Cybersecurity-Practitioner Exam Questions and Answers

QUESTION: 1

Which methodology does Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) use?

Behavior analysis
Comparison of alerts to signatures
Manual inspection of user activities
Rule-based activity prioritization

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) leverages behavior analysis to identify suspicious or anomalous activities associated with user identities. This methodology involves continuously monitoring user authentication patterns, access events, and privilege escalations to build a baseline of "normal" behavior. By detecting deviations--such as unusual login locations, timeframes, or excessive access attempts--ITDR can flag potential identity compromises or insider threats that traditional signature or rule-based systems often miss. Palo Alto Networks' ITDR integrates behavioral analytics with threat intelligence to deliver real-time alerts and automated response capabilities, essential in mitigating credential abuse and lateral movement within networks. This behavioral approach is crucial for adapting to sophisticated identity attacks that evolve constantly.

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QUESTION: 2

Which technology grants enhanced visibility and threat prevention locally on a device?

EDR
IDS
SIEM
DLP

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) technologies provide comprehensive visibility and real-time threat prevention directly on endpoint devices. EDR continuously monitors process activities, file executions, and system calls to detect malware, suspicious behaviors, and zero-day threats at the source. Palo Alto Networks' Cortex XDR platform exemplifies this by correlating endpoint telemetry with network and cloud data to provide a holistic defense against attacks. Operating locally on endpoints allows EDR to prevent lateral movement and respond to threats quickly, filling security gaps that network-centric tools alone cannot address. This endpoint-level insight is critical to identifying sophisticated threats that initiate or manifest on user devices.

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QUESTION: 3

What are two examples of an attacker using social engineering? (Choose two.)

Convincing an employee that they are also an employee
Leveraging open-source intelligence to gather information about a high-level executive
Acting as a company representative and asking for personal information not relevant to the reason for their call
Compromising a website and configuring it to automatically install malicious files onto systems that visit the page

Answer(s): A,C

Explanation:

Social engineering attacks manipulate human trust to gain unauthorized access or information. Convincing an employee that an attacker is also an employee builds rapport, lowering defenses for information disclosure or credential sharing. Similarly, impersonating a company representative and requesting unrelated personal data exploits authority bias to deceive victims. These tactics exploit psychological vulnerabilities rather than technical flaws and are prevalent initial steps in multi-stage attacks. Palo Alto Networks highlights the importance of training, multi-factor authentication, and behavior-based threat detection to mitigate social engineering risks effectively.

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QUESTION: 4

Which two services does a managed detection and response (MDR) solution provide? (Choose two.)

Improved application development
Incident impact analysis
Periodic firewall updates
Proactive threat hunting

Answer(s): B,D

Explanation:

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services combine incident impact analysis and proactive threat hunting to enhance organizational security posture. Incident impact analysis assesses the severity, scope, and potential damage of identified threats, helping prioritize responses. Proactive threat hunting involves skilled analysts searching for hidden threats that automated detection may miss, leveraging threat intelligence and behavioral analytics. Palo Alto Networks' MDR integrates Cortex XDR and human expertise to detect, investigate, and remediate sophisticated threats early. Unlike routine firewall updates or development processes, MDR is focused on active threat discovery and comprehensive incident management.

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QUESTION: 5

What role do containers play in cloud migration and application management strategies?

They enable companies to use cloud-native tools and methodologies.
They are used for data storage in cloud environments.
They serve as a template manager for software applications and services.
They are used to orchestrate virtual machines (VMs) in cloud environments.

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

Containers encapsulate applications and their dependencies into lightweight, portable units that can run consistently across multiple environments. This abstraction supports cloud-native development by enabling microservices architectures, rapid deployment, and scaling within orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Containers accelerate cloud migration by decoupling applications from infrastructure, facilitating automation, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) workflows. Palo Alto Networks addresses container security by integrating runtime protection, vulnerability scanning, and compliance enforcement within its Prisma Cloud platform, ensuring safe adoption of cloud-native tools and methodologies.

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QUESTION: 6

An administrator finds multiple gambling websites in the network traffic log.

What can be created to dynamically block these websites?

URL category
Custom signatures
Decryption policy
Application group

Answer(s): A

Explanation:

URL categories classify websites based on content type or risk, enabling dynamic policy enforcement such as blocking or allowing access. Administrators can create custom URL categories to group sites like gambling domains and apply blocking rules across the firewall infrastructure. Palo Alto Networks firewalls leverage URL categorization combined with threat intelligence to provide granular web filtering, reducing exposure to malicious or unwanted sites. This dynamic grouping approach is more manageable and scalable than creating individual signatures or static lists and allows for automated policy application aligned with organizational compliance requirements.

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QUESTION: 7

Which security function enables a firewall to validate the operating system version of a device before granting it network access?

Sandboxing
Stateless packet inspection
Host intrusion prevention system (HIPS)
Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR)

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Host Intrusion Prevention Systems (HIPS) operate on endpoints to enforce security policies by monitoring system calls, file integrity, and configuration settings. HIPS can validate device compliance, including operating system versions and patch levels, before permitting network access. This capability prevents vulnerable or outdated devices from becoming attack vectors. Palo Alto Networks integrates HIPS functionalities in its endpoint security solutions, providing granular control to enforce organizational security standards and reduce risk from non-compliant endpoints. Unlike network-based inspection, HIPS works locally on hosts to stop threats at their origin.

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QUESTION: 8

Which scenario highlights how a malicious Portable Executable (PE) file is leveraged as an attack?

Setting up a web page for harvesting user credentials
Laterally transferring the file through a network after being granted access
Embedding the file inside a pdf to be downloaded and installed
Corruption of security device memory spaces while file is in transit

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

Malicious Portable Executable (PE) files hidden inside PDFs represent a stealthy delivery tactic where attackers embed executable payloads within seemingly benign documents.
When a user opens the PDF, the embedded PE executes, potentially installing malware. This approach combines social engineering with file obfuscation to bypass traditional detection methods. Palo Alto Networks' Advanced WildFire sandboxing inspects such files by detonating them in isolated environments to observe behavior and identify hidden threats. This detection technique is critical for uncovering evasive malware concealed within common file types before they reach end-users.

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Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Practitioner
Updated on: 12-Feb-2026

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Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity-Practitioner Exam (page: 1)
Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Practitioner
Updated on: 12-Feb-2026