based on their fingerprint.

Active Directory (AD)is commonly targeted in attacks because it serves as a central directory for user identities, applications, and resources accessible across the network. This visibility makes it an attractive target for attackers to exploit for lateral movement, privilege escalation, and reconnaissance. Once compromised, AD provides attackers with significant insight into an organization’s internal structure, enabling further exploitation and access to sensitive data.

Threat Defense for Active Directory (TDAD) employsHoneypot Trapsas a primary prevention technique to detect and expose attackers. These honeypot traps act as decoys within the network, mimicking legitimate Active Directory (AD) objects or data that would attract attackers aiming to gather AD information or exploit AD weaknesses.

Honeypot Trap Functionality:

Honeypot traps are strategically placed to appear as appealing targets, such as privileged accounts or critical directories, without being part of the actual AD infrastructure.

When attackers interact with these traps, TDAD records their actions, which can then trigger alerts, allowing administrators to identify and monitor suspicious activities.

Exposure and Mitigation:

By enticing attackers to interact with fake assets, honeypot traps help expose malicious intentions and techniques. This information can be used for forensic analysis and to enhance future defenses.

This technique allows organizations to expose potential threats proactively, before any real AD resources are compromised.

References: This approach is part of Symantec’s Active Directory security strategies and utilizes honeypot mechanisms to deter and identify intruders in real-time​.

To reduce the risk of unauthorized access when administrators forget to log off, the setting"Allow users to save credentials when logging on"should be disabled in Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM). Disabling this option ensures that administrators are required to enter their credentials each time they access the SEPM console, preventing automatic logins and reducing the chance of someone else gaining access without permission.

Purpose of Disabling Saved Credentials:

By preventing credential saving, SEPM forces each administrator to authenticate manually on every session, thus improving security.

This setting is particularly useful in shared environments, as it prevents the console from retaining login information when an administrator fails to log out.

Why Other Options Are Less Relevant:

Delete clients that have not connected(Option B) pertains to endpoint clients, not administrator logins.

Lock account after unsuccessful attempts(Option C) protects against brute-force attempts but does not address saved credentials.

Allow administrators to reset passwords(Option D) is related to password management rather than login persistence.

References: Disabling saved credentials is a best practice to enforce unique logins for each session, enhancing security in shared console environments​.

TheProcess Viewfeature in Symantec Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) provides a detailed and comprehensive view of activities associated with an infected endpoint. It displays a graphical representation of processes, their hierarchies, and interactions, which helps security teams understand the behavior and spread of malware on the system.

Advantages of Process View:

Process View shows the relationship between different processes, including parent-child structures, which can reveal how malware propagates or persists on an endpoint.

This visualization is instrumental in tracking the full impact of an infection, helping administrators identify malicious activities linked to specific processes.

Why Other Options Are Less Suitable:

Entity Viewis more focused on broader data relationships, not specific infected process activities.

Full DumpandEndpoint Dumprefer to memory or system dumps, which are useful for in-depth forensic analysis but do not provide an immediate, clear picture of endpoint activity.

References: Process View is designed within EDR for tracking endpoint infection paths and behavioral analysis​.

TheFirewallprovides a complementary layer of protection to Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) in Symantec Endpoint Protection.

Firewall vs. IPS:

While IPS detects and blocks network-based attacks by inspecting traffic for known malicious patterns, the firewall controls network access by monitoring and filtering inbound and outbound traffic based on policy rules.

Together, these tools protect against a broader range of network threats. IPS is proactive in identifying malicious traffic, while the firewall prevents unauthorized access.

Two-Layer Defense Mechanism:

The firewall provides control over which ports, protocols, and applications can access the network, reducing the attack surface.

When combined with IPS, the firewall blocks unauthorized connections, while IPS actively inspects and prevents malicious content within allowed traffic.

Why Other Options Are Not Complementary:

Host Integrity focuses on compliance and configuration validation rather than direct network traffic protection.

Network Protection and Antimalware are essential but do not function as second-layer defenses for IPS within network contexts.

References: Symantec Endpoint Protection’s network protection strategies outline the importance of firewalls in conjunction with IPS for comprehensive network defense​.

When a threat is detected within an organization’s environment, preventing its spread becomes crucial. Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) allows administrators to create Application and Device Control policies that target specific threat files to block them across the network. To block a known malicious file, the administrator should:

Identify the File MD5 Hash:The MD5 hash serves as a unique "fingerprint" for the malicious file, ensuring that the specific file version can be accurately identified across systems.

Create an Application Content Rule:Using the Application and Device Control feature, the administrator can create a content rule that targets the identified file by its MD5 hash, effectively blocking it based on its fingerprint.

Apply the Rule Across Endpoints:Once created, this rule is applied to endpoints, preventing the file from executing or spreading.

This method ensures precise blocking of the threat without impacting other files or processes.

To enhance security and prevent further attempts from the intruder after the Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) has detected and blocked an attack, the administrator should enable the setting toAutomatically block an attacker's IP address. Here’s why this setting is critical:

Immediate Action Against Threats: By automatically blocking the IP address of the detected attacker, the firewall can prevent any further communication attempts from that address. This helps to mitigate the risk of subsequent attacks or reconnections.

Proactive Defense Mechanism: Enabling this feature serves as a proactive defense strategy, minimizing the chances of successful future intrusions by making it harder for the attacker to re-establish a connection to the network.

Reduction of Administrative Overhead: Automating this response allows the security team to focus on investigating and remediating the incident rather than manually tracking and blocking malicious IP addresses, thus optimizing incident response workflows.

Layered Security Approach: This setting complements other security measures, such as intrusion detection and port scan detection, creating a layered security approach that enhances overall network security.

Enabling automatic blocking of an attacker’s IP address directly addresses the immediate risk posed by the detected intrusion and reinforces the organization’s defense posture against future threats.

In Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) Application Control policies, applications are managed through lists: an Allowed list (applications approved for use) and a Blocked list (applications restricted or prohibited). When a user encounters an application that is not explicitly on either the Allowed or Blocked list, it falls into a neutral category.

For accessing this application, the typical process includes:

Requesting an Override:The user can initiate a request to temporarily or permanently allow access to the application. This process usually involves contacting the administrator or following a specified override protocol to gain necessary permissions.

Administrator Review:Upon receiving the override request, the administrator evaluates the application to ensure it aligns with organizational security policies and compliance standards.

Override Approval:If deemed safe, the application may be added to the Allowed list, granting the user access.

This request mechanism ensures that unlisted appli

To control which remote consoles and servers have access to theSymantec Endpoint Protection Management (SEPM) server, an administrator should edit theServer Propertiesand adjust theServer Communication Permissionunder the General tab. This setting specifies which remote systems are authorized to communicate with the management server, enhancing security by limiting access to trusted consoles and servers only. Adjusting the Server Communication Permission helps manage server access centrally and ensures only approved systems interact with the management server.