Checkpoint 156-215.81 Check Point Certified Security Administrator R81.20 Exam Practice Test

With the User Directory Software Blade, you can create user definitions on a(n) LDAP Server2. LDAP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol and is a protocol for accessing and managing user information stored in a directory service. The User Directory Software Blade enables integration with LDAP servers such as Microsoft Active Directory, Novell eDirectory, and OpenLDAP. References: Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide

The types of Software Containers are Security Management, Security Gateway, and Endpoint Security. Software Containers are virtual environments that run on top of Gaia OS and allow multiple instances of Check Point products to coexist on the same physical machine. The other options are not valid types of Software Containers.

Smart Cloud Services is an option for deployment of Check Point SandBlast Zero-Day Protection. It is a cloud-based service that provides advanced threat prevention for files and URLs, without requiring any on-premise infrastructure or appliances . References: [Check Point SandBlast Zero-Day Protection], [Smart Cloud Services]

Bridge Mode is a deployment option for Check Point Security Gateway that allows it to act as a transparent bridge between two network segments, without changing the IP addressing scheme. Bridge Mode supports most of the security features, such as Data Loss Prevention, Antivirus, Application Control, etc. However, Bridge Mode does not support NAT, because NAT requires modifying the IP addresses or ports of the packets, which contradicts the transparent nature of Bridge Mode1. References: Check Point R81 Security Gateway Technical Administration Guide

The Check Point software blade that monitors Check Point devices and provides a picture of network and security performance is Monitoring. The Monitoring Software Blade presents a complete picture of network and security performance, enabling fast responses to changes in traffic patterns or security events. It centrally monitors Check Point devices and alerts security administrators to changes to gateways, endpoints, tunnels, remote users and security activities234. References: Monitoring Software Blade, Check Point Integrated Security Architecture, Support, Support Requests, Training, Documentation, and Knowledge base for Check Point products and services

 Identity Awareness allows the Security Administrator to configure network access based on network location, identity of a user, and identity of a machine1. These are the three main identity sources that Identity Awareness supports1. References: Identity Awareness R80.40 Administration Guide

 The best upgrade method when the management server is not connected to the Internet is CPUSE offline upgrade . This method allows you to download the upgrade package from another source and install it manually on the management server. The other methods require Internet connection or are not supported for R80.10. References: [R80.10 Upgrade Verification and FAQ], [Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation]

According to the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Support Center3, the snapshot command uses the command line to create an image of the OS. A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a disk partition that can be used to restore the system in case of a failure or corruption. References: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Support Center

This answer is correct because these are two valid methods for mutually authenticating the VPN gateways, which means that both sides of the communication verify each other’s identity using a shared secret or a public key certificate1. A pre-shared secret is a password or a passphrase that both gateways know and use to encrypt and decrypt the VPN traffic2. A PKI certificate is a digital document that contains the public key and other information that helps identify the gateway, such as the issuer, the subject, and the expiration date3. The certificate is signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA) that vouches for the authenticity of the gateway3.

The other answers are not correct because they either include invalid or irrelevant methods for mutual authentication. PKI certificates and Kerberos tickets are not compatible methods for mutual authentication, because Kerberos tickets are issued by a Kerberos server and not by a CA4. Pre-shared secrets and Kerberos tickets are also not compatible methods for mutual authentication, because they use different protocols and encryption algorithms4. PKI certificates and DynamiciD OTP are not valid methods for mutual authentication, because DynamiciD OTP is a one-time password that is used for user authentication, not for gateway authentication5.

• What is mutual authentication? | Two-way authentication
• Mutual authentication - AWS Client VPN
• VPN authentication options - Windows Security
• Mutual Authentication | Top 3 Methods of Mutual Authentication
• Authentication methods and features - Microsoft Entra

When URL Filtering is set, only the host part of the URL is sent to the Check Point Online Web Service for analysis. The host part is the part of the URL that identifies the web server, such as www.example.com. The Check Point Online Web Service uses this information to categorize the URL and return the appropriate action to the Security Gateway. The other options are not sent to the Check Point Online Web Service for analysis, as they may contain sensitive or irrelevant data.

References: 1: Policy Layers 2: Adding a New Log Server 3: Suspicious Activity Monitoring : [URL Filtering]

The best way to restrict access to a network resource only allowing certain users to access it, and only when they are on a specific network, is to create an Access Role object, with specific users or user groups specified, and specific networks defined. Then, use this access role as the “Source” of an Access Control rule. This allows for granular control over network traffic based on user identity and location3.

References: 3: Check Point R81 Security Gateway Administration Guide, page 13.

 A session starts when an Administrator logs in through SmartConsole and ends when the Administrator logs out. A session allows multiple administrators to work on the same policy simultaneously, without overwriting each other’s changes3.

References: 3: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 17.

When a Security Gateway sends its logs to an IP address other than its own, it means that the Security Gateway and the Log Server are installed on different machines. This is a characteristic of a Distributed deployment3. Therefore, the correct answer is A

SmartView Monitor is the tool that allows you to monitor the top bandwidth on SmartConsole. SmartView Monitor is a graphical tool that displays real-time network and security performance data, such as traffic, throughput, connections, CPU usage, memory usage, etc. You can use SmartView Monitor to identify the top bandwidth consumers and optimize your network performance.References: [SmartView Monitor], [Monitoring Network Traffic]

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a protocol that allows accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over a network. User Directory integration is a feature of Identity Awareness that allows Check Point products to use LDAP servers as identity sources. When configuring LDAP with User Directory integration, changes applied to a User Directory template are reflected immediately for all users who are using that template. A User Directory template defines the settings for connecting to an LDAP server and retrieving user information3. References: Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide

 The correct answer is B because after installing a new multicore CPU, the administrator needs to configure CoreXL to make use of the additional cores and reboot the Security Gateway. Installing the Security Policy is not necessary because it does not affect the CoreXL configuration1. References: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide

The correct answer is D because sending API commands over an http connection using web-services is not one of the ways to communicate using the Management API’s3. The Management API’s support HTTPS protocol only, not HTTP3. The other methods are valid ways to communicate using the Management API’s3. References: Check Point Learning and Training Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Security Management Server does not display policies and logs on the administrator’s workstation. That is the function of the SmartConsole, which is a separate component that connects to the Security Management Server. References: Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) R81.20 Course Overview, page 4.

The option that allows all encrypted and non-VPN traffic that matches the rule is Accept all encrypted traffic. This option enables you to allow traffic to any destination that is encrypted, regardless of whether it is part of a VPN community or not2. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Accept all encrypted traffic. 

Browser-Based Authentication is the best method for enabling Identity Awareness on the Check Point firewalls for users who use company issued or personal laptops. Browser-Based Authentication redirects users to a web page where they enter their credentials to access the network resources. This method does not require any installation or configuration on the user’s device and supports any operating system and browser. AD Query is a method that queries Active Directory servers for user login events and maps them to IP addresses. This method does not work for personal laptops that are not joined to the domain. Identity Agents are software agents that run on Windows or macOS devices and provide user and machine identity information to the firewall. This method requires installation and management of the agents on each device, which may not be feasible for personal laptops. Terminal Servers Agent is a method that identifies users who connect to Windows Terminal Servers or Citrix servers via RDP or ICA protocols. This method does not apply to laptops that connect directly to the network910 References: Identity Awareness Reference Architecture and Best Practices, Part 10 - Identity

A main component of the Check Point security management architecture is SmartConsole2. SmartConsole is a unified graphical user interface that allows administrators to manage multiple security functions such as firewall, VPN, IPS, application control, URL filtering, identity awareness, and more. SmartConsole connects to the Security Management Server and interacts with other Check Point components such as Security Gateways and Endpoint Security Servers. References: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide

To achieve the requirement of giving the Network Operations Center administrator access to Check Point Security devices mostly for troubleshooting purposes, but not to the expert mode, and still allowing her to run tcpdump, you need to:

• Add tcpdump to CLISH using add command. This command adds a new command to the Command Line Interface Shell (CLISH) that allows running tcpdump without entering the expert mode .
• Create a new access role. This option defines a set of permissions and commands that can be assigned to a user or a group of users.
• Add tcpdump to the role. This option grants the permission to run tcpdump to the role.
• Create new user with any UID and assign role to the user. This option creates a new user account with any User ID (UID) and assigns the role that has tcpdump permission to the user.

References: [How to add a new command to CLISH], [Check Point R81 Gaia Administration Guide], [Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide]

The option that is used to enforce changes made to a Rule Base is Install policy. Installing policy is the process of sending the security policy and the network objects from the Security Management Server to the Security Gateway1, p. 22. Publishing database and saving changes are options that are used to save changes made to a Rule Base, but they do not enforce them on the Security Gateway2. Activating policy is not a valid option in SmartConsole. References: Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation, Check Point SmartConsole R81 Help

The User Directory is used to obtain identification and security information about network users. It can be integrated with external user databases such as LDAP, RADIUS, or TACACS+. References: Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) R81.20 Course Overview, page 9.

The components of Check Point Capsule are Capsule Docs, Capsule Cloud, and Capsule Workspace123. There is no Capsule Enterprise component. Capsule Docs protects business documents everywhere they go. Capsule Cloud protects mobile users outside the enterprise security perimeter. Capsule Workspace creates a secure business environment on mobile devices. References: Check Point Capsule Datasheet, Check Point Capsule Workspace Datasheet, Mobile Secure Workspace with Capsule

The answer is A because changes applied to a User Directory template are reflected immediately for all users who are using that template. A User Directory template defines the settings for connecting to an LDAP server, such as the server name, port, base DN, user filter, and group filter. When a User Directory template is modified, all users who are using that template will inherit the changes without requiring any additional actions3 References: Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide, [Check Point R81 User Directory Templates]

Threat Extraction delivers PDF versions of original files with active content removed, such as macros, embedded objects, and scripts. This ensures that users receive clean and safe files in seconds12. References: Check Point SandBlast Zero-Day Protection, Check Point Threat Extraction

 To use Application objects in a rule, the “Applications & URL Filtering” blade should be enabled on the policy layer where the rule is being created. Enabling the “Application Control” blade on a gateway is not enough3.

References: 3: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 102.

The types of VPN communities are Meshed, Star, and Combination. A Meshed community is a group of Security Gateways that have VPN connections between every pair of members. A Star community has one Security Gateway as the center and other Security Gateways or hosts as satellites. A Combination community is a group of Meshed and Star communities. References: [Check Point R81 Site-to-Site VPN Administration Guide]

R80 is supported by Gaia only, which is Check Point’s unified security operating system for all Check Point appliances, open servers, and virtualized gateways1, p. 14. Windows and SecurePlatform are not supported by R80. References: Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation, [Check Point Learning and Training Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)]

In order to see real-time and historical graph views of Security Gateway statistics in SmartView Monitor, the Monitoring Blade feature needs to be enabled on the Security Gateway. The Monitoring Blade is a software blade that collects and displays network and security performance data from the Security Gateway, such as traffic, throughput, connections, CPU usage, memory usage, etc. The Monitoring Blade can be enabled or disabled on each Security Gateway from the SmartConsole.References: [Monitoring Blade], [SmartView Monitor]

Capsule Connect provides a Layer 3 VPN that allows users to access corporate resources securely from their mobile devices2. Capsule Workspace provides a secure container on the mobile device that isolates business data and applications from personal data and applications3. Capsule Workspace also provides a desktop with usable applications such as email, calendar, contacts, documents, and web applications3. References: Check Point Capsule Connect, Check Point Capsule Workspace

The Status Attention means that at least one Software Blade has a minor issue, but the gateway works1. For example, this could indicate a license expiration warning, a policy installation failure, or a blade activation problem2. References: Check Point R81 SmartConsole Guide, Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide

halt is the Gaia command that turns the server off. This command shuts down the operating system and powers off the machine. Other commands that can be used to shut down the server are shutdown and poweroff. References: [Gaia Administration Guide R80.40]

Check Point licenses come in two forms: central and local. Central licenses are attached to the Security Management Server and are distributed to managed Security Gateways. Local licenses are attached directly to a specific Security Gateway.

The method to update the trusted log server regarding the policy and configuration changes performed on the Security Management Server is Save Policy. Saving a policy updates the trusted log server with the latest policy and configuration changes3. References: Check Point R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide

The Advanced Networking Blade is NOT subscription-based and therefore does not have to be renewed on a regular basis1011. The Advanced Networking Blade provides advanced routing capabilities such as BGP, OSPF, VRRP, and multicast routing10. The other blades are subscription-based and require annual renewal to receive updates and support from Check Point1012.

References: Check Point License Guide, IPS Software Blade contracts, Product Catalog

The correct answer is D because the command save configuration  stores the Gaia configuration in a file for later reference1. The other commands are not valid in Gaia Clish1. References: Gaia R81.10 Administration Guide

The steps you will need to do in SmartConsole in order to get the connection working behind the Internet Security Gateway are:

• Define an accept rule in Security Policy. This rule allows the traffic from your internal networks to pass through the Security Gateway.
• Define automatic NAT for each network to NAT the networks behind a public IP. This option translates the private IP addresses of your internal networks to a public IP address assigned by your ISP router. This way, your internal networks can communicate with the Internet using a valid IP address.
• Publish and install the policy. This step applies the changes you made to the Security Gateway and activates the security and NAT rules.

References: Check Point R81 Quantum Security Gateway Guide

References: Certificate-based authentication is considered to be the more secure and preferred VPN authentication method. It uses digital certificates to verify the identity of the VPN client and server, and provides stronger encryption and mutual authentication. Password-based authentication methods are less secure and more vulnerable to brute-force attacks, phishing, and keylogging. MD5 is a hashing algorithm, not an authentication method. Pre-shared secret is a symmetric key that is shared between the VPN peers, but it can be compromised if it is not changed frequently or stored securely12 References: VPN authentication options, Windows VPN technical guide

Stateful Inspection compiles and registers connections in the State Table. The State Table is a database that stores information about active connections and sessions on the Security Gateway. The other options are not valid names for the database that stores connection information.

References: 1: Policy Types 2: CPUSE 3: SIC : [Software Containers] : [Stateful Inspection]

The key that is created during Phase 2 of a site-to-site VPN is a symmetrical IPSec key3. This key is used to encrypt and decrypt the data that is exchanged between the VPN peers3. The symmetrical IPSec key is derived from the shared secret and the Diffie-Hellman public keys that are exchanged during Phase 13. References: Site to Site VPN in R80.x - Tutorial for Beginners

The default Gaia user that has full read/write access is admin3. The admin user is the superuser that can perform any administrative task on the Gaia system, such as configuring network settings, installing software updates, managing licenses, creating snapshots, and more. The admin user can also access the Gaia Portal, which is a web-based interface for managing Gaia settings and features. References: Check Point R81 Gaia Administration Guide

 Identity Awareness is a software blade that lets an administrator easily configure network access and auditing based on three items: network location, the identity of a user, and the identity of a machine. These items are used to identify and authenticate users and machines, and to enforce identity-based policies. Network location refers to the IP address or subnet of the source or destination of the traffic. The identity of a user can be obtained from various sources, such as Active Directory, LDAP, or Captive Portal. The identity of a machine can be verified by using Secure Domain Logon or Identity Agent. 

The command cplic print is used to verify license installation. It displays the installed licenses and their expiration dates . References: [Check Point R81 Command Line Interface Reference Guide], Check Point :: Pearson VUE

Anti-Virus is the Check Point software blade that prevents malicious files from entering a network using virus signatures and anomaly-based protections from ThreatCloud. Anti-Virus scans files and email attachments for viruses, worms, trojans, and other types of malware. It also uses ThreatCloud, a collaborative network that delivers real-time dynamic security intelligence, to detect unknown malware based on their behavior. Firewall is a software blade that enforces security policy by inspecting and controlling network traffic. Application Control is a software blade that enables administrators to control access to web applications. Anti-spam and Email Security is a software blade that protects email infrastructure from spam, phishing, and malware attacks.

Multi-domain management server is a valid deployment option for R81, not R80. R80 supports multi-domain security management, which is a centralized management solution for large-scale, distributed environments with many different domain networks1. References: Multi-Domain Security Management Administration Guide R80

The main objective when using Application Control is to ensure security and privacy of information4. Application Control enables administrators to control access to web applications and web sites based on risk level, user identity, and other criteria. It also provides visibility into web usage and application activity. References: Check Point R81 Application Control Administration Guide

 A clean-up rule is a rule that is placed at the end of the security policy to drop any traffic that is not explicitly allowed by the previous rules. It is a best practice to have a clean-up rule to prevent unauthorized access and log the dropped packets for analysis12. The other options are not the purpose of a clean-up rule. References: Clean-up Rule, Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation

When using Automatic Hide NAT, Source Port Address Translation (PAT) is enabled by default1. This means that the source IP address and port number are translated to a different IP address and port number. This allows multiple hosts to share a single IP address for outbound connections. References: Check Point R81 Firewall Administration Guide

The command add rba user roles  is used to add users to or from existing roles. RBA stands for Role-Based Administration, which is a feature that allows administrators to assign different permissions and access levels to users based on their roles2.

References: 2: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 20.

Rugged appliances are small appliances with ruggedized hardware and like Quantum Spark appliance they use Gaia embedded as the operating system. Gaia embedded is a lightweight version of Gaia that is designed for small and medium businesses1. Centos Linux, Gaia, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5 are not the operating systems used by Rugged appliances.

 The pre-defined Roles included in Gaia OS are AdminRole and MonitorRole. AdminRole is the role that has full access to all Gaia features and commands. MonitorRole is the role that has read-only access to Gaia features and commands1. The other options are not valid pre-defined Roles in Gaia OS.

The reason why querying logs now are very fast is that Indexing Engine indexes logs for faster search results. Indexing Engine is a component of R81 Management that creates and maintains an index of log data, which enables quick and efficient log searches4. The other options are not related to the speed of log querying. The amount of logs being stored may vary depending on the log retention settings. New Smart-1 appliances may have improved hardware specifications, but they do not affect the log querying process directly. SmartConsole queries results from the Security Management Server, not from the Security Gateway.

References: 1: HTTPS Inspection 2: Browser-Based Authentication 3: URL Filtering 4: Indexing Engine

Address translation rules are used to map an IP address space into another by modifying network address information in the IP header of packets. Address translation rules have two elements: original packet and translated packet6. The original packet is the packet before it undergoes address translation, and the translated packet is the packet after it undergoes address translation. The original packet and the translated packet may have different source and destination IP addresses, depending on the type and direction of address translation. 

Correlation Unit is the SmartEvent component that creates events. It analyzes logs received from Security Gateways and Servers, and generates security events according to the definitions in the Consolidation Policy. References: [SmartEvent R80.40 Administration Guide], [Correlation Unit]

 The GUI tool that can be used to view and apply Check Point licenses is SmartUpdate. SmartUpdate is a centralized tool that allows you to manage licenses, software packages, and hotfixes for multiple gateways and clusters12. cpconfig, Management Command Line, and SmartConsole are not tools for license management. References: Check Point R81 SmartUpdate Administration Guide, Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation | Udemy

Upgrading the Security Gateway does not require a new license to be generated and installed. The license is tied to the IP address or hostname of the Security Gateway, not the software version. However, if the IP address or hostname changes, the existing license expires, or the license is upgraded, a new license must be generated and installed12 References: Check Point R81, Managing and Installing license via SmartUpdate

 In Security Gateways R75 and above, SIC uses AES-128 for encryption. SIC stands for Secure Internal Communication, which is a mechanism that establishes trust between Check Point components, such as Security Gateways, Security Management Servers, Log Servers, etc. SIC uses certificates to authenticate and encrypt the communication between the components. AES-128 is an encryption algorithm that uses a 128-bit key to encrypt and decrypt data. The other options are incorrect. AES-256 is an encryption algorithm that uses a 256-bit key, but it is not used by SIC. DES and 3DES are older encryption algorithms that use 56-bit and 168-bit keys respectively, but they are not used by SIC either. References: [Secure Internal Communication (SIC) between Check Point components], AES - Wikipedia, DES - Wikipedia, Triple DES - Wikipedia

When changes are made to a Rule base, it is important to Publish database to enforce changes5. Publishing database saves the changes to the database and makes them available to other administrators. Installing policy applies the changes to the Security Gateways. References: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, [Check Point R81 SmartConsole R81 Resolved Issues], [Check Point R81 Firewall Administration Guide]

CloudGuard is not a valid deployment option for R80. CloudGuard is a product name for Check Point’s cloud security solutions, not a deployment mode. The valid deployment options for R80 are all-in-one (stand-alone), distributed, and bridge mode. In an all-in-one deployment, the Security Management Server and Security Gateway are installed on the same machine. In a distributed deployment, the Security Management Server and Security Gateway are installed on separate machines. In a bridge mode deployment, the Security Gateway acts as a transparent bridge between two network segments and does not have an IP address of its own3References: CloudGuard, [Part 4 - Installing Security Gateway], [Deployment Options]

According to the Managing and Installing license via SmartUpdate2, there are two repositories installed on the Security Management Server by SmartUpdate: License & Contract and Package Repository. The License & Contract repository stores all licenses available and all of the assigned licenses. The Package Repository stores all packages downloaded from the Check Point Cloud or uploaded from a local device. References: Managing and Installing license via SmartUpdate

 A stateful inspection firewall works by registering connection data and compiling this information in state tables. State tables are data structures that store information about the state and context of each connection, such as source, destination, service, protocol, sequence number, flags, etc. State tables enable the firewall to inspect both the header and the payload of each packet and apply security policies accordingly.References: [Stateful Inspection], [State Tables]

 The answer is B because querying logs now is very fast because the Indexing Engine indexes logs for faster search results. The Indexing Engine is a component of the Smart-1 appliance that creates indexes for log fields and values, such as source, destination, action, and time. The indexes enable quick and efficient searches of large amounts of log data.References: [Check Point R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide], [Check Point R81 Indexing Engine]

A layer can support different combinations of blades, but the supported blades are Firewall (Network Access Control), Application & URL Filtering, and Content Awareness. These blades provide granular control over network traffic based on applications, users, content, and risk1. Mobile Access is not a supported blade in a layer2.

References: 1: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 101. 2: Check Point R81 Security Gateway Administration Guide, page 11.

The steps to configure the HTTPS Inspection Policy are as follows34:

• Go to Manage & Settings > Blades > HTTPS Inspection > Policy.
• Click on New HTTPS Inspection Rule or select an existing rule and click on Edit Rule.
• Define the Source, Destination, and Action for the rule. The action can be either Inspect, Bypass, or Ask.
• Click on OK and then on Install Policy to apply the changes. References: HTTPS Inspection R81 Administration Guide, Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation

The statement that best describes Secure Internal Communication (SIC) is: After successful initialization, the gateway can communicate with any Check Point node that possesses a SIC certificate signed by the same ICA. SIC is a mechanism that ensures secure communication between Check Point components by using certificates that are issued by an Internal Certificate Authority (ICA)3. The other statements are not accurate descriptions of SIC.

SmartConsole provides a consolidated solution for everything that is necessary for the security of an organization, such as Security Policy Management and Log Analysis. Security Policy Management is the process of defining and enforcing rules that control the access and protection of network resources. Log Analysis is the process of collecting, analyzing, and reporting on log data that is generated by network devices and applications. SmartConsole is a unified graphical user interface that allows administrators to manage multiple security functions from a single console. The other options are not part of SmartConsole, but rather separate software blades or features that can be integrated with SmartConsole. 

The main difference between Static NAT and Hide NAT is that Static NAT allows incoming and outgoing connections, while Hide NAT only allows outgoing connections4. Static NAT translates a single IP address to another single IP address, while Hide NAT translates a group of IP addresses to a single IP address. Static NAT is used to expose internal servers to external networks, while Hide NAT is used to hide internal hosts from external networks. References: Check Point R81 Firewall Administration Guide

The command to restore a backup of Check Point configurations without the OS information is restore_backup4. This command restores the Gaia OS configuration and the firewall database from a compressed file. The other commands are not valid for this purpose. import backup is not a valid command. cp_merge is a command to merge policies or objects from different databases. migrate import is a command to import a previously exported database using migrate export. References: System Backup and Restore feature in Gaia, [cp_merge], [migrate import]

The correct answer is D because from SecureXL perspective, the three paths of traffic flow are Firewall Path, Accelerated Path, and Medium Path3. The Firewall Path is used when SecureXL is disabled or traffic is not eligible for acceleration3. The Accelerated Path is used when SecureXL handles the entire connection and bypasses the Firewall kernel3. The Medium Path is used when SecureXL handles part of the connection and forwards packets to the Firewall kernel for further inspection3. The other options are not valid paths of traffic flow from SecureXL perspective3. References: Check Point R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide

From SmartConsole, go to the Log & Monitor and filter for the IP address of the tablet is the correct answer. This is because the Log & Monitor view in SmartConsole allows you to view and analyze logs and events from various sources, such as Security Gateways, Security Management Servers, and SmartEvent Servers. You can use filters to search for specific logs and events based on different criteria, such as source IP, destination IP, action, time, etc. References: [Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide R80.20]

There are three types of software containers: security management, Security Gateway, and endpoint security. A software container is a set of software blades that provide specific functionality. A security management container manages the security policy and configuration for one or more Security Gateways. A Security Gateway container enforces the security policy on the network traffic. An endpoint security container protects the data and network access of an endpoint device2. The other options are not valid types of software containers. References: Software Containers

The default layers that are included when creating a new policy layer are Access Control, Threat Prevention, and HTTPS Inspection. Access Control is the layer that defines the basic firewall rules. Threat Prevention is the layer that enables the protection against various types of attacks, such as IPS, Anti-Virus, Anti-Bot, etc. HTTPS Inspection is the layer that allows the inspection of encrypted traffic1. The other options are not the default layers that are included when creating a new policy layer.

The position of an implied rule is manipulated in the Global Properties window. Implied rules are predefined rules that are not displayed in the rule base. They allow or block traffic for essential services such as communication with Check Point servers, logging, and VPN traffic. The position of an implied rule can be changed in the Global Properties > Firewall > Implied Rules section56. References: How to view Implied Rules in R80.x / R81.x SmartConsole, Implied Rules

The Sticky Decision Function (SDF) is required to prevent failovers in an Active-Active cluster. The SDF ensures that the same cluster member handles all connections that belong to a certain session. If the SDF is not enabled, different cluster members may handle different connections of the same session, which may cause a failover or a drop12. References: ClusterXL Administration Guide R81, Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation

The SmartCenter that should be connected to for making changes is the active SmartCenter. The active SmartCenter is the one that is currently synchronizing its configuration with the secondary SmartCenter and handling the communication with the gateways . The primary SmartCenter is the one that was initially configured as the main server, but it may become inactive if a failover occurs. The virtual IP of SmartCenter HA is used to access the SmartConsole, not to make changes. References: [Security Management Server High Availability (HA) R81 Administration Guide], [Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation], [How to configure ClusterXL High Availability on Security Management Server]

The purpose of a Stealth Rule is to drop any traffic destined for the firewall that is not otherwise explicitly allowed1, p. 32. A Stealth Rule is usually placed at the top of the rule base, before any other rule that allows traffic to the Security Gateway2, p. 13. A Stealth Rule is not used to hide a server’s IP address, to allow administrators to access SmartDashboard, or to drop any traffic that is not explicitly allowed. References: Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation, 156-315.81 Checkpoint Exam Info and Free Practice Test

 Identity Captive Portal is a Check Point Identity Awareness web portal, to which users connect with their web browser to log in and authenticate, when using Browser-Based Authentication2. To enable Identity Captive Portal for a specific rule, you need to right click Accept in the rule, select “More”, and then check “Enable Identity Captive Portal”3. References: Identity Awareness Administration Guide R80, Identity awareness with captive portal in Checkpoint R80

The option that allows traffic to VPN gateways in specific VPN communities is Specific VPN Communities4. This option enables you to define which VPN communities are allowed in the rule. All Connections (Clear or Encrypted) allows traffic to any destination, regardless of whether it is encrypted or not. Accept all encrypted traffic allows traffic to any encrypted destination, regardless of the VPN community. All Site-to-Site VPN Communities allows traffic to any site-to-site VPN gateway, regardless of the VPN community4. Therefore, the correct answer is C. Specific VPN Communities.

The key C is used to save the current CPView page in a filename format cpview_“cpview process ID”. cap”number of captures”2. References: Free Check Point CCSA Sample Questions and Study Guide

The answer is B because in R80 and above, more than one administrator can login to the Security Management Server with write permission at the same time. Every administrator works in a session that is independent of the other administrators. This is called concurrent administration and it allows multiple administrators to work on the same policy package simultaneously34 References: Check Point R80.10 Concurrent Administration, Check Point R80.40 Security Management Administration Guide

An LDAP server holds one or more Account Units. An Account Unit is a logical representation of an LDAP server in the Check Point database. It defines the connection parameters, authentication methods, and user and group information that are retrieved from the LDAP server. An Account Unit allows the Security Gateway to use the LDAP server for user authentication and identity awareness. The other options are incorrect. A Server Unit is a logical representation of a Check Point server in the Check Point database. An Administrator Unit is a logical representation of an administrator or an administrator group in the Check Point database. An Account Server is not a valid term in Check Point terminology. References: [Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide], [Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide], [Check Point R81 SmartConsole R81 Resolved Issues]

If the NAT property ‘Translate destination on client side’ is not enabled in Global properties, nothing needs to be configured on the client side, because the Gateway takes care of all details necessary. The Gateway translates the destination IP address before sending the packet to the client, so the client does not need to know about the NAT rule or add any host route or ARP entry.

References: Check Point Security Engineering Study Guide, p. 136-137

Automatic Hide NAT enables Source Port Address Translation by default1. This means that the source IP address and port number are translated to a different IP address and port number. This allows multiple hosts to share a single IP address for outbound connections. References: Check Point R81 Firewall Administration Guide

You should generate new licenses when the existing license expires, license is upgraded or the IP-address where the license is tied changes13. These scenarios require a new license to be generated and activated on the Security Gateway or Management Server13. Therefore, the correct answer is C. When the existing license expires, license is upgraded or the IP-address where the license is tied changes

 Identity Awareness is the Check Point software blade that provides visibility of users, groups and machines while also providing access control through identity-based policies. Identity Awareness enables administrators to define granular access rules based on user or machine identity, rather than just IP addresses. Identity Awareness also allows administrators to monitor user activity and generate reports based on user or machine identity.

A security zone is a group of one or more network interfaces from different centrally managed gateways that have the same security requirements. The zone is based on the network topology and determined according to where the interface leads to. For example, a zone can be defined as internal, external, DMZ, VPN, etc. Security zones are supported by Check Point firewalls and can be used to simplify security policies and network segmentation. The firewall rule can be configured to include one or more zones as source or destination objects. The local directly connected subnet defined by the subnet IP and subnet mask is not considered part of the zone, but rather a property of the interface.References: [Security Zones], [Security Zones Best Practices]

The R80.10 management server can manage gateways with versions R76 and higher34. Versions lower than R76 are not supported by the R80.10 management server. References: Check Point R80.10 Release Notes, Free Check Point CCSA Sample Questions and Study Guide

 The two types of NAT supported by the Security Gateway are hide NAT and static NAT. Hide NAT translates many source IP addresses into one IP address, usually the external interface of the gateway. Static NAT translates one source IP address into another IP address, usually a public IP address34. The other options are not valid types of NAT. References: Network Address Translation (NAT), Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation

The correct answer is D because the recommended size of the root partition for a dedicated R80 SmartEvent server is at least 20GB2. Any size, less than 20GB, or more than 10GB and less than 20GB are not sufficient for the SmartEvent server. References: Check Point R80.40 Installation and Upgrade Guide

A Check Point software license consists of a Software blade and a Software container. A Software blade is a modular security feature that delivers security functionality to the gateway or management server. A Software container is a set of Software blades that can be purchased as a bundle.

References: : Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 14.

The correct answer is B because Threat Extraction always delivers a file and takes less than a second to complete2. Threat Extraction removes exploitable content from files and delivers a clean and safe file to the user2. Threat Emulation analyzes files in a sandbox environment and delivers a verdict of malicious or benign2. Threat Emulation can take more than 3 minutes to complete depending on the file size and complexity2. References: Check Point R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide

 ThreatWiki is a web-based tool that provides statistics on detected threats, such as attack types, sources, destinations, and severity. It also allows the administrator to search for specific threats and view their details and mitigation methods. The other options are not tools for viewing statistics on detected threats. References: [ThreatWiki], [ThreatWiki - Threat Emulation]

The pen-symbol in the left column means that the rules have been edited by the logged in administrator, but the policy has not been published yet. It indicates that the changes are not yet effective and can be discarded.References: Policy Editor, Publishing Changes

The destination server for Security Gateway logs depends on a Security Management Server configuration. This is true because the Security Management Server defines the log servers that receive logs from the Security Gateways. The log servers can be either the Security Management Server itself or a dedicated Log Server12. References: Check Point R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide, Check Point R81 Quantum Security Gateway Guide

The actions available in the “Actions” column of a rule in HTTPS Inspection policy are “Inspect” and “Bypass”. “Inspect” means that the HTTPS traffic will be decrypted and inspected according to the Access Control policy. “Bypass” means that the HTTPS traffic will not be decrypted and will be allowed without inspection1. The other options are not valid actions for HTTPS Inspection policy.

A correlation unit (CU) is a component of SmartEvent that analyzes log entries on log servers and identifies events based on predefined or custom rules1. A CU receives logs from one or more log servers and forwards them to the SmartEvent server, where they are stored in the events database

The Publish operation sends the modifications made via SmartConsole in the private session and makes them public is the correct answer. This is because publishing is the process of saving your changes to the database and making them available to other administrators. Publishing also allows you to install policies on Security Gateways. References: [Publishing Changes]

A Distinguished Name (DN) is a unique identifier for an entry in an LDAP directory. A DN consists of a sequence of relative distinguished names (RDNs) separated by commas. Each RDN is composed of an attribute type and an attribute value, such as cn=John Smith or ou=Sales. A DN can have different components depending on the structure and schema of the LDAP directory, but some common components are: Common Name (cn), Country ©, Organizational Unit (ou), Organization (o), State or Province (st), and Locality (l). User container is not a component of a DN3. References: Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Administration Guide

To provide updated malicious data signatures to all Threat Prevention blades, the Threat Prevention gateway does share the data to the ThreatCloud for use by other Threat Prevention blades. The ThreatCloud is a collaborative network and cloud-driven knowledge base that delivers real-time dynamic security intelligence to security gateways. The Threat Prevention gateway can send and receive updates from the ThreatCloud about new threats and malicious data signatures. References: [Check Point R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide]

The statement that a Sectional Title can be used to disable multiple rules by disabling only the sectional title is false. A Sectional Title is a visual divider that helps organize and navigate large rule bases. It does not affect the rule enforcement order or the rule functionality. Disabling a Sectional Title does not disable the rules under it. To disable multiple rules, you need to select them individually or use Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click to select them in bulk, and then right-click and choose Disable Rule(s). The other statements are true. Section titles are not sent to the gateway side, they are only displayed in SmartConsole. These sections are simple visual divisions of the Rule Base and do not hinder the order of rule enforcement. Sectional Titles do not need to be created in SmartConsole, they can also be created using SmartConsole CLI or API commands.References: [Sectional Titles], [SmartConsole CLI Guide], [SmartConsole API Reference Guide]

The selected option “Accept Domain Name over UDP (Queries)” means that UDP Queries will be accepted by the traffic allowed only through interfaces with external anti-spoofing topology and this will be done before first explicit rule written by Administrator in a Security Policy. This option enables the Security Gateway to accept DNS queries from external hosts and forward them to internal DNS servers. The queries are accepted by an implied rule that is applied before the explicit rules in the Security Policy. The implied rule only allows queries from interfaces that have external anti-spoofing groups defined . References: Check Point R81 Quantum Security Gateway Guide, Implied Rules

 Security Gateway software blades must be attached to a Security Gateway container. A Security Gateway container is a logical object that represents a physical or virtual machine that runs the Security Gateway software. A software blade is a modular security feature that can be enabled or disabled eway container. A software blade can provide functions such as firewall, VPN, IPS, anti-virus, anti-bot, application control, URL filtering, etc.References: [Security Gateway Containers], [Software Blades]

The CDT utility supports all upgrades, including major version upgrades, Jumbo HFA’s, and hotfixes3. References: Check Point Upgrade Service Engine (CPUSE) - Gaia Deployment Agent

 In Logging and Monitoring, the tracking options are Log, Detailed Log and Extended Log. You can add Accounting and/or Suppression to each of these options1. Accounting enables you to track the amount of data that is sent or received by a specific rule. Suppression enables you to reduce the number of logs that are generated by a specific rule. Therefore, the correct answer is C. Accounting/Suppression. References: Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide R80 - Check Point Software

The BEST way to tune the profile in order to lower the CPU load still maintaining security at good level is to set the Performance Impact to Medium or lower. This will reduce the number of packets that are inspected by the Threat Prevention blades, while still providing a high level of protection . Setting High Confidence to Low and Low Confidence to Inactive will lower the security level, as it will allow more traffic that may be malicious. The problem is likely with the Threat Prevention Profile, as it can have a significant impact on the CPU utilization of the Security Gateway. Adding more memory to the appliance will not solve the problem, as memory is not the bottleneck in this case. Setting the Performance Impact to Very Low Confidence to Prevent will increase the CPU load, as it will inspect more packets and block more traffic that may be false positives.

References: Threat Prevention Administration Guide, Check Point R81.10

Certificate based Authentication is the only authentication method available between two Security Gateway managed by the same SMS. This is because certificate based authentication provides stronger security and easier management than pre-shared secret authentication. The other options are either incorrect or irrelevant for this scenario. References: [Check Point R80.10 - Part 6 - Certificate Based Authentication]

The Secure Network Distributor (SND) is a feature of the Security Gateway that is used to distribute packets among Firewall instances . It improves the performance and scalability of the Firewall by utilizing multiple CPU cores. The other options are not related to SND. References: [Check Point Security Gateway Architecture and Packet Flow], [Free Check Point CCSA Sample Questions and Study Guide]

This answer is correct because the vpn tu command is used for VPN tunnel management and shows detailed information about VPN tunnels, such as the tunnel ID, peer IP, encryption domain, and status1. This command will bring up a menu for you to choose from, such as list all IPsec SAs, delete all IPsec SAs, or delete IPsec SA for given peer1.

The other answers are not correct because they either show different information or do not exist as commands. The cat $FWDlR/conf/vpn.conf command shows the VPN configuration file, which contains the VPN domains, communities, and encryption settings2. The vpn tu tlist command does not exist, but it might be confused with the vpn tunnelutil tlist command, which shows the tunnel utilization statistics3. The cpview command shows the Check Point real-time performance monitoring tool, which displays various system and network parameters, such as CPU, memory, disk, interfaces, and VPN4.

• How to use the “vpn tu” command for VPN tunnel management
• New VPN daemons in R81.10 / R81.20 - Check Point CheckMates
• Remote Access VPN R81.20 Administration Guide - Check Point Software
• Remote Access VPN R81 Administration Guide - Check Point Software

The Security Management Server is the component that changes most often and should be backed up most frequently, because it stores all the security policies and configurations for the Check Point components in your network. The other components are either clients or gateways that do not change as frequently.

References: Check Point Security Management Administration Guide R81, p. 9

UserCheck is a communication tool used to inform a user about a website or application they are trying to access. UserCheck allows administrators to define actions that require user interaction, such as asking for confirmation, informing about risks, or blocking access3, p. 38. UserCheck is not a messaging tool, an administrator tool, or a notification tool. References: Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation, [Check Point UserCheck Administration Guide R81]

Certificate is the most secure means of authentication among the given options2. A certificate is a digital document that contains information about the identity of a user or a device, and is signed by a trusted authority. A certificate can be used to prove the identity of a user or a device without revealing any sensitive information, such as passwords or tokens. Password, token, and pre-shared secret are less secure means of authentication because they can be easily compromised, stolen, or guessed by attackers. References: Secure User Authentication Methods - freeCodeCamp.org, What is the Most Secure Authentication Method for Your Organization …

SmartView is the web application for real-time event monitoring in SmartEvent R80 and above. It provides a unified view of security events across the network and allows for quick investigation and response34. References: SmartEvent R80.40 Administration Guide, SmartView

The snapshot option would allow you to make a backup copy of the OS and Check Point configuration, without stopping Check Point processes. A snapshot is a full system backup, including network interfaces, routing tables, and Check Point products and configuration. The other options require stopping Check Point processes or do not backup the OS.

References: Check Point Security Management Administration Guide R81, p. 15-16

The Transport layer of the TCP/IP model is responsible for managing the flow of data between two hosts to ensure that the packets are correctly assembled and delivered to the target application. It also provides error detection and correction, flow control, and multiplexing. The Transport layer uses protocols such as TCP and UDP.

References: Check Point Security Engineering Study Guide, p. 10-11

The most likely reason for Vanessa’s authentication failure is that she is using the wrong details for SmartConsole. Check Point Management software authentication details are not automatically the same as the Operating System authentication details. She needs to use the credentials that were defined during the initial configuration of the Security Management Server, or the ones that were assigned to her by the administrator12. The other options are not valid reasons for this error. References: SmartConsole Login, Check Point CCSA - R81: Practice Test & Explanation

References: Threat Emulation is not a policy type available for each policy package. Threat Emulation is a software blade that is part of the Threat Prevention policy type. The other options are valid policy types that can be configured for each policy package. References: [Threat Prevention Administration Guide R80.40], [Security Policies Administration Guide R80.40]

 If Deyra sees the gateway status as shown in the image, it means that there is a blade reporting a problem. The red “X” in the status column indicates that one or more blades on the Security Gateway have a problem that requires attention. The other options are not correct, as they do not match the status shown in the image. If the SmartCenter Server cannot reach this Security Gateway, the status column would show a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark. If the VPN software blade is reporting a malfunction, the blades column would show a red “X” on the VPN icon. If the Security Gateway’s MGNT NIC card is disconnected, the IP column would show “N/A” instead of the IP address.

References: Remote Access VPN R81 Administration Guide, Check Point R81.10

 Bridge Mode Check Point Security Gateway does not support NAT. Bridge Mode is a deployment option that allows the Security Gateway to inspect traffic without being a routing hop. In Bridge Mode, the Security Gateway does not have an IP address and cannot perform NAT1. Therefore, the correct answer is C. NAT.