Pass C1000-162 Exam Guide

The logical operator != in an AQL (Ariel Query Language) query is used to compare two values and returns true if the values are unequal. This operator is a common element in various programming and query languages, and its purpose is consistent across these environments, including in IBM Security QRadar SIEM V7.5.

For instance, in an AQL query, if you are analyzing event or flow data and want to filter out records where a specific field, say username, does not equal a certain value, you could use the != operator in your query like so: SELECT * FROM events WHERE username != 'admin'. This query would return all records where the username field does not equal 'admin'.

The use of the != operator is crucial in data analysis and threat hunting within QRadar, as it allows security analysts to exclude certain data points and focus on the relevant data that might indicate security incidents or breaches.

Understanding the Scenario: The detection of unauthorized high-rate traffic for transferring outbound mail via port 25 indicates potential misuse or compromise of the source system.

Appropriate Response:

Investigate the Offense: The first step is to continue investigating the offense to gather more details about the source system and the nature of the traffic.

Organizational Response Processes: Following the organization’s established response processes ensures that appropriate actions are taken to mitigate the threat, which may include blocking the traffic, isolating the system, or further forensic analysis.

Avoiding Incorrect Actions:

Adding to Building Blocks: Adding the IP address to the Host Definition Mail Servers building block would incorrectly categorize the unauthorized system as a legitimate mail server.

Allowing Traffic: Submitting a request to the firewall team to allow this traffic would permit unauthorized activity and potentially exacerbate the security issue.

False Positive Wizard: Using the False Positive Wizard is not suitable as this situation represents a genuine security concern rather than a false positive.

Reference Confirmation: According to IBM QRadar documentation, the recommended action in such scenarios is to follow the organization’s incident response processes to ensure a thorough and effective response.

References:

IBM QRadar documentation on incident response and handling unauthorized activities.

In IBM Security QRadar SIEM V7.5, the feature that utilizes existing asset profile data to define unknown server types and assign them to server definitions in building blocks and in the network hierarchy is known as "Server Discovery." This feature grants permission to discover servers, thereby enabling administrators to identify and classify various server types within their network infrastructure, enhancing the overall asset management and security posture​​.

In QRadar, when performing a search in the My Offenses or All Offenses tabs, valid values for the Offense Type field include "Any" and "Source IP". "Any" searches all offense sources, while "Source IP" allows for searching offenses with a specific source IP address​​.