156-315.81 Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 Questions and Answers

 If Deyra sees the gateway status as shown in the image, it means that there is a blade reporting a problem. The red exclamation mark indicates that one or more blades on the gateway have an issue that needs attention. The issue could be related to configuration, license, policy, or other factors. Deyra can hover over the icon to see more details about the problem. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, New Courses and Certificates for R81.20 - Check Point CheckMates

References:

The Software Container is a logical component in the Software Blade Architecture. There are three types of Software Containers: Security Management, Security Gateway, and Endpoint Security. The container enables the server functionality, and defines its purpose – e.g, management or gateway. https://downloads.checkpoint.com/dc/download.htm?ID=11608

SandBlast agent extends zero-day prevention to web browsers and user devices. Zero-day prevention is a capability that protects devices from unknown and emerging threats that exploit vulnerabilities that have not been patched or disclosed. SandBlast Agent provides zero-day prevention by using various technologies such as threat emulation, threat extraction, anti-exploitation, anti-ransomware, and behavioral analysis. SandBlast Agent protects web browsers and user devices from malicious downloads, phishing links, drive-by downloads, browser exploits, malicious scripts, and more. 

 The command that would be used to enable the Penalty Box feature is sim erdos -e 1. Penalty Box is a feature that protects the Security Gateway from DDoS attacks by dropping packets from sources that send excessive traffic. Sim erdos is a command that allows administrators to configure and manage the Penalty Box feature. Sim erdos -e 1 enables the Penalty Box feature on the Security Gateway. The other options are either invalid or perform different functions. 

The command that would show the API server status is api status. API stands for Application Programming Interface, and it is a web service that allows external applications to interact with the Check Point management server using standard methods such as HTTP(S) requests and JSON objects. API status is a command that shows the current status of the API server, such as whether it is enabled or disabled, running or stopped, listening on which port, using which certificate, etc. The other commands are either invalid or perform different functions. 

According to the Check Point R81 release notes, acceleration is not supported for connections that require a Security server, such as HTTPS Inspection, Content Awareness, or Anti-Virus. The Security server performs deep inspection and modification of the traffic, which prevents acceleration. The other options are either false or not the most likely reason. References: Check Point R81

 How many interfaces can you configure to use the Multi-Queue feature? You can configure up to 5 interfaces to use the Multi-Queue feature. Multi-Queue is a performance enhancement feature that allows distributing the network traffic among multiple CPU cores, instead of using a single core for all traffic. Multi-Queue can be enabled on interfaces that have high traffic load and support multiple receive/transmit queues. Multi-Queue can be configured via SmartConsole or via CLI with the command sim affinity -m. References: R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide, page 18.

All connections that were initiated before the upgrade will be handled by the active gateway. According to the Check Point documentation1, a minimal effort upgrade is a procedure that allows you to upgrade each Security Gateway individually, without affecting the cluster operation. The active gateway continues to handle the traffic while the standby gateway is upgraded, and then they switch roles. This way, there is no network downtime and no need to synchronize the cluster members before or after the upgrade1. However, some connections may be dropped during the switch-over, so it is recommended to use a connectivity upgrade or a zero downtime upgrade for mission-critical environments2.

References: : Best Practices - Security Gateway Performance - Check Point Software : Checkpoint Cluster Firmware Upgrade - Check Point CheckMates

GAIA greatly increases operational efficiency by offering an advanced and intuitive software update agent, commonly referred to as the Check Point Update Service Engine. This agent allows you to download and install software updates, hotfixes, upgrade packages, etc., from Check Point servers or from a local repository. The Check Point Update Service Engine can be accessed via SmartConsole or via WebUI or CLI on GAIA. References: [Gaia Administration Guide R81], page 77.

Endpoint Security VPN is a lightweight remote access client that supports Windows and macOS computers. It provides secure connectivity to corporate resources using L2TP/IPSec, SSL, or Check Point’s proprietary VPN protocol. Endpoint Security VPN also integrates with other Endpoint Security products such as SandBlast Agent, Full Disk Encryption, Media Encryption, and Firewall. References: Check Point R81 Endpoint Security VPN Administration Guide, page 5

Implied rules are predefined rules that are automatically added to the Access Control rulebase by the Security Management Server. Implied rules allow the control connections that are essential for the functionality and security of the Check Point products, such as communication between the Security Gateway and the Security Management Server, synchronization between cluster members, logging, VPN, and ICMP. Implied rules are not visible in the SmartConsole, but they can be viewed and modified using the Global Properties window.

The references are:

• Check Point Certified Security Expert R81.20 (CCSE) Core Training, slide 12
• Check Point R81 Quantum Security Gateway Guide, page 141
• Check Point R81 Firewall Administration Guide, page 21

A minimal effort upgrade is a process of upgrading the Security Gateway software without changing the configuration or policy. It is done by using the CPUSE (Check Point Update Service Engine) tool, which is available in the Gaia Portal or CLI. The CPUSE tool performs a pre-upgrade verification to check the compatibility and readiness of the system for the upgrade. If the verification passes, the CPUSE tool installs the new software package and reboots the system. During the reboot, there is a short network downtime, but it does not affect the existing connections. All connections that were initiated before the upgrade will be handled normally by the upgraded gateway. The minimal effort upgrade preserves the existing configuration and policy, so there is no need to reinstall the policy or reconfigure the gateway after the upgrade.

References:

• Check Point Upgrade Path and Management Servers and Security Gateways Compatibility Maps, section “Minimal Effort Upgrade”
• INSTALLATION AND UPGRADE GUIDE R81, page 21-22

The minimum open server hardware requirements for a Security Management Server/Standalone in R81 are:

• CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 or equivalent (4 cores)
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Disk space: 500 GB

The other options do not match the minimum requirements. Option A has insufficient CPU cores, memory and disk space. Option B has excessive CPU cores and disk space. Option D has excessive CPU cores, memory and disk space.

References: Check Point R81 Release Notes, page 6

The correct steps for upgrading a HA cluster using MVC are as follows:

• Upgrade the passive node M2 to R81.20 using CPUSE or CLI.
• Enable the MVC mechanism on the upgraded R81.20 Cluster Member M2 using the command cphaconf mvc on.
• In SmartConsole, change the version of the cluster object to R81.20.
• Install the Access Control Policy and make sure that the installation will not stop if installation on one cluster member fails.
• After examining the cluster states, upgrade node M1 to R81.20 using CPUSE or CLI.
• On each Cluster Member, disable the MVC mechanism using the command cphaconf mvc off and install the Access Control Policy.

References: : Multi-Version Cluster (MVC) Upgrade

ThreatCloud is a collaboration platform for all the Check Point customers to share information about malicious and benign files that all of the customers can benefit from as it makes emulation of known files unnecessary. ThreatCloud is a cloud-based service that collects and analyzes threat intelligence from multiple sources, such as Check Point products, third-party vendors, open sources, and customers. ThreatCloud provides real-time updates and feeds to Check Point products, such as SandBlast, which is a solution that detects and prevents zero-day attacks by emulating files in a sandbox environment. By integrating with ThreatCloud, a Threat Emulation appliance can benefit from the shared information about malicious and benign files, and avoid emulating files that are already known to be safe or harmful. This can improve the performance and efficiency of the Threat Emulation appliance. The other options are either incorrect or not relevant to ThreatCloud or Threat Emulation. 

 How long may verification of one file take for SandBlast Threat Emulation? Verification of one file may take up to 3 minutes for SandBlast Threat Emulation. SandBlast Threat Emulation is a software blade that provides protection against malicious files by emulating them in a virtual sandbox and analyzing their behavior. The emulation time depends on various factors, such as file size, file type, emulation mode, etc. The default emulation time limit is 180 seconds, but it can be changed in the Threat Prevention policy settings. References: [R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide], page 39.

 If a “ping”-packet is dropped by FW1 Policy, you will see this packet in “fw monitor” on one inspection point only: “i”. The “i” inspection point represents the inbound traffic before any rule processing. Since the packet is dropped by FW1 Policy, it will not pass through any other inspection points, such as “l” (after rule processing), “o” (outbound before rule processing), or “O” (outbound after rule processing). References: : Check Point Software, Getting Started, fw monitor.

Check Point APIs let system administrators and developers make changes to the security policy with CLI tools and web-services. You can use an API to:

• Use an automated script to perform common tasks

• Integrate Check Point products with 3rd party solutions

• Create products that use and enhance the Check Point solution

References:

 When users connect to the Mobile Access portal they are unable to open File Shares.

The log file that you would want to examine is cvpnd.elg. This log file contains information about the Mobile Access VPN daemon, which handles the connections from the Mobile Access portal to the internal resources, such as File Shares, Web Applications, etc. The log file is located in the directory $FWDIR/log/ on the Security Gateway. You can use the command fw log -f cvpnd.elg to view the log file in real time. References: R81 Mobile Access Administration Guide, page 255.

 There are two R77.30 Security Gateways in the Firewall Cluster. They are named FW_A and FW_B. The cluster is configured to work as HA (High availability) with default cluster configuration. FW_A is configured to have higher priority than FW_B. FW_A was active and processing the traffic in the morning. FW_B was standby. Around 1100 am, its interfaces went down and this caused a failover. FW_B became active. After an hour, FW_A’s interface issues were resolved and it became operational.

When it re-joins the cluster, it will not become active automatically, since ‘maintain current active cluster member’ option on the cluster object properties is enabled by default. This option prevents a failback to the original active member after a failover, unless the current active member fails or is manually switched over. This option provides stability and avoids unnecessary failovers. References: R77 ClusterXL Administration Guide, page 23.

The default commands that appear when right-clicking the IP address, source or destination, in an event in SmartEvent are ping, whois, nslookup, and Telnet. SmartEvent is a unified security event management solution that provides visibility, analysis, and reporting of security events across multiple Check Point products. SmartEvent has a feature that allows administrators to run common command line executables that can assist in investigating events. Right-clicking the IP address, source or destination, in an event provides a list of default and customized commands that can be executed on the IP address of the active cell. The default commands are ping, whois, nslookup, and Telnet. Ping is a command that tests the connectivity and latency between two hosts by sending packets and measuring the response time. Whois is a command that queries a database for information about the owner and registrar of a domain name or an IP address. Nslookup is a command that queries a DNS server for information about a domain name or an IP address, such as its IP address, name server, mail server, etc. Telnet is a command that establishes a remote connection to another host using the Telnet protocol. 

In Management HA, you should use the active SmartConsole for making changes. The active SmartConsole is connected to the Primary Security Management Server, which is responsible for synchronizing the configuration with the Secondary Security Management Server. If you use the secondary SmartCenter, your changes will not be replicated to the primary SmartCenter and will be lost in case of a failover. References: Check Point Resource Library, page 9

 A star VPN community is a type of VPN community that allows a central gateway to create VPN tunnels with multiple satellite gateways or hosts, but does not allow satellite gateways or hosts to create VPN tunnels with each other. This type of community is suitable for hub-and-spoke topologies, where the central gateway acts as the hub and the satellite gateways or hosts act as the spokes. The central gateway can initiate or terminate VPN traffic to any satellite member, but the satellite members can only initiate or terminate VPN traffic to the central gateway. 

 To enable MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) functionality in the Security Gateway, the Threat Prevention Software Blade Package is required. The Threat Prevention Software Blade Package includes the Anti-Virus, Anti-Bot, and Threat Emulation blades, which can scan and hold external email with potentially malicious attachments. The MTA functionality allows the Security Gateway to act as an SMTP relay between the mail server and the Internet, and apply Threat Prevention policies to the email traffic. The other options are either not related or not sufficient to enable MTA functionality. R

Mobile Access Gateway can be configured as a reverse proxy for internal web applications. Reverse proxy users browse to a URL that is resolved to the Security Gateway IP address. The Security Gateway then forwards the requests to the internal web servers and returns the responses to the users. To enable reverse proxy mode on the Mobile Access Gateway, the administrator needs to run the ReverseProxy command on the command line interface of the Security Gateway5. Therefore, the correct answer is C.

References: 5: Reverse Proxy Mode

 The Compliance Blade allows you to search for text strings in many windows and panes, to search for a value in a field, the syntax is field_name:string. For example, to search for all rules that have a comment containing “VPN”, the syntax is comment:VPN. The other options are not valid syntaxes for searching for a value in a field3. References: 3: Check Point Software, Getting Started, Searching for Text Strings.

 Log Consolidator is NOT a SmartEvent component. SmartEvent is a unified security event management solution that provides visibility, analysis, and reporting of security events across multiple Check Point products. SmartEvent consists of three main components: SmartEvent Server, Correlation Unit, and Log Server. SmartEvent Server is responsible for storing and displaying security events in SmartConsole and SmartEventWeb. Correlation Unit is responsible for collecting and correlating logs from various sources and generating security events based on predefined or custom scenarios. Log Server is responsible for receiving and indexing logs from Security Gateways and other Check Point modules. Log Consolidator is not a valid component or blade of SmartEvent.

Check Point security components are divided into the following components: GUI Client, Security Management, Security Gateway. GUI Client is the graphical user interface that allows administrators to configure, manage, and monitor Check Point products and security policies. Security Management is the server that stores and enforces the security policies and provides logging and reporting functions. Security Gateway is the device that inspects and filters network traffic according to the security policies. 

Threat Prevention has three out-of-the-box profiles: Basic, Optimized, and Strict. These profiles define the default actions for different threat prevention blades, such as Anti-Virus, Anti-Bot, IPS, etc. You cannot change the settings of these profiles, but you can clone them and create new profiles with customized settings. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, CCSE section

Authentication rules are defined for user groups, not individual users or all users in the database. Authentication rules allow you to control which user groups can access specific resources or services through the Security Gateway. You can define different authentication methods and schemes for different user groups, such as Check Point Password, OS Password, RADIUS, TACACS, SecurID, LDAP, or Certificate. You can also define different session timeouts and source restrictions for different user groups. Authentication rules are processed before the network access rules in the rule base.

Access roles are objects that define a set of users, machines, or networks that can access a specific network resource. You can create access roles based on any combination of the following criteria:

• Users and user groups: You can use users and user groups from various sources, such as LDAP, RADIUS, local database, etc.
• Computers or computer groups: You can use computers or computer groups that are identified by their IP address, MAC address, or hostname.
• Networks: You can use networks that are defined by their IP address range, subnet mask, or gateway.

You can use access roles in the Source or Destination column of an Access Control rule to allow or deny network access based on the identity of the users, machines, or networks.

The references are:

• Check Point Certified Security Expert R81.20 (CCSE) Core Training, slide 11
• Check Point R81 Quantum Security Gateway Guide, page 139
• Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide, page 9

According to the Check Point R81.20 documentation, the fw ctl Dyn_Dispatch enable command enables the CoreXL Dynamic Dispatcher on Security Gateway, which improves the performance of multi-core systems by dynamically balancing the traffic among the available cores1.

References1: CoreXL Dynamic Dispatcher - Check Point Software, section “Enabling the CoreXL Dynamic Dispatcher on Security

The fwd process on the Security Gateway sends logs to the fwd process on the Management Server, where it is forwarded to fwm via cpd. The fwm process is responsible for managing the log files and the cpd process is responsible for communication between processes. The other options are incorrect because they involve processes that are not related to logging or communication. References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81.20 Course Overview, sk163413: Support, Support Requests, Training … - Check Point Software, Check Point Certified Security Expert R81.20

 The command to add users to or from existing roles is add rba user roles . This command allows you to assign one or more roles to a user in the Gaia database. Roles are collections of permissions that define what actions a user can perform on the system. You can use predefined roles or create your own custom roles. To remove a role from a user, you can use the command delete rba user roles . 

 The correct description for the Dynamic Balancing / Split feature is:

• Dynamic Balancing / Split dynamically change the number of SND’s and firewall instances based on the current load.
• It is only available on Quantum Appliances (not on Quantum Spark or Open Server)

The Dynamic Balancing / Split feature is a performance-enhancing daemon that balances the load between CoreXL SNDs and CoreXL Firewalls. It monitors the average CPU utilization of CoreXL Firewall and SND instances and automatically increases or decreases the number of CoreXL Firewall instances. The Dynamic Balancing Daemon (dsd) has three stages in each iteration: Examine the current CPU utilization, Calculate the optimal split, and Apply the new split1.

The Dynamic Balancing / Split feature is supported on Check Point Appliances, such as Quantum Appliances, Quantum Maestro, Quantum Security Gateways, and Quantum LightSpeed Appliances in KPPAK mode2. It is not supported on Quantum Spark appliances, which are designed for small and medium businesses. It is also not supported on Open Server platforms, which are general-purpose servers that run Check Point software on top of third-party operating systems.

References: Dynamic Balancing for CoreXL; Maestro and Dynamic Balancing (Dynamic Split); Dynamic Balancing available on R80.40; [Quantum Spark Appliances]; [Open Server]

The verified answer is B. Automatic proxy ARP configuration can be enabled.

Proxy ARP is a feature that allows a gateway to respond to ARP requests on behalf of another IP address that is not on the same network segment. Proxy ARP is required for manual NAT rules when the NATed IP addresses are not routed to the gateway1.

By default, proxy ARP for manual NAT rules has to be configured manually by editing the local.arp file or using the CLISH commands on the gateway2. However, since R80.10, there is an option to enable automatic proxy ARP configuration for manual NAT rules by modifying the files $CPDIR/tmp/.CPprofile.sh and $CPDIR/tmp/.CPprofile.csh on the gateway3.

fw ctl proxy is a command that displays the proxy ARP table on the gateway, but it does not configure proxy ARP4.

Translate Destination on Client Side is a NAT option that determines whether the destination IP address is translated before or after the routing decision. It does not affect proxy ARP.

References:

• Configuring Proxy ARP for Manual NAT - Check Point Software1
• R80.10: Automatic Proxy ARP with Manual NAT rules - checkpointengineer2
• Automatic creation of Proxy ARP for Manual NAT rules on Security Gateway R80.103
• fw ctl proxy - Check Point Software
• NAT Properties - Check Point Software

 SecureXL uses templates to accelerate the connection rate by creating a connection entry in the SecureXL Connections Table without notifying the Firewall kernel for a predefined period of time1. This reduces the load on the Firewall kernel and improves the performance of new connections1. SecureXL uses five attributes to identify a connection and create a template: source address, destination address, source port, destination port, and protocol2. These attributes form a unique 5-tuple that defines a connection2.

References: : ATRG: SecureXL for R80.20 and higher : Performance Tuning Administration Guide R80

Main Mode in IKEv1 uses six packets for negotiation1. Main Mode is the default mode for IKE phase I, which establishes a secure channel between the peers. Main Mode performs the following steps2:

• The peers exchange their security policies and agree on a common set of parameters.
• The peers generate a shared secret key using the Diffie-Hellman algorithm.
• The peers authenticate each other using pre-shared keys, digital signatures, or public key encryption. Main Mode is partially encrypted, from the point at which the shared DH key is known to both peers2. Main Mode provides more security than Aggressive Mode, which uses only three packets for negotiation, but is faster and simpler2. References: Check Point gateways always send main IP address as IKE Main Mode ID - Check Point Software, IPsec and IKE - Check Point Software

Active Directory Query is an identity acquisition method that allows a Security Gateway to identify Active Directory users and computers by querying domain controllers for security event logs. The Security Gateway sends a WMI query to each domain controller and receives a WMI event when a user logs in, logs out, or unlocks their computer. The Security Gateway then maps IP addresses to user names based on these events. Active Directory Query does not require any software installation on domain controllers or clients, but it requires certain permissions and configurations on the domain controllers

Reference : https://sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/R76/CP_R76_IdentityAwareness_AdminGuide/62402.htm

In R81, spoofing is defined as a method of making packets appear as if they come from an authorized IP address. Spoofing can be used by attackers to bypass security policies or hide their identity. Check Point firewalls use anti-spoofing mechanisms to prevent spoofed packets from entering or leaving the network. References: Security Gateway R81 Administration Guide:

The Check Point ThreatCloud is a worldwide collaborative security network that collects and analyzes threat data from millions of sensors, security gateways, and other sources, and delivers real-time threat intelligence and protection to Check Point products. References: Check Point ThreatCloud

The API server is a service that runs on the Security Management Server and enables external applications to communicate with the Check Point management database using REST APIs. You can verify that the API server is responding by using the following command in Expert mode:

This command will display the current status of the API server, such as running, stopped, or initializing. It will also show the API version, port number, and SSL certificate information. References: Check Point R81 REST API Reference Guide

Threat Simulator is not a component of Check Point SandBlast. Check Point SandBlast is a solution that provides advanced protection against zero-day threats using four components: Threat Emulation, Threat Extraction, Threat Cloud, and Threat Prevention. References: Check Point SandBlast Network

 Check Point Management (cpm) is the main management process that provides the architecture for a consolidated management console. CPM allows the GUI client and management server to communicate via web services using TCP port 19009 by default. References: CPM process

When configuring Management HA, you have to take into consideration that the Database revisions will not be synchronized between the management servers. Database revisions are snapshots of the database that are created manually or automatically when installing a policy or saving changes. They are stored locally on each management server and are not replicated by Management HA. The other options are either not true or not relevant to Management HA. References: Check Point R81 Installation and Upgrade Guide

 The API command add host name ip-address  can be used in a script to create 100 new host objects with different IP addresses. This command adds a new host object with the specified name and IP address to the database. The other commands are either not valid or not suitable for creating new host objects. References: Check Point - Management API reference

 Sticky Decision Function (SDF) is required to prevent asymmetric routing in an Active-Active cluster. Asymmetric routing occurs when packets from a source to a destination follow a different path than packets from the destination to the source. This can cause problems with stateful inspection and NAT. SDF ensures that packets from the same connection are handled by the same cluster member1. References: Check Point R81 ClusterXL Administration Guide

The command migrate import can be used to restore a backup of Check Point configurations without the OS information. This command imports the configuration from a file that was created using the migrate export command, which backs up only the Check Point configuration and not the OS settings. The other commands are either not valid or not suitable for restoring a backup without the OS information. References: Check Point R81 Installation and Upgrade Guide

Check Point Protect is a lightweight app that can be used to gather and analyze threats to your mobile device. It provides real-time threat intelligence, device posture assessment, and secure browsing protection3. The other applications are either not designed for mobile devices, or do not offer threat analysis features. References: R81 CCSA & CCSE exams released featuring Promo for… - Check Point …, Check Point Protect - Apps on Google Play

 When doing a Stand-Alone Installation, you would install the Security Management Server with the Security Gateway as the other Check Point architecture component. A Stand-Alone Installation is where the Security Management Server and the Security Gateway are installed on the same machine2. The other options are either not Check Point architecture components, or not suitable for a Stand-Alone Installation. References: Check Point R81 Installation and Upgrade Guide

The least amount of CPU cores required to enable CoreXL is 2. CoreXL is a technology that improves the performance of Security Gateways by using multiple CPU cores to process traffic in parallel. CoreXL requires at least two CPU cores, one for SND (Secure Network Distributor) and one for a Firewall instance. The other options are either too few or too many CPU cores for enabling CoreXL. References: [Check Point R81 SecureXL Administration Guide], [Check Point R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide]

The statement that is not true about Delta synchronization is Using UDP Multicast or Broadcast on port 8161. Delta synchronization is a mechanism that transfers only the changes in the kernel tables between cluster members, instead of sending the entire tables. It uses UDP Multicast or Broadcast on port 8116, not 81612. The other statements are true about Delta synchronization. References: Check Point R81 ClusterXL Administration Guide

In R81, you can manage your Mobile Access Policy through the Unified Policy. The Unified Policy is a single policy that combines access control, threat prevention, data protection, and identity awareness. You can create rules for mobile access in the Unified Policy rulebase and apply them to mobile devices, users, and applications. You can also use the Mobile Access blade to configure additional settings for mobile access, such as authentication methods, VPN settings, and application portal.

Check Point’s FW Monitor is a powerful built-in tool for capturing network traffic at the packet level. The FW Monitor utility captures network packets at multiple capture points along the FireWall inspection chains. These captured packets can be inspected later using the WireShark.

References:

The difference between an event and a log is that a log entry becomes an event when it matches any rule defined in Event Policy. A log entry is a record of a network activity that is generated by a Security Gateway or a Management Server. An event is a log entry that meets certain criteria and triggers an action or a notification. The other options are either not true or not accurate definitions of events and logs. References: Check Point R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide

 The inspection point Big l is the first point immediately following the tables and rule base check of a packet coming from outside of the network. It is also the last point before the packet leaves the Security Gateway to the internal network1. The other inspection points are either before or after the rule base check, or in a different direction of traffic flow2. References: Check Point R81 Security Gateway Architecture and Packet Flow, 156-315.81 Checkpoint Exam Info and Free Practice Test - ExamTopics

There are four ways to use the Management API for creating host object with R81 Management API: Using Web Services, Using mgmt_cli tool, Using CLISH, and Using SmartConsole GUI console. Events are collected with SmartWorkflow from Trouble Ticket systems is not a correct option. References: Check Point Management APIs

Anti-Bot is a post-infection malware protection that detects and blocks botnet communications from infected hosts to Command & Control servers. It is different from other Threat Prevention mechanisms that prevent malware from entering the network or executing on the hosts. References: Anti-Bot Software Blade

 The host having a Critical event found by Anti-Bot should be remediated first, as it indicates that the host is infected by a botnet malware that is communicating with a Command and Control server. This poses a serious threat to the network security and data integrity. The other events may indicate potential malware infection or attack attempts, but not necessarily successful ones. References: Threat Prevention Administration Guide

CPInfo is an auto-updatable utility that collects diagnostics data on a customer's machine at the time of execution and uploads it to Check Point servers (it replaces the standalone cp_uploader utility for uploading files to Check Point servers).

The CPInfo output file allows analyzing customer setups from a remote location. Check Point support engineers can open the CPInfo file in a demo mode, while viewing actual customer Security Policies and Objects. This allows the in-depth analysis of customer's configuration and environment settings.

References:

To fully enable Dynamic Dispatcher on a Security Gateway, you need to run the following command in Expert mode then reboot:

This command sets the multi-core mode to 9, which means that Dynamic Dispatcher is enabled without Firewall Priority Queues. Dynamic Dispatcher is a feature that optimizes the performance of Security Gateways with multiple CPU cores by dynamically allocating traffic to different cores based on their load and priority. Dynamic Dispatcher can improve the throughput and scalability of the Security Gateway, especially for traffic that is not accelerated by SecureXL. The other commands are not valid or do not enable Dynamic Dispatcher. References: R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide

 R81.20 management server can manage gateways with versions R75.20 and higher. However, some features may not be supported on older gateway versions. For example, R81 introduces a new feature called Infinity Threat Prevention, which requires R81 gateways to work properly. Therefore, it is recommended to upgrade your gateways to the latest version to take advantage of all the new features and enhancements in R81. 

The fwd process within the Security Management Server is responsible for the receiving of log records from Security Gateway. The fwd process handles the communication with the Security Gateways and log servers via TCP port 2571. The other processes have different roles, such as logd for writing logs to the database, fwm for handling GUI clients, and cpd for infrastructure tasks2. References: Check Point Ports Used for Communication by Various Check Point Modules, Check Point Processes Cheat Sheet – LazyAdmins

On R81.20, when configuring Third-Party devices to read the logs using the LEA (Log Export API), the default Log Server uses port 18184. This port can be changed using the lea_server command in expert mode. The other ports are either not related to LEA, or used for different purposes, such as 18210 for CPMI, 257 for FW1_log, and 18191 for SIC. References: [Check Point R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide], [Check Point Ports Used for Communication by Various Check Point Modules]

The least ideal Synchronization Status for Security Management Server High Availability deployment is Collision. This status indicates that both members have modified the same object independently, resulting in a conflict that needs to be resolved manually. The other statuses are either normal or indicate a temporary delay in synchronization. References: High Availability Administration Guide

 The cphaprob -a if command displays the interface status of all cluster members, including the interface name, IP address, state, monitor mode, and sync status. References: cphaprob - Check Point Support Center

 Sub Policies are a new R81 Gateway feature that had not been available in R77.X and older. Sub Policies are sets of rules that can be created and attached to specific rules. If the rule is matched, inspection will continue in the sub policy attached to it rather than in the next rule. This allows for more granular and modular control over the policy. The other features were already available in previous versions . References: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, Check Point R77 Security Management Administration Guide, Check Point R77 Gaia Administration Guide, Check Point R77 Security Gateway Technical Administration Guide

Advanced Security Checkups can be easily conducted within the Reports tab in the Logs & Monitor view in SmartConsole. The Reports tab allows you to generate and view various reports that provide insights into the security status and performance of your network. You can use predefined reports or create custom reports based on your needs. You can also schedule reports to run automatically and send them by email. Some of the predefined reports that can help you conduct advanced security checkups are:

• Security Overview: This report provides a summary of the security posture of your network, including the number and severity of incidents, the top attacked hosts and services, the top attackers and attack methods, the top detected threats and vulnerabilities, etc.
• Security Best Practices: This report evaluates your security configuration and policy against the Check Point best practices and provides recommendations for improvement. It covers areas such as firewall policy, NAT policy, VPN policy, identity awareness, threat prevention, etc.
• Compliance Status: This report assesses your compliance level with various regulations and standards, such as PCI DSS, ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, etc. It shows the compliance score, the compliance status of each requirement, the compliance status of each gateway and blade, etc.
• Network Activity: This report shows the network activity and traffic patterns on your network, including the top sources and destinations of traffic, the top protocols and applications used, the top bandwidth consumers, etc.
• System Health: This report monitors the health and performance of your management server and gateways, including the CPU utilization, memory usage, disk space, network interfaces, etc. References: R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide

Check Point currently supports four types of APIs: R81 Management API, Identity Awareness Web Services API, OPSEC SDK, and Gaia REST API. The Open REST API is not a valid option. References: Check Point APIs

The three components for Check Point Capsule are Capsule Workspace, Capsule Docs, and Capsule Cloud. Capsule Workspace is a secure container app that allows users to access corporate data and applications from their mobile devices. Capsule Docs is a solution that protects documents with encryption and granular access control. Capsule Cloud is a cloud-based security service that enforces security policies on devices that are outside the corporate network. References: Check Point Capsule

The cpinfo tool generates a R81 Security Gateway configuration report that includes information about the hardware, operating system, product version, patches, and configuration settings. References: cpinfo - Check Point Support Center

 SSL Network Extender (SNX) has two modes of operation: Network Mode and Application Mode. Network Mode provides full network connectivity to the remote user, while Application Mode provides access to specific applications on the corporate network. References: [SSL Network Extender]

Full synchronization between cluster members is handled by Firewall Kernel using TCP port 256 by default. Full synchronization occurs when a cluster member joins or rejoins the cluster and needs to receive the entire state table from another member. References: [ClusterXL Administration Guide]

 Connections to the Check Point R81 Web API use the HTTPS protocol. The Web API is a RESTful web service that allows you to perform management tasks on the Security Management Server using HTTP requests. References: Check Point Management APIs

The Management API supports three methods of communication: mgmt_cli command, SmartConsole GUI dialog box, and Gaia CLI. Sending API commands over an http connection using web-services is not a supported method. References: Check Point Management APIs

The Audit Log is a feature that records all the actions performed by R81 SmartConsole administrators, such as logging in, logging out, publishing, installing policy, creating objects, modifying rules, etc. You can see and search records of action done by R81 SmartConsole administrators by following these steps:

• In SmartConsole, go to Logs & Monitor view.
• In the left pane, select Open Audit Log View.
• In the right pane, you will see a table that shows all the audit log records. You can filter, sort, group, or search the records by using the toolbar options.
• You can also double-click on a record to see more details in a pop-up window. References: R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide

 Check Point Central Deployment Tool (CDT) communicates with the Security Gateway / Cluster Members over Check Point SIC using TCP port 18191 by default. CDT is a tool that allows you to perform simultaneous configuration changes on multiple gateways or clusters using predefined commands or scripts. References: Check Point Central Deployment Tool (CDT)

On a Security Gateway with CoreXL enabled, the Firewall kernel is replicated multiple times. Each replicated copy, or instance, runs on one processing core. These instances handle traffic concurrently, and each instance is a complete and independent inspection kernel. When CoreXL is enabled, all the kernel instances in the Security Gateway process traffic through the same interfaces and apply the same security policy.

References:

The statement that is true regarding redundancy is Both ClusterXL and VRRP are fully supported by Gaia and available to all Check Point appliances, open servers, and virtualized environments. ClusterXL and VRRP are two technologies that provide high availability and load sharing for Security Gateways. They are both supported by Gaia OS and can be deployed on various platforms5. The other statements are either false or incomplete regarding redundancy. References: Check Point R81 ClusterXL Administration Guide, Check Point R81 Gaia Administration Guide

The fw tab -s command lists all tables in Gaia. The fw tab command displays information about the firewall tables, such as connections, NAT translations, SAM rules, etc. The -s option shows a summary of all tables. References: fw tab - Check Point Support Center

 Dynamic Dispatcher is a feature that optimizes the performance of Security Gateways with multiple CPU cores by dynamically allocating traffic to different cores based on their load and priority. Firewall Priority Queues is a feature that prioritizes traffic based on its type and importance by assigning it to different queues with different weights and limits. To fully enable Dynamic Dispatcher with Firewall Priority Queues on a Security Gateway, you need to run the following command in Expert mode then reboot:

This command sets the multi-core mode to 9, which means that Dynamic Dispatcher is enabled with Firewall Priority Queues. The other commands are not valid or do not enable both features. References: R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide

The statement that is correct about the Sticky Decision Function is It is not supported with either the Performance pack of a hardware based accelerator card. The Sticky Decision Function (SDF) is a feature that ensures that packets from the same connection are handled by the same cluster member in a Load Sharing configuration. However, SDF is not compatible with SecureXL acceleration, which is enabled by default or by using a Performance pack or a hardware based accelerator card4. The other statements are either incorrect or outdated about SDF. References: Check Point R81 ClusterXL Administration Guide, Sticky Decision Function - Check Point CheckMates

 Session Rate Acceleration is a SecureXL feature that accelerates the establishment of new connections by bypassing the inspection of the first packet of each session. Session Rate Acceleration ignores the source port information of the packet, as well as the destination port ranges, protocol type, and VPN information. The other packet info is used by Packet Acceleration, which is another SecureXL feature that accelerates the forwarding of subsequent packets of an established connection. References: SecureXL Mechanism

 Detecting and blocking malware by correlating multiple detection engines before users are affected is not a feature associated with the Check Point URL Filtering and Application Control Blade. This feature is part of the Check Point SandBlast Network solution, which uses Threat Emulation and Threat Extraction technologies to prevent zero-day attacks. The other features are part of the URL Filtering and Application Control Blade, which allows you to control access to web applications and sites based on various criteria. References: URL Filtering and Application Control Administration Guide

 You can select the file types that are sent for emulation for all the Threat Prevention profiles. Each profile defines an Inspect or Bypass action for the file types. The Inspect action means that the file will be sent to the Threat Emulation engine for analysis, and the Bypass action means that the file will not be sent and will be allowed or blocked based on other Threat Prevention blades1. The other options are not valid actions for file types in Threat Prevention profiles. References: Check Point R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide

The Sticky Decision Function in ClusterXL is primarily used in Load Sharing implementations. In Load Sharing, the pivot member is responsible for determining the destination of new connections and ensures that traffic from the same source IP address is directed to the same cluster member. This ensures session stickiness for the same source IP, improving load sharing efficiency.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 documentation and learning resources.

 Mobile Access is not part of the SandBlast component. Mobile Access is a software blade that provides secure remote access to corporate resources from various devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Mobile Access supports different connectivity methods, such as SSL VPN, IPsec VPN, and Mobile Enterprise Application Store (MEAS). Mobile Access also integrates with Mobile Threat Prevention (MTP) to protect mobile devices from malware and network attacks. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Mobile Access Administration Guide, SandBlast Mobile Datasheet

Threat Extraction (Answer B): Threat Extraction always delivers a file, but it removes potentially malicious content from the file before delivering it to the user. It is designed to provide a safe version of the file quickly, taking less than a second to complete.

Threat Emulation (Option A): Threat Emulation does not deliver the original file to the user until it has been thoroughly analyzed for threats. It may take more than 3 minutes to complete the analysis. The emphasis here is on safety and thorough inspection, which may result in a longer processing time.

Therefore, Option B correctly describes the main difference between Threat Extraction and Threat Emulation.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 training materials and documentation.

When traffic from source 192.168.1.1 is going to www.google.com, and the Application Control Blade on the gateway is inspecting the traffic with acceleration enabled, it is handled by the Slow Path.

A. Slow Path

The Slow Path is responsible for handling traffic that requires full inspection by various security blades, including the Application Control Blade. Acceleration may offload some processing to the Medium Path or Fast Path, but the Slow Path is still involved in deeper inspection.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 Study Guide, Check Point documentation on traffic acceleration and processing paths.

SmartEvent does not use matching a log against local exclusions to identify events. Local exclusions are filters that are applied to logs before they are sent to the SmartEvent server. They are used to reduce the amount of logs that are forwarded by the Security Gateways or Log Servers, and to avoid sending irrelevant or sensitive logs. Local exclusions do not affect the event detection process, which is performed by the SmartEvent Correlation Unit on the SmartEvent server. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, SmartEvent Administration Guide, SK120193 - How to configure Local Log Filtering on Security Gateway / Cluster / VSX

The command cpinfo -y all can be used to have cpinfo display all installed hotfixes. Cpinfo is a tool that collects diagnostic data from a Check Point gateway or management server. The data includes configuration files, logs, status reports, and more. The -y parameter is used to specify which sections of data to include in the cpinfo output. The value all means to include all sections, including the hotfixes section, which shows the list of hotfixes installed on the system. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, cpinfo Utility

 User-mode processes are processes that run in the user space of the operating system, as opposed to kernel-mode processes that run in the kernel space. User-mode processes are usually less privileged and have less access to system resources than kernel-mode processes. Check Point products use both user-mode and kernel-mode processes to provide various functionalities and services.

The following are some of the user-mode processes that can be seen on the management server and gateway:

• fwd: This process is responsible for policy installation, logging, and communication with other Check Point components. It runs on both the management server and gateway.
• cpd: This process is responsible for licensing, certificate management, and communication with SmartConsole. It runs on both the management server and gateway.
• cpwd: This process is responsible for monitoring and restarting other processes. It runs on both the management server and gateway.

The following is a user-mode process that can only be seen on the management server:

• fwm: This process is responsible for managing the security policy database, compiling the security policy, and generating reports. It runs only on the management server.

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

References: Check Point Processes and Daemons, Check Point Processes Cheat Sheet, Check Point Firewall Security Solution

In SmartEvent, the administrator can configure different types of automatic reactions, which include:

• Mail notifications
• Blocking the source of the event
• Blocking the event activity
• Running an external script
• Sending an SNMP trap

So, the correct answer is "Mail, Block Source, Block Event Activity, External Script, SNMP Trap."

References: Check Point documentation or training materials related to SmartEvent configuration and automatic reactions.

When John detects a high load on the sync interface, the recommended solution is to implement a delay in the sync process for short-lived connections like HTTP. Here's an explanation of each option:

A. Delaying the sync for 2 seconds for short connections like HTTP services is a common practice to reduce the load on the sync interface. This allows the interface to handle the incoming connections more effectively.

B. Adding a second interface to handle sync traffic might be a viable solution, but it can be more complex and costly compared to implementing a delay for short connections.

C. Not syncing short connections like HTTP services is not a recommended approach because it may lead to synchronization issues and potential data inconsistencies between cluster members.

D. Delaying the sync for ICMP (ping) services is not a common practice and may not effectively address the high load issue on the sync interface.

Therefore, option A is the most recommended solution as it addresses the issue by introducing a delay for short-lived connections, optimizing the sync process without causing synchronization problems.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 documentation and learning resources.

The command cpinfo –y all displays information about all the hotfixes that are installed on the gateway1. This command also shows the hotfix ID, description, installation date, and status for each hotfix2. The other commands are not valid options for this task. The command cpinfo –h all shows the hardware information of the gateway3. The commands cpinfo –o hotfix and cpinfo –l hotfix do not exist and will return an error message.

References: Hotfix installer - Configuration Manager, How to keep your Security Gateways up to date, Solved: Does it always need to have the higher hotfix vers…

The command vpn tu tlist shows detailed information about VPN tunnels, such as the peer IP address, encryption domain, IKE phase 1 and phase 2 status, encryption algorithm, and tunnel uptime. The command vpn tu is an interactive tool that allows users to list, delete, or reconnect VPN tunnels. The command cpview is a real-time performance monitoring tool that shows various statistics about the system and network. References: VPN Administration Guide, SK97638 - What is cpview Utility and How to Use it

The SmartView web application is a web-based interface that allows you to view and analyze logs and events from your Security Gateways and Management Servers1. To access the SmartView web application, you need to use the following link: https:// /smartview/. This link will prompt you to enter your credentials and then take you to the SmartView dashboard. The other options are not correct because:

• A. The link https:///smartviewweb/ is missing a slash (/) between the host name and smartviewweb.
• C. The link https://smartviewweb is missing a slash (/) after the host name and before smartviewweb.
• D. The link https:///smartview is missing a slash (/) at the end.

References: Views and Reports Tutorial R80

The purpose of a SmartEvent Correlation Unit is to evaluate logs from the log server component to identify patterns/threats and convert them to events. The SmartEvent Correlation Unit is a software module that runs on the SmartEvent server or on a dedicated server. It applies correlation rules and logic to the logs received from various sources, such as security gateways, endpoints, or third-party devices. It then generates events that represent security incidents or trends that require attention or action. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, SmartEvent Administration Guide

Implicit MEP (Multicast Ethernet Point) options refer to the way multicast traffic is handled within a network. In this case, the question is asking about an implicit MEP option, and the correct answer is:

A. Primary-backup: This is an implicit MEP option where one switch (primary) forwards multicast traffic while the other switch (backup) does not forward the traffic. It is used to ensure redundancy in case the primary switch fails.

B. Source address-based, C. Round-robin, and D. Load Sharing are not implicit MEP options; they are different methods of handling multicast traffic and do not describe the concept of primary-backup.

Therefore, option A is the correct answer as it represents an implicit MEP option.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 documentation and learning resources.

Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace are both components of Check Point's remote access solution, but they serve different purposes and have distinct features:

A. Capsule Connect provides a Layer 3 VPN, which allows remote users to connect securely to their corporate network. It typically provides network-level access, allowing users to access resources on the corporate network. On the other hand, Capsule Workspace provides a secure workspace environment, including a virtual desktop with usable applications. It is more focused on providing application-level access to users in a secure manner.

B. This statement is partially true. Capsule Workspace is designed to provide secure access to a wide range of applications and resources, not limited to specific applications.

C. Capsule Connect does provide business data isolation by creating a secure VPN tunnel for remote users, ensuring that their network traffic is isolated from the public internet.

D. Capsule Connect usually requires an installed application or VPN client on the client device to establish a secure connection to the corporate network. This statement is not entirely accurate because an installed application or client is typically required.

Therefore, option A is the correct answer as it accurately distinguishes between Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace based on their primary functionalities.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 documentation and learning resources.

 The Threat Prevention profile in Check Point R81.20 SmartConsole application allows you to enforce the following software blades: IPS, Anti-Bot, Anti-Virus, Threat Emulation, and Threat Extraction. These software blades provide comprehensive protection against various types of threats, such as network attacks, malware, ransomware, phishing, and zero-day exploits. You can configure the profile settings for each software blade, such as the action to take, the protection scope, and the exceptions. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Threat Prevention Administration Guide

 The extended master key extension/session hash is a feature introduced in TLS 1.3 to prevent a Man-in-the-Middle attack/disclosure of the client-server communication. It works by generating a unique session hash for each connection, which is derived from the master key and other parameters. This session hash is then used to authenticate the application data and the end-of-handshake messages, ensuring that no one can tamper with or eavesdrop on the communication. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, TLS 1.3 RFC

ClusterXL supports Dynamic Routing for both Unicast and Multicast traffic. Dynamic Routing protocols, such as OSPF, BGP, or PIM, can be configured on cluster members to exchange routing information with other routers. ClusterXL supports two modes of operation for Dynamic Routing: New Mode and Legacy Mode. References: ClusterXL Administration Guide, SK98226 - ClusterXL New Mode Overview

At least 20GB is the recommended size of the root partition when installing a dedicated R81 SmartEvent server. The root partition is the primary partition that contains the operating system files and other essential files for booting and running the system. The SmartEvent server requires at least 20GB of free space on the root partition to install and operate properly. If the root partition size is less than 20GB, you may encounter errors or performance issues with SmartEvent. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, SmartEvent Administration Guide

The benefit of fw monitor over tcpdump is that with fw monitor, you can see the inspection points, which cannot be seen in tcpdump. Inspection points are the locations in the firewall kernel where packets are inspected by the security policy and other software blades. Fw monitor allows you to capture packets at different inspection points and see how they are processed by the firewall. Tcpdump, on the other hand, is a generic packet capture tool that only shows the packets as they enter or leave the network interface. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, fw monitor, tcpdump

Threat Emulation downloads packages by default once per day. The packages contain updates for the Threat Emulation engine, signatures, and images. The download frequency can be changed in the Threat Prevention policy settings. References: Threat Emulation Administration Guide, Threat Prevention R81 Release Notes

The correct steps to configure the HTTPS Inspection Policy in Check Point R81 are as follows1:

• Go to Manage&Settings > Blades > HTTPS Inspection > Configure in SmartDashboard.
• Enable HTTPS Inspection and select the Policy tab.
• Create a new HTTPS Inspection Layer or edit an existing one.
• Define the rules for inspecting HTTPS traffic based on the source, destination, service, and action.
• Install the policy on the relevant gateways.

The other options are incorrect because they either use wrong blade names, wrong menu options, or wrong configuration steps. References: 1: LAB:25 How to Configure HTTPS Inspection in Check Point Firewall R81(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCvV7-R9ZgU)

The API command to create a new host with the name "New Host" and IP address "192.168.0.10" is:

This command adds a host object with the specified name and IP address to the Check Point configuration.

References: Check Point documentation or training materials related to API commands.

To use SmartConsole R81 for managing SmartEvent R81, you need to have the following ports open:

• Port 19009 for communication over HTTPS (443)
• Port 19009 for communication over HTTP (80)

These ports are necessary for the SmartConsole to communicate with SmartEvent for management and monitoring purposes.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 documentation and learning resources.

 CPUSE offline upgrade is the best upgrade method when the management server is not connected to the Internet. CPUSE (Check Point Upgrade Service Engine) is a tool that automates the process of upgrading and installing software packages on Check Point devices. CPUSE can work in online mode or offline mode. Online mode requires an Internet connection to download the packages from Check Point servers. Offline mode allows you to download the packages manually from another device and transfer them to the management server using a USB drive or SCP. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, CPUSE Administration Guide

The command used to display status information for various components is show sysenv all. This command provides comprehensive status information about the system's environment and various components, including hardware and software components. It can be useful for troubleshooting and monitoring the system's health.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 documentation and learning resources.:

When Dynamic Dispatcher is enabled, it dynamically assigns connections, but there are exceptions. The exception mentioned in the question is:

VoIP (Option D): VoIP connections are an exception when Dynamic Dispatcher is enabled. They are not assigned dynamically but follow a different rule set to ensure quality and reliability for VoIP traffic.

The other options, Threat Emulation (Option A), HTTPS (Option B), and QoS (Option C), are dynamically assigned when Dynamic Dispatcher is enabled.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 training materials and documentation.

When an encrypted packet is received by a Check Point Security Gateway, it is decrypted according to the security policy. The security policy defines the rules and settings for encryption and decryption of traffic, such as the encryption algorithm, the encryption domain, the pre-shared secret or certificate, etc. The security policy is enforced by the Firewall kernel, which is responsible for decrypting the packets before passing them to the inbound chain for further inspection. The inbound chain consists of various inspection modules that apply security checks and actions on the decrypted packets. The outbound chain is the reverse process, where the packets are inspected and then encrypted according to the security policy before being sent out.

References: Check Point Firewall Security Solution, Check Point R81 Cyber Security Platform, Check Point VPN Administration Guide R81

For Management High Availability, the valid synchronization status options are:

A. Collision

B. Down

C. Lagging

D. Never been synchronized

In this context, "Down" indicates that the synchronization is not functioning correctly or that the standby management server is not reachable. This is a valid synchronization status, so the answer is not B.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 documentation and learning resources.

The Check Point daemon that monitors the other daemons is cpwd (Check Point Watchdog). It is responsible for monitoring the health and status of various Check Point daemons and processes running on the Security Gateway. If any daemon or process stops responding or encounters an issue, cpwd can restart it to ensure the continued operation of the Security Gateway.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 documentation and learning resources.

ClusterXL is a clustering technology that provides high availability and load sharing for Security Gateways. ClusterXL uses a proprietary protocol called Check Point Cluster Protocol (CCP) to communicate between cluster members. CCP has two main functions: Health Check and State Synchronization. Health Check is the mechanism that monitors the status and availability of each cluster member and determines which member is the active one. State Synchronization is the mechanism that synchronizes the connection and NAT tables between cluster members to ensure a smooth failover in case of a member failure. CCP uses UDP port 8116 for both Health Check and State Synchronization messages. The other options are not correct because:

• A. CCP and 18190: This option is incorrect because CCP does not use port 18190. Port 18190 is used by Secure Internal Communication (SIC) between Security Gateways and Management Servers.
• B. CCP and 257: This option is incorrect because CCP does not use port 257. Port 257 is used by Check Point Security Management Protocol (CPM) for communication between SmartConsole and Management Servers.
• D. CPC and 8116: This option is incorrect because there is no such protocol as CPC in ClusterXL.

References: ClusterXL R81.20 Administration Guide, ClusterXL Administration Guide R80.40, sk25977 - Ports used by Check Point software

The main difference between SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer Virtual Private Network) and IPSec VPN (Internet Protocol Security Virtual Private Network) is in the way they operate:

SSL VPN typically does not require the installation of a resident VPN client. It often relies on a web browser to establish the VPN connection, making it more convenient for remote users who may not want to install dedicated VPN software.

IPSec VPN, on the other hand, often requires the installation of a resident VPN client on the user's device to establish the VPN connection. This client software is necessary for configuring and managing the VPN connection.

Option C, stating that SSL VPN and IPSec VPN are the same, is incorrect because they have distinct characteristics as described above.

Option A is incorrect because it inaccurately suggests that IPSec VPN does not require a resident VPN client, which is not true in most cases.

Option B is incorrect because it wrongly claims that SSL VPN requires the installation of a resident VPN client.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 Study Guide

 The fwaccel stat command on the gateway shows the status of SecureXL acceleration, including the number of accelerated and non-accelerated connections, and the reason for non-acceleration. The reason for non-acceleration can be either a rule that disables templating, or a feature that is not supported by SecureXL. To determine which rule disables templating, the administrator can use the -s option to show the rule numbers and names. For example:

The correct syntax to import a host object using mgmt_cli is mgmt_cli add host name ip-address --format 1. The name and ip-address parameters are mandatory, while the format parameter is optional and can be either json or txt. The other options are incorrect because they either use wrong parameters, wrong hyphens, or wrong object types. References: 1: Check Point Resource Library2

 The port used for SmartConsole to connect to the Security Management Server is CPMI port 18191/TCP. CPMI stands for Check Point Management Interface, which is a proprietary protocol that enables secure communication between the SmartConsole and the Security Management Server. CPMI uses SSL encryption and authentication to protect the data exchange. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, SK52421 - Ports used by Check Point software

Hybrid Emulation Mode is a mode of operation that allows load sharing of emulation between an on premise appliance and the cloud. Emulation is a process that analyzes files for malicious behavior by running them in a virtual sandbox. Hybrid Emulation Mode enables you to optimize the performance and scalability of your Threat Emulation solution by distributing the emulation workload between your local SandBlast appliance and the Check Point cloud service. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Threat Emulation Administration Guide

SecureXL is a technology that improves the performance of Security Gateway by offloading the processing of some packets from the Firewall kernel to the SecureXL device driver1. SecureXL can handle packets in three different paths, depending on the type and state of the packet2:

• Firewall Path: This is the slowest path, where packets are processed by the Firewall kernel and all the inspection blades. This path is used for packets that require full inspection, such as the first packet of a connection, packets that match a rule with a UTM blade, or packets that are not eligible for acceleration.
• Accelerated Path: This is the fastest path, where packets are processed by the SecureXL device driver and bypass the Firewall kernel. This path is used for packets that belong to an established connection that is marked for acceleration, and do not require any further inspection by the Firewall or other blades.
• Medium Path: This is a hybrid path, where packets are processed by both the SecureXL device driver and the Firewall kernel, but skip some inspection steps. This path is used for packets that belong to an established connection that is not marked for acceleration, but do not require full inspection by all the blades.

The other options are not correct because:

• A. Initial Path; Medium Path; Accelerated Path: There is no such thing as Initial Path in SecureXL terminology. The initial packet of a connection is always handled by the Firewall Path.
• B. Layer Path; Blade Path; Rule Path: These are not paths of traffic flow, but components of the unified policy in R80 and above versions. The Layer Path refers to the order of layers in the policy, the Blade Path refers to the order of blades within a layer, and the Rule Path refers to the order of rules within a blade3.
• C. Firewall Path; Accept Path; Drop Path: These are not paths of traffic flow, but possible actions that the Firewall can take on a packet. The Firewall Path is one of the paths of traffic flow, but the Accept Path and Drop Path are not. The Accept Path means that the packet is allowed to pass through the Firewall, and the Drop Path means that the packet is blocked by the Firewall4.

References: Part 3 - SecureXL, What is CoreXL & SecureXL, SecureXL Fast Accelerator (fw fast_accel) for R80.20 and above, QUANTUM 7000 SECURITY GATEWAY

Threat Extraction is a software blade that delivers PDF versions of original files with active content removed. Active content, such as macros, scripts, or embedded objects, can be used by attackers to deliver malware or exploit vulnerabilities. Threat Extraction removes or sanitizes the active content from the files and converts them to PDF format, which is safer and more compatible. Threat Extraction can also work together with Threat Emulation to provide both clean and original files to the users. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Threat Extraction Administration Guide

 SecureXL is a technology that accelerates the performance of the Check Point Security Gateway by offloading CPU-intensive operations from the Firewall kernel to the SecureXL device. SecureXL can handle various types of traffic, such as TCP, UDP, ICMP, non-IP, VPN, NAT, etc. SecureXL can also work with various features, such as CoreXL, ClusterXL, QoS, etc.

One way to indicate that SecureXL is enabled is to use the fwaccel commands in clish. Clish is a command-line shell that provides a user-friendly interface for configuring and managing Check Point products. The fwaccel commands are used to control and monitor SecureXL operations, such as enabling or disabling SecureXL, viewing SecureXL statistics, managing SecureXL templates, etc. For example, the command fwaccel stat shows the status of SecureXL, such as whether it is on or off, how many packets are accelerated or not accelerated, etc.

The other options are not valid indicators of SecureXL being enabled:

• A. Dynamic objects are available in the Object Explorer: Dynamic objects are objects that represent IP addresses that change over time, such as VPN clients, DHCP clients, etc. Dynamic objects are available in the Object Explorer regardless of whether SecureXL is enabled or not.
• B. SecureXL can be disabled in cpconfig: Cpconfig is a command-line tool that allows you to configure various settings of Check Point products, such as administrator password, GUI clients, SNMP extension, etc. SecureXL can be disabled in cpconfig only if it was enabled before. Therefore, this option does not indicate that SecureXL is enabled.
• D. Only one packet in a stream is seen in a fw monitor packet capture: Fw monitor is a command-line tool that allows you to capture and analyze network traffic passing through the Security Gateway. Fw monitor shows the traffic at different inspection points in the Firewall kernel. If SecureXL is enabled, some packets may be accelerated by SecureXL and bypass the Firewall kernel inspection. Therefore, fw monitor may not see all packets in a stream. However, this does not mean that only one packet in a stream will be seen by fw monitor. Some packets may still go through the Firewall kernel inspection and be seen by fw monitor. Therefore, this option does not indicate that SecureXL is enabled.

Therefore, the correct answer is C.

References: How to enable/disable Check Point SecureXL via CLI, Part 3 - SecureXL, What is SecureXL?, Clish - Command Line Interface Shell, sk30583: What is FW Monitor?

 SecureXL templates are a mechanism to accelerate the rate of connection establishment by grouping connections that match a particular service and whose sole differentiating element is the source port. SecureXL templates enable even the very first packets of a TCP handshake to be accelerated, without waiting for the Firewall kernel to create a connection entry. The first packets of the first connection on the same service will be forwarded to the Firewall kernel, which will then create a template of the connection. The template will contain all the relevant information for the connection, such as source and destination IP addresses, destination port, NAT information, policy decision, etc. The template will be used by SecureXL to handle subsequent connections on the same service, without involving the Firewall kernel. This reduces the CPU load and increases the throughput.

There are three types of SecureXL templates: Accept, Drop, and NAT. Accept templates are used for connections that are allowed by the Firewall policy. Drop templates are used for connections that are blocked by the Firewall policy. NAT templates are used for connections that require NAT translation. Deny templates are not a valid type of SecureXL template.

References: SecureXL NAT Templates in R80.20 and lower, Part 3 - SecureXL, Security Gateway Performance Optimization - Part 5 - SecureXL

Check Point Capsule is a suite of solutions designed to provide comprehensive mobile security and secure access. The components of Check Point Capsule include:

Capsule Docs (Option A): A component that secures document sharing and protects sensitive data.

Capsule Cloud (Option B): A component that provides cloud-based security services.

Capsule Workspace (Option D): A component that provides secure workspace on mobile devices.

Option C, "Capsule Enterprise," is not a recognized component of Check Point Capsule based on the available information. Therefore, it is the correct answer as the component that is NOT part of Check Point Capsule.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 training materials and documentation.

Check Point SandBlast Zero-Day Protection offers flexibility in implementation to meet individual business needs. One of the deployment options for Check Point SandBlast Zero-Day Protection is:

Smart Cloud Services (Option A): Smart Cloud Services allow organizations to leverage cloud-based threat intelligence and protection services provided by Check Point.

The other options, Load Sharing Mode Services (Option B), Threat Agent Solution (Option C), and Public Cloud Services (Option D), may also be components of a security strategy, but they are not specific deployment options for Check Point SandBlast Zero-Day Protection.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81 training materials and documentation.

The FWD daemon uses TCP port 256 to do a Full Synchronization between gateway cluster members. This port is also used for other synchronization types, such as Delta Synchronization and Accelerated Synchronization. The FWD daemon is responsible for synchronizing the connections table, NAT table, and VPN keys between cluster members. References: ClusterXL Administration Guide, SK25977 - Ports Used by Check Point Software

The correct command to verify the CPUSE (Check Point Update Service Engine) version is:

Option B is incorrect because it uses the "[Expert@HostName:0]#" prompt, which is typically used for expert mode commands, but the CPUSE version can be checked using the "show installer status build" command in standard mode.

Option C is incorrect because it uses the "[Expert@HostName:0]#" prompt, and while it includes the "build" parameter, it's not the standard command to check the CPUSE version.

Option D is incorrect because it uses the "HostName:0>" prompt, but it lacks the "show" command and uses "build" instead of "status build."

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 documentation

 The cpinfo command is a tool that collects diagnostic data from a Check Point gateway or management server. The data includes configuration files, logs, status reports, and more. The cpinfo output can be used for troubleshooting or sent to Check Point support for analysis. The -x parameter is used to get information about the specified Virtual System on a VSX gateway. A Virtual System is a virtualized firewall instance that runs on a VSX gateway and has its own security policy and objects. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, cpinfo Utility, VSX Administration Guide

Firewall Management (fwm) is available on any management product, including Multi-Domain and on products that requite direct GUI access, such as SmartEvent, It provides the following:

– GUI Client communication

– Database manipulation

– Policy Compilation

– Management HA sync

The feature that provides Full Layer3 VPN –IPSec VPN, giving users network access to all mobile applications, is the correct answer.

Capsule Connect/VPN is used to establish secure VPN connections for mobile devices, and the Full Layer3 VPN (IPSec VPN) option provides comprehensive network access.

References: Check Point documentation or training materials related to Mobile Access Methods and VPN configurations.

The option that is NOT an option to calculate the traffic direction is Outgoing. Traffic direction is a parameter that determines how traffic is classified as internal or external based on its source and destination. Traffic direction can be calculated using three options: Incoming, Internal, or External. Incoming means that traffic is classified as internal if its destination is one of the Security Gateway’s interfaces, and external otherwise. Internal means that traffic is classified as internal if its source or destination belongs to one of the internal networks defined in the topology, and external otherwise. External means that traffic is classified as internal if both its source and destination belong to one of the internal networks defined in the topology, and external otherwise. Outgoing is not a valid option to calculate traffic direction. 

The correct statement about Security Gateway and Security Management Server failover in Check Point R81.X in terms of Check Point Redundancy driven solution is: Security Gateway failover is an automatic procedure but Security Management Server failover is a manual procedure. Security Gateway failover is a feature that allows a cluster of Security Gateways to provide high availability and load balancing for network traffic. If one Security Gateway fails or becomes unreachable, another Security Gateway in the cluster automatically takes over its role and handles the traffic without interrupting the service. Security Management Server failover is a feature that allows a backup Security Management Server to take over the role of the primary Security Management Server in case of failure or disaster. However, this feature requires manual intervention to activate the backup server and restore the database from a backup file. 

 According to the Check Point R81 Mobile Access Administration Guide, the recommended number of physical network interfaces in a Mobile Access cluster deployment is three. One interface should be connected to the organization network, one interface should be connected to the Internet, and one interface should be used for synchronization between cluster members. This configuration provides optimal performance and security for Mobile Access traffic. 

Browser-based Authentication is a method of acquiring identities from unidentified users by sending them to a web page where they can log in and authenticate. Browser-based Authentication uses two techniques to acquire identities: Captive Portal and Transparent Kerberos Authentication1.

Captive Portal is a simple method that attempts authentication through a web interface before granting a user access to Intranet resources. When a user tries to access a protected resource, they are redirected to a web page where they have to enter their credentials. The credentials are verified by the Identity Awareness Security Gateway or an external authentication server. If the authentication is successful, the user’s identity is associated with their IP address and they are allowed to access the resource12.

Transparent Kerberos Authentication is a more seamless method that leverages the existing Kerberos infrastructure in the network. When a user tries to access a protected resource, the Identity Awareness Security Gateway intercepts the Kerberos ticket request and extracts the user’s identity from it. The user’s identity is then associated with their IP address and they are allowed to access the resource without any additional prompts. This method requires that the Identity Awareness Security Gateway is configured as a trusted proxy in the Active Directory domain12.

Therefore, the correct answer is B. Browser-based Authentication sends users to a web page to acquire identities using Captive Portal and Transparent Kerberos Authentication.

References:

• 1, THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS ROLES - Check Point Software, page 2
• 2, Browser-based Authentication Check Point - Bing
• 3, How to Configure Client Authentication - Check Point Software, page 1
• 4, Identity Sources - Check Point Software
• 5, Configuring Browser-Based Authentication - Check Point Software
• 6, Two Factor Authentication - Check Point Software

According to the Check Point website, INSPECT Engine is the technology that extracts detailed information from packets and stores that information in state tables. INSPECT Engine is the core of Check Point’s Stateful Inspection technology, which enables Security Gateways to inspect traffic at multiple layers and enforce security policies. The other technologies are either not related or not specific enough. References: INSPECT Engine

The way SSL VPN and IPSec VPN are different is that IPSec VPN uses an additional virtual adapter; SSL VPN uses the client network adapter only. SSL VPN and IPSec VPN are two types of VPN technologies that provide secure remote access to network resources over the internet. SSL VPN uses SSL/TLS protocol to establish an encrypted tunnel between the client and the server, and does not require any additional software or hardware on the client side. IPSec VPN uses IPSec protocol to establish an encrypted tunnel between the client and the server, and requires a dedicated virtual adapter on the client side to handle the IPSec traffic. The other options are either incorrect or not relevant to SSL VPN and IPSec VPN.

To change the number of firewall instances used by CoreXL, the cpconfig command must be used, followed by a reboot. CoreXL is a technology that improves the performance of the Security Gateway by using multiple cores to handle concurrent connections. The number of firewall instances determines how many cores are dedicated to CoreXL. The cpconfig command allows the administrator to configure various settings on the Security Gateway, including the number of firewall instances. After changing this setting, a reboot is required for the changes to take effect. The other commands are either incorrect or do not require a reboot.

Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace are both designed to offer secure connections for remote users on mobile devices, but they have different features tailored to specific needs. Capsule Workspace provides a secure container for corporate data on mobile devices, ensuring that business data is encrypted and separated from personal data. It allows administrators to remotely wipe corporate data from lost or stolen devices. Capsule Connect, on the other hand, focuses on providing secure access to corporate resources with features like jailbreak/root detection and MDM cooperative enforcement, which are part of the compliance and host checking capabilities123.

References:

• Check Point’s official documentation and resources on Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace.
• Mobile Secure Workspace with Capsule - Check Point Software.
• CHECK POINT CAPSULE WORKSPACE datasheet.
• Quiz+ comparison of Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace capabilities.

One of the major features in R81 SmartConsole is concurrent administration. This feature allows multiple administrators to work on the same Security Policy simultaneously, without blocking each other or creating conflicts. Concurrent administration improves the efficiency and productivity of security management operations1.

However, not all of the options given are possible considering that AdminA, AdminB and AdminC are editing the same Security Policy. The correct answer is B. AdminA and AdminB are editing the same rule at the same time. This is not possible because concurrent administration uses a locking mechanism to prevent multiple administrators from modifying the same rule or object at the same time. When an administrator clicks on a rule or an object, it becomes locked and a lock icon appears next to it. The lock icon shows the name of the administrator who is working on that rule or object, and prevents other administrators from editing it until it is unlocked12.

Therefore, the other options are possible considering that AdminA, AdminB and AdminC are editing the same Security Policy. Option A is possible because a lock icon shows that a rule or an object is locked and will be available when the administrator who locked it finishes working on it or logs out of SmartConsole12. Option C is possible because a lock icon next to a rule informs that any administrator is working on this particular rule, and hovering over the lock icon will show the name of that administrator12. Option D is possible because AdminA, AdminB and AdminC are editing three different rules at the same time, which does not create any conflicts or blockages12.

Once a certificate is revoked from the Security Gateway by the Security Management Server, the certificate information is stored on the Certificate Revocation List (CRL). The CRL is a list of certificates that have been revoked by the Internal Certificate Authority (ICA) and are no longer valid for Secure Internal Communication (SIC). The CRL is signed by the ICA and issued to all the managed Security Gateways the next time a SIC connection is made12. The CRL helps to prevent unauthorized access to the Security Management Server by revoked Security Gateways.

References: 1: How to renew SIC after changing IP Address of Security Management Server - Check Point Software, Solution ID: sk43784 2: Check Point R81 Security Engineering Guide - Check Point Software, page 162

SmartEvent Unit is not a blade option when configuring SmartEvent. SmartEvent is a unified security event management solution that provides visibility, analysis, and reporting of security events across multiple Check Point products. SmartEvent consists of three main components: SmartEvent Server, Correlation Unit, and Log Server. SmartEvent Server is responsible for storing and displaying security events in SmartConsole and SmartEventWeb. Correlation Unit is responsible for collecting and correlating logs from various sources and generating security events based on predefined or custom scenarios. Log Server is responsible for receiving and indexing logs from Security Gateways and other Check Point modules. SmartEvent Unit is not a valid component or blade of SmartEvent.

 The CLI command that compiles and installs a Security Policy on the target’s Security Gateways is fwm load. Fwm stands for FireWall Management, and it is a command that allows administrators to perform various management tasks on the Security Management Server or Multi-Domain Server. Fwm load takes two arguments: the name of the Security Policy and the name or IP address of the target Security Gateway or Gateway Cluster. For example:

[Expert@SMS]# fwm load Standard_Policy fw1

This command will compile and install the Standard_Policy on the Security Gateway named fw1. The other commands are either invalid or perform different functions.

Identity Awareness maps usernames to IP addresses by collecting Windows Security Events from Active Directory Domain Controllers. These events include Account Logon, Kerberos Ticket Requested, and Kerberos Ticket Renewed. These events indicate that a user has successfully authenticated to the domain and obtained a Kerberos ticket for accessing network resources. Identity Awareness can use these events to associate the username with the source IP address of the authentication request.

However, Kerberos Ticket Timed Out is not a Windows Security Event that Identity Awareness can use to map usernames to IP addresses. This event indicates that a user’s Kerberos ticket has expired and needs to be renewed. This event does not contain the source IP address of the user, only the username and the ticket information. Therefore, Identity Awareness cannot use this event to map a username to an IP address.

References:

• 1, Training & Certification | Check Point Software, section “Security Expert R81.20 (CCSE) Core Training”
• 2, Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview, page 1
• 3, Check Point Certified Security Expert R81, page 5
• 5, Identity Awareness Administration Guide R81, section “How Identity Awareness Collects Identities”

The methods of SandBlast Threat Emulation deployment are Cloud, Appliance, and Private. SandBlast Threat Emulation is a solution that detects and prevents zero-day attacks by emulating files in a sandbox environment and analyzing their behavior for malicious indicators. SandBlast Threat Emulation can be deployed in three different methods: Cloud, Appliance, and Private. Cloud method is when the files are sent to the Check Point cloud service for emulation and analysis. This method does not require any additional hardware or software on the customer’s side, and provides the fastest updates and feeds from ThreatCloud. Appliance method is when the files are sent to a dedicated appliance on the customer’s network for emulation and analysis. This method provides more control and privacy for the customer, and supports more file types and sizes. Private method is when the files are sent to a private cloud service on the customer’s network for emulation and analysis. This method provides the highest level of control and privacy for the customer, and supports customizing the emulation environment and scenarios.

The command that lists all interfaces using Multi-Queue is cpmq get. Multi-Queue is a feature that allows network interfaces to use multiple transmit and receive queues, which improves the performance and scalability of the Security Gateway by distributing the network load among several CPU cores. Cpmq is a command that allows administrators to configure and manage Multi-Queue settings on network interfaces. Cpmq get lists all interfaces using Multi-Queue and shows their queue count and core distribution. 

 The number of cores that can be used in a Cluster for Firewall-kernel on the new device with 4 cores is 4. Cluster is a feature that allows two or more Security Gateways to provide high availability and load balancing for network traffic. Firewall-kernel is a component of the Security Gateway that performs packet inspection according to security policies. The number of cores that can be used for Firewall-kernel in a Cluster depends on the number of cores available on each device in the Cluster. The Cluster will use the lowest common denominator of cores among all devices in the Cluster for Firewall-kernel. Therefore, if one device has 2 cores and another device has 4 cores, the Cluster will use 2 cores for Firewall-kernel on each device. However, if both devices have 4 cores, the Cluster will use 4 cores for Firewall-kernel on each device.

 The TCP/IP model is a four-layer model that describes how data is transmitted over a network. The four layers are: Application, Transport, Internet, and Network Access. The Application layer provides services and protocols for applications to communicate with each other. The Transport layer provides reliable or unreliable data delivery between hosts. The Internet layer provides routing and addressing of packets across networks. The Network Access layer provides physical and logical access to the network media. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, Check Point Resource Library

The cloud-based SandBlast Mobile application that is used to register new devices and users is Check Point Gateway. Check Point Gateway is a web portal that allows administrators to enroll devices and users into the SandBlast Mobile service, which is a cloud-based solution that protects mobile devices from advanced threats. Check Point Gateway also allows administrators to configure policies, monitor device status, and generate reports for SandBlast Mobile. 

The SmartEvent R81 Web application for real-time event monitoring is called SmartEventWeb. SmartEventWeb is a web-based interface that allows administrators to view and analyze security events from various sources, such as logs, reports, incidents, and indicators. SmartEventWeb provides dashboards, widgets, filters, and drill-down options to help administrators gain insights into their security posture. The other options are either incorrect or refer to different applications.

 To ensure that VMAC mode is enabled, the CLI command that should be run on all cluster members is fw ctl get int fwha_vmac_global_param_enabled; result of command should return value 1. VMAC mode is a feature that allows ClusterXL to use virtual MAC addresses for cluster interfaces, instead of physical MAC addresses. This improves the failover performance and compatibility of ClusterXL with switches and routers. To check if VMAC mode is enabled, the command fw ctl get int fwha_vmac_global_param_enabled can be used, which returns 1 if VMAC mode is enabled, and 0 if VMAC mode is disabled. 

The Implicit Clean-up Rule is another name for the Clean-up Rule, which is the last rule in every policy layer. The Clean-up Rule defines the default action for traffic that does not match any of the preceding rules in the layer. The default action is to drop the traffic and log it, but it can be changed by the administrator. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, Check Point Resource Library

 Identity Awareness AD-Query is using the Microsoft WMI API to learn users from AD. WMI stands for Windows Management Instrumentation, and it is an API that allows remote management and monitoring of Windows systems. Identity Awareness AD-Query is a feature that enables the Security Gateway to query Active Directory servers for user and computer information, such as login events, group membership, and IP addresses. By using the WMI API, Identity Awareness AD-Query can receive real-time notifications from Active Directory servers without installing any agents or scripts on them. 

AppWiki is the Check Point feature that enables application scanning and the detection. AppWiki is an easy to use tool that lets you search and filter Check Point’s Web 2.0 Applications Database to find out information about internet applications, including social network widgets; filter by a category, tag, or risk level; and search for a keyword or application1. AppWiki helps you to identify and control the applications on your network, and to apply granular policies based on the application type, risk, and characteristics1. AppWiki is integrated with the Check Point Application Control Software Blade, which provides the industry’s strongest application security and identity control to organizations of all sizes1.

References: 1: AppWiki | Check Point Software

 The first thing that must be done if “fwm sic_reset” could not be completed is to change internal CA via cpconfig. Fwm sic_reset is a command that allows administrators to reset Secure Internal Communication (SIC) between Security Management Server and Security Gateways or other Check Point modules. SIC is a mechanism that ensures secure and authenticated communication between Check Point components by using certificates issued by an internal Certificate Authority (ICA). If fwm sic_reset fails, it means that there is a problem with the ICA or the certificates that prevents SIC from being reset. To resolve this problem, administrators need to change internal CA via cpconfig, which is a command that allows administrators to configure various settings on Security Gateways or Management Servers, including the ICA. Changing internal CA via cpconfig will create a new ICA with a new certificate, and allow SIC to be reset with the new certificate.

 For best practices, the recommended time for automatic unlocking of locked admin accounts is 30 minutes at least. Admin accounts can be locked due to failed login attempts, password expiration, or manual locking by another admin. To prevent unauthorized access or brute force attacks, locked admin accounts should not be unlocked automatically too soon. The recommended minimum time for automatic unlocking is 30 minutes, which can be configured from the SmartConsole under Manage > Permissions and Administrators > Advanced > Unlock locked administrators after. 

The SandBlast Agent is designed to prevent malware from spreading within the network if it enters an end user’s system. SandBlast Agent is a lightweight endpoint security solution that protects devices from advanced threats such as ransomware, phishing, zero-day attacks, and data exfiltration. SandBlast Agent uses various technologies such as behavioral analysis, anti-exploitation, anti-ransomware, threat emulation, threat extraction, and forensics to detect and block malware before it can harm the device or the network. The other options are either not the main purpose or not the functionality of SandBlast Agent. 

 The order of NAT priorities is determined by the type of NAT rule that is applied to the traffic. There are three types of NAT rules in Check Point: static NAT, IP pool NAT, and hide NAT12.

• Static NAT: This type of NAT rule maps a single IP address to another single IP address. It is usually used to allow external hosts to access internal servers or devices. Static NAT has the highest priority among the NAT rules, and it is applied before the security policy is enforced12.
• IP pool NAT: This type of NAT rule maps a range of IP addresses to another range of IP addresses. It is usually used to balance the load among multiple servers or devices. IP pool NAT has the second highest priority among the NAT rules, and it is applied after the security policy is enforced12.
• Hide NAT: This type of NAT rule hides a group of IP addresses behind a single IP address or an interface. It is usually used to allow internal hosts to access external resources. Hide NAT has the lowest priority among the NAT rules, and it is applied after the security policy is enforced12.

Therefore, the order of NAT priorities is: static NAT, IP pool NAT, hide NAT.

References: 1: Check Point R81 Security Administration Guide - Check Point Software, page 209 2: Check Point R81 Security Engineering Guide - Check Point Software, page 163

Tom’s changes will have been stored on the Management when he reconnects and he will not lose any of his work.

This is because SmartConsole has a feature called Concurrent Administration, which allows multiple administrators to work on the same Security Policy simultaneously, without blocking each other or creating conflicts. Concurrent Administration uses a locking mechanism to prevent multiple administrators from modifying the same rule or object at the same time. When an administrator clicks on a rule or an object, it becomes locked and a lock icon appears next to it. The lock icon shows the name of the administrator who is working on that rule or object, and prevents other administrators from editing it until it is unlocked12.

Concurrent Administration also has a feature called Session Persistence, which preserves the changes made by an administrator in case of a network failure or a SmartConsole crash. When an administrator reconnects to the Management Server after a network failure or a SmartConsole crash, they can resume their work from where they left off, without losing any changes. The changes are stored locally on the administrator’s machine until they are published to the Management Server13.

Therefore, if Tom has connected to the R81 Management Server remotely using SmartConsole and is in the process of making some Rule Base changes, when he suddenly loses connectivity, his changes will not be lost. They will be stored locally on his machine and he can resume his work when he reconnects to the Management Server.

 According to the Check Point R81 training course, the medium path is available only when CoreXL is enabled. CoreXL is a performance-enhancing technology that allows multiple CPU cores to process traffic simultaneously. The medium path handles packets that require deeper inspection or content awareness, such as IPS, Anti-Virus, or URL Filtering. The other paths are either available regardless of CoreXL or not valid terms. References: Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview

 In the Firewall chain mode FFF refers to all packets. Firewall chain mode is a feature that allows administrators to define how packets are processed by different firewall kernel modules in inbound and outbound directions. FFF is one of the predefined chain modes that applies all firewall kernel modules (Firewall, VPN, IPS, etc.) to all packets, regardless of their state or connection. This mode provides maximum security, but also consumes more CPU resources. 

The best suggestion for Pamela to make sure she successfully captures entire traffic in context of Firewall and problematic traffic is: Pamela should check SecureXL status on DMZ Security gateway and if it’s turned ON. She should turn OFF SecureXL before using fw monitor to avoid misleading traffic captures. SecureXL is a technology that accelerates network traffic processing by offloading intensive operations from the Firewall kernel to a dedicated SecureXL device. However, this also means that some traffic might not be seen by fw monitor, which is a tool that captures packets at different inspection points in the Firewall kernel. Therefore, to ensure that fw monitor captures all traffic, SecureXL should be turned OFF before using fw monitor. The other suggestions are either incorrect or less effective in capturing traffic. 

 SandBlast Agent is a comprehensive endpoint security solution that extends 0-day prevention to web browsers and user devices. It protects against advanced threats such as ransomware, phishing, and zero-day attacks by using a combination of static, dynamic, and behavioral analysis. References: [SandBlast Agent Datasheet]

Captive Portal is one of the authentication methods used for Identity Awareness, which is a feature of Check Point that enables you to identify users and apply security policy rules based on their identity. Captive Portal redirects users to a web page where they can enter their credentials and be authenticated by an external server, such as LDAP or RADIUS. After authentication, users can access the Internet and corporate resources according to the security policy rules that apply to their identity.

The references are:

• Machine Authentication & Identity Awareness - Check Point CheckMates
• Check Point Certified Security Expert R81.20, slide 13
• Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide, page 9

 The command that may impact performance briefly and should not be used during heavy traffic times of day is fw tab -t connections. This command displays all the entries in the connections table, which can be very large and consume a lot of CPU resources. The other commands are less intensive and can be used safely. The command fw tab -t connections -s displays only the statistics of the connections table, such as number of entries, peak size, etc. The command fw tab -t connections -c clears all the entries in the connections table. The command fw tab -t connections -f displays only the entries that match a filter expression. References: [fw tab Command]

The command that lists firewall chain is fw ctl chain1. This command displays the list of chain modules that are registered on the Security Gateway2. Chain modules are components of the Firewall kernel that inspect and process packets according to the security policy and other features3. The order of the chain modules determines the order of the packet inspection and processing3. The fw ctl chain command can help you troubleshoot connectivity or performance issues, or to verify that a feature is enabled or disabled on the Security Gateway2. To run this command, you need to access the Security Gateway in expert mode and run fw ctl chain1.

References: How to use fw ctl chain - Check Point Software, fw ctl chain - Check Point Software, R81.x Security Gateway Architecture (Logical Packet Flow) - Check Point CheckMates

The options that are given on features, when editing a Role on Gaia Platform are Read/Write, Read Only, and None. These options determine the level of access that a user has to a specific feature or command in Gaia. If a user has Read/Write access to a feature, they can view and modify the settings of that feature. If a user has Read Only access to a feature, they can only view the settings of that feature, but not change them. If a user has None access to a feature, they cannot view or modify the settings of that feature. 

 The Anti-Virus feature of the Threat Prevention policy blocks traffic from infected websites by matching logs against ThreatCloud information about the reputation of the website. ThreatCloud is a collaborative network that collects and analyzes threat data from millions of sources worldwide. It assigns a reputation score to each website based on its malicious activity and behavior. If a website has a low reputation score, it is considered infected and blocked by the Anti-Virus blade. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, CCSE section

 You can enable Multi-Version Cluster (MVC) by running set cluster member mvc on on the Check Point Security Gateway Cluster Member1. MVC is a feature that allows you to upgrade a Security Gateway Cluster to a higher version without downtime2. It works by upgrading one cluster member at a time, while the other cluster members continue to operate with the lower version2. MVC supports upgrading from R80.40 and above to R81 and above2. To use MVC, you need to do the following steps2:

• Enable MVC on each cluster member by running set cluster member mvc on in Clish and rebooting the gateway.
• Install the higher version on one cluster member using CPUSE or ISO image.
• Install policy on the upgraded cluster member and verify that it works properly.
• Repeat the previous steps for the remaining cluster members until all of them are upgraded.
• Disable MVC on each cluster member by running set cluster member mvc off in Clish and rebooting the gateway.

References: Multi-Version Cluster (MVC) - Check Point Software, Multi-Version Cluster (MVC) - Check Point CheckMates

By default, Threat Emulation updates the engine on the Security Gateway once per day. This is the recommended frequency for optimal performance and security. However, the admin can change the update frequency to a different value, such as once an hour, once a week, or twice per day, depending on the network needs and resources. The admin can also manually update the engine at any time using the SmartConsole or the command line interface. References: Threat Emulation Engine Release Updates - Check Point Software, Check Point R81.20 Gaia Fresh Install and upgrade

 SecureXL is a technology that improves the performance of the Security Gateway by offloading CPU-intensive operations to a dedicated hardware or software module. SecureXL uses templates to accelerate traffic processing based on predefined patterns and conditions. SecureXL supports three types of templates: Accept Templates, Drop Templates, and NAT Templates3.

• Accept Templates are used to accelerate traffic that matches an Accept rule in the Security Policy. Accept Templates bypass most of the inspection stages and send packets directly to the network interface.
• Drop Templates are used to accelerate traffic that matches a Drop rule in the Security Policy. Drop Templates drop packets without sending them to the firewall kernel for inspection.
• NAT Templates are used to accelerate traffic that requires Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT Templates perform NAT operations without sending packets to the firewall kernel.

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

References: 3: SecureXL for R80.20 and higher

SandBlast Threat Emulation is a technology that protects against zero-day and unknown malware by inspecting files in a secure sandbox environment and emulating their behavior. SandBlast Threat Emulation can be deployed in three modes: Cloud, Appliance and Hybrid1.

• Cloud mode: The files are sent to the Check Point cloud service for emulation. This mode does not require any additional hardware or software installation. It is the easiest and most cost-effective way to deploy SandBlast Threat Emulation.
• Appliance mode: The files are sent to a dedicated appliance (TE1000X, TE2500X, or TE100X) for emulation. This mode provides the highest level of performance and scalability, as well as data privacy and compliance. It is suitable for large organizations with high security and throughput requirements.
• Hybrid mode: The files are first sent to the Check Point cloud service for emulation, and if the cloud service cannot determine the verdict, they are then sent to a dedicated appliance for further analysis. This mode combines the benefits of both cloud and appliance modes, offering fast response time and high accuracy.

References: 1: SandBlast Threat Emulation Deployment Modes

 The CLI utility that runs connectivity tests from a Security Gateway to an AD domain controller is test_ad_connectivity -d . This command tests the connectivity between the gateway and the domain controller using LDAP, Kerberos, and WMI protocols. It also verifies the identity awareness configuration and shows the relevant logs3. The other options are not valid commands for testing AD connectivity. References: 3: Check Point Software, Getting Started, Testing Active Directory Connectivity.

 The Threat Prevention software components available on the Check Point Security Gateway are IPS, Anti-Bot, Anti-Virus, Threat Emulation and Threat Extraction. These components provide comprehensive protection against various types of cyber threats, such as network attacks, malware, ransomware, phishing, zero-day exploits, data leakage, and more. IPS is a network security component that detects and prevents malicious traffic based on signatures, behavioral patterns, and anomaly detection. Anti-Bot is a network security component that detects and blocks botnet communications and command-and-control servers. Anti-Virus is a network security component that scans files for known viruses, worms, and trojans. Threat Emulation is a network security component that emulates files in a sandbox environment to detect unknown malware and prevent zero-day attacks. Threat Extraction is a network security component that removes malicious content from files and delivers clean files to users. References: [Check Point R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide], page 9-10

Identity Awareness maps users and computer identities, enabling enforcement of Access Control policy rules and auditing data based on identity. It is an easy-to-deploy and scalable solution that works for both Active Directory and non-Active Directory based networks, including employees and guest users1. By considering network location, user identity, and machine identity, organizations can control access between different segments in the network using an identity-based policy2.

References:

• Check Point Troubleshooting Expert - R81 (CCTE) Reference Materials
• Check Point Certified Troubleshooting Expert R81.20 - CCTE
• Check Point CCTE Certification Sample Questions and Practice Exam

 The biggest benefit of policy layers is that they enable flexible control over the security policy. Policy layers and sub-policies allow administrators to break one policy into several virtual policies, each with its own set of rules and actions. Policy layers can be ordered, shared, and reused across different policies. Policy layers can also include Threat Prevention as a sub-policy for the firewall policy. References: [Check Point R81 Security Management Guide]

Vanessa is expecting a very important Security Report. The Document should be sent as an attachment via e-mail. An e-mail with Security_report.pdf file was delivered to her e-mail inbox. When she opened the PDF file, she noticed that the file is basically empty and only few lines of text are in it. The report is missing some graphs, tables and links.

The component of SandBlast protection that her company is using on a Gateway is SandBlast Threat Extraction. SandBlast Threat Extraction is a software blade that provides protection against malicious files by removing potentially risky elements, such as macros, embedded objects, scripts, etc. The sanitized files are delivered to the users with a notification about the removed elements. SandBlast Threat Extraction can also reconstruct the original files after they are scanned by SandBlast Threat Emulation, which is another software blade that provides protection against malicious files by emulating them in a virtual sandbox and analyzing their behavior. References: R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide, page 37.

 The correct upgrade method for upgrading from R80.40 to R81.20 without any downtime is the Multi-Version Cluster Upgrade (MVC). MVC is a new feature in R80.40 that replaces the deprecated Connectivity Upgrade (CU). MVC allows you to upgrade cluster members to a newer version without losing connectivity and test the new version on some of the cluster members before you decide to upgrade the rest of the cluster members. MVC synchronizes connections between cluster members that run different versions and ensures that the cluster remains operational during the upgrade process. MVC is intended only to test the current configuration in the newer version and not to change the security policy and install it on cluster members with different software versions. MVC is disabled by default and can be enabled on each cluster member individually. MVC has some limitations, such as not supporting VSX clusters, IPS blade, or SecureXL acceleration.

References:

• Multi-Version Cluster (MVC) replaces Connectivity Upgrade (CU) in R80.40
• Multi-Version Cluster (MVC) Upgrade
• Configuring the Multi-Version Cluster Mechanism

 The Check Point WatchDog daemon (cpwd) invokes and monitors critical processes and attempts to restart them if they fail. The cpwd daemon is responsible for starting processes such as cpd, cpm, fwm, fwd, and others. The cpd daemon is the Check Point Management daemon that handles communication between SmartConsole applications and Security Management Servers. The cpm daemon is the Check Point Management Server daemon that handles database operations and policy installation. The fwm daemon is the Firewall Management daemon that handles communication between Security Gateways and Security Management Servers. References: : Check Point Software, Getting Started, WatchDog Daemon; : Check Point Software, Getting Started, Processes.

https://resources.checkpoint.com/datasheet/certified-security-expert-ccse-r8120-course-overview

Dynamic log distribution is a feature that allows you to configure the Security Gateway to distribute logs between multiple active Log Servers to support a better rate of Logs and Log Servers redundancy. This means that each log is sent to only one Log Server and the load is balanced between the primary Log Servers. If all the primary Log Servers are disconnected, the logs are distributed between the backup Log Servers. If no Log Servers are connected, the gateway writes the logs locally. This feature improves the performance and reliability of logging and reduces the network traffic and disk space consumption. You can enable this feature on the SmartConsole -> Gateways & Servers -> Logs -> Dynamic Log Distribution1.

The other options are incorrect because they do not describe the dynamic log distribution feature. Option B is wrong because the Management High Availability does not store the logs dynamically on the member with the most available disk space, but rather synchronizes the logs between the members using the cpd process2. Option C is wrong because the dynamic log distribution feature does not synchronize the logs between the primary and secondary management server, but rather distributes the logs between the Log Servers. Option D is wrong because the dynamic log distribution feature does not save disk space in case of a firewall cluster, but rather distributes the logs between the Log Servers. The firewall cluster members do not store local logs, but rather send them to the Log Servers3.

What two ordered layers make up the Access Control Policy Layer? Network and Application Control are the two ordered layers that make up the Access Control Policy Layer. The Network layer controls network access based on source, destination, service, time, etc. The Application Control layer controls application access based on users, groups, applications, content categories, etc. The Network layer is always processed before the Application Control layer. References: R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 29.