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CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-001
CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-001
CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-001
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CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-001

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NOTE: The name of the exam has changed from CSA+ to CySA+. However, the CS0-001 exam objectives are exactly the same. After the book was printed with CSA+ in the title, CompTIA changed the name to CySA+. We have corrected the title to CySA+ in subsequent book printings, but earlier printings that were sold may still show CSA+ in the title. Please rest assured that the book content is 100% the same.

Prepare yourself for the newest CompTIA certification

The CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+ (CySA+) Study Guide provides 100% coverage of all exam objectives for the new CySA+ certification. The CySA+ certification validates a candidate's skills to configure and use threat detection tools, perform data analysis, identify vulnerabilities with a goal of securing and protecting organizations systems. Focus your review for the CySA+ with Sybex and benefit from real-world examples drawn from experts, hands-on labs, insight on how to create your own cybersecurity toolkit, and end-of-chapter review questions help you gauge your understanding each step of the way. You also gain access to the Sybex interactive learning environment that includes electronic flashcards, a searchable glossary, and hundreds of bonus practice questions.

This study guide provides the guidance and knowledge you need to demonstrate your skill set in cybersecurity. Key exam topics include:

  • Threat management
  • Vulnerability management
  • Cyber incident response
  • Security architecture and toolsets
LanguageEnglish
PublisherWiley
Release dateApr 10, 2017
ISBN9781119349884
CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide: Exam CS0-001

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    Book preview

    CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide - Mike Chapple

    Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+™)

    Study Guide

    Exam CS0-001

    Wiley Logo

    Mike Chapple

    David Seidl

    Wiley Logo

    Senior Acquisitions Editor: Kenyon Brown

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    Cover Designer: Wiley

    Cover Image: ©Getty Images Inc./Jeremy Woodhouse

    Copyright © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

    Published simultaneously in Canada

    ISBN: 978-1-119-34897-9

    ISBN: 978-1-119-34991-4 (ebk.)

    ISBN: 978-1-119-34988-4 (ebk.)

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

    Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

    For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

    Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2017935704

    TRADEMARKS: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and the Sybex logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. CompTIA and CySA+ are trademarks or registered trademarks of CompTIA Properties, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

    I dedicate this book to my father, who was a role model of the value of hard work, commitment to family, and the importance of doing the right thing. Rest in peace, Dad.

    —Mike Chapple

    This book is dedicated to Ric Williams, my friend, mentor, and partner in crime through my first forays into the commercial IT world. Thanks for making my job as a network janitor one of the best experiences of my life.

    —David Seidl

    Acknowledgments

    Books like this involve work from many people, and as authors, we truly appreciate the hard work and dedication that the team at Wiley shows. We would especially like to thank senior acquisitions editor Kenyon Brown. We have worked with Ken on multiple projects and consistently enjoy our work with him.

    We also greatly appreciated the editing and production team for the book, including David Clark, our developmental editor, who brought years of experience and great talent to the project, Robin Abernathy, our technical editor, who provided insightful advice and gave wonderful feedback throughout the book, and Becca Anderson, our production editor, who guided us through layouts, formatting, and final cleanup to produce a great book. We would also like to thank the many behind-the-scenes contributors, including the graphics, production, and technical teams who make the book and companion materials into a finished product.

    Our agent, Carole Jelen of Waterside Productions, continues to provide us with wonderful opportunities, advice, and assistance throughout our writing careers.

    Finally, we would like to thank our families and significant others who support us through the late evenings, busy weekends, and long hours that a book like this requires to write, edit, and get to press.

    About the Authors

    Mike Chapple, Ph.D., CySA+, is author of the best-selling CISSP (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide (Sybex, 2015) and the CISSP (ISC)² Official Practice Tests (Sybex 2016). He is an information security professional with two decades of experience in higher education, the private sector, and government.

    Mike currently serves as senior director for IT Service Delivery at the University of Notre Dame. In this role, he oversees the information security, data governance, IT architecture, project management, strategic planning, and product management functions for Notre Dame. Mike also serves as Associate Teaching Professor in the university’s IT, Analytics, and Operations department, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on cybersecurity, data management, and business analytics.

    Before returning to Notre Dame, Mike served as executive vice president and chief information officer of the Brand Institute, a Miami-based marketing consultancy. Mike also spent four years in the information security research group at the National Security Agency and served as an active duty intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force.

    Mike is technical editor for Information Security Magazine and has written more than 25 books. He earned both his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Notre Dame in computer science and engineering. Mike also holds an M.S. in computer science from the University of Idaho and an MBA from Auburn University. Mike holds the Cybersecurity Analyst+ (CySA+), Security+, and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certifications.

    David Seidl is the senior director for Campus Technology Services at the University of Notre Dame. As the senior director for CTS, David is responsible for central platform and operating system support, database administration and services, identity and access management, application services, email and digital signage, and document management.

    During his over 20 years in information technology, he has served in a variety of leadership, technical, and information security roles, including leading Notre Dame’s information security team as Notre Dame’s director of information security. He currently teaches a popular course on networking and security for Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business and has written books on security certification and cyberwarfare, including co-authoring CISSP (ISC)² Official Practice Tests (Sybex 2016).

    David holds a bachelor’s degree in communication technology and a master’s degree in information security from Eastern Michigan University, as well as CISSP, GPEN, and GCIH certifications.

    CONTENTS

    Acknowledgments

    About the Authors

    Introduction

    What Does This Book Cover?

    Setting Up a Kali and Metasploitable Learning Environment

    Setting Up Your Environment

    Objectives Map for CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Exam CS0-001

    Objectives Map

    Assessment Test

    Answer to the Assessment Test

    Chapter 1 Defending Against Cybersecurity Threats

    Cybersecurity Objectives

    Evaluating Security Risks

    Building a Secure Network

    Secure Endpoint Management

    Penetration Testing

    Reverse Engineering

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 2 Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering

    Footprinting

    Passive Footprinting

    Gathering Organizational Intelligence

    Detecting, Preventing, and Responding to Reconnaissance

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 3 Designing a Vulnerability Management Program

    Identifying Vulnerability Management Requirements

    Configuring and Executing Vulnerability Scans

    Developing a Remediation Workflow

    Overcoming Barriers to Vulnerability Scanning

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 4 Analyzing Vulnerability Scans

    Reviewing and Interpreting Scan Reports

    Validating Scan Results

    Common Vulnerabilities

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 5 Building an Incident Response Program

    Security Incidents

    Phases of Incident Response

    Building the Foundation for Incident Response

    Creating an Incident Response Team

    Coordination and Information Sharing

    Classifying Incidents

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 6 Analyzing Symptoms for Incident Response

    Analyzing Network Events

    Handling Network Probes and Attacks

    Investigating Host Issues

    Investigating Service and Application Issues

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 7 Performing Forensic Analysis

    Building a Forensics Capability

    Understanding Forensic Software

    Conducting a Forensic Investigation

    Forensic Investigation: An Example

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 8 Recovery and Post-Incident Response

    Containing the Damage

    Incident Eradication and Recovery

    Wrapping Up the Response

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 9 Policy and Compliance

    Understanding Policy Documents

    Complying with Laws and Regulations

    Adopting a Standard Framework

    Implementing Policy-Based Controls

    Security Control Verification and Quality Control

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 10 Defense-in-Depth Security Architectures

    Understanding Defense in Depth

    Implementing Defense in Depth

    Analyzing Security Architecture

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 11 Identity and Access Management Security

    Understanding Identity

    Threats to Identity and Access

    Identity as a Security Layer

    Understanding Federated Identity and Single Sign-On

    Review Questions

    Chapter 12 Software Development Security

    Understanding the Software Development Life Cycle

    Designing and Coding for Security

    Software Security Testing

    Summary

    Exam Essentials

    Lab Exercises

    Review Questions

    Chapter 13 Cybersecurity Toolkit

    Host Security Tools

    Monitoring and Analysis Tools

    Scanning and Testing Tools

    Network Security Tools

    Web Application Security Tools

    Forensics Tools

    Summary

    Appendix A Answers to the Review Questions

    Chapter 1: Defending Against Cybersecurity Threats

    Chapter 2: Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering

    Chapter 3: Designing a Vulnerability Management Program

    Chapter 4: Analyzing Vulnerability Scans

    Chapter 5: Building an Incident Response Program

    Chapter 6: Analyzing Symptoms for Incident Response

    Chapter 7: Performing Forensic Analysis

    Chapter 8: Recovery and Post-Incident Response

    Chapter 9: Policy and Compliance

    Chapter 10: Defense-in-Depth Security Architectures

    Chapter 11: Identity and Access Management Security

    Chapter 12: Software Development Security

    Appendix B Answers to the Lab Exercises

    Chapter 1: Defending Against Cybersecurity Threats

    Chapter 2: Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering

    Chapter 4: Analyzing Vulnerability Scans

    Chapter 5: Building an Incident Response Program

    Chapter 6: Analyzing Symptoms for Incident Response

    Chapter 7: Performing Forensic Analysis

    Chapter 8: Recovery and Post-Incident Response

    Chapter 9: Policy and Compliance

    Chapter 10: Defense-in-Depth Security Architectures

    Chapter 11: Identity and Access Management Security

    Chapter 12: Software Development Security

    Index

    Advert

    EULA

    List of Illustrations

    Chapter 1

    Figure 1.1 The three key objectives of cybersecurity programs are confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

    Figure 1.2 Risks exist at the intersection of threats and vulnerabilities. If either the threat or vulnerability is missing, there is no risk.

    Figure 1.3 The NIST SP 800-30 risk assessment process suggests that an organization should identify threats and vulnerabilities and then use that information to determine the level of risk posed by the combination of those threats and vulnerabilities.

    Figure 1.4 Many organizations use a risk matrix to determine an overall risk rating based on likelihood and impact assessments.

    Figure 1.5 In an 802.1x system, the device attempting to join the network runs a NAC supplicant, which communicates with an authenticator on the network switch or wireless access point. The authenticator uses RADIUS to communicate with an authentication server.

    Figure 1.6 A triple-homed firewall connects to three different networks, typically an internal network, a DMZ, and the Internet.

    Figure 1.7 A triple-homed firewall may also be used to isolate internal network segments of varying trust levels.

    Figure 1.8 Group Policy Objects (GPOs) may be used to apply settings to many different systems at the same time.

    Figure 1.9 NIST divides penetration testing into four phases.

    Figure 1.10 The attack phase of a penetration test uses a cyclical process that gains a foothold and then uses it to expand access within the target organization.

    Chapter 2

    Figure 2.1 Zenmap topology view

    Figure 2.2 Nmap scan results

    Figure 2.3 Nmap service and version detection

    Figure 2.4 Nmap of a Windows 10 system

    Figure 2.5 Angry IP Scanner

    Figure 2.6 Cisco router log

    Figure 2.7 SNMP configuration from a typical Cisco router

    Figure 2.8 Linux netstat -a output

    Figure 2.9 Windows netstat -o output

    Figure 2.10 Windows netstat -e output

    Figure 2.11 Windows netstat -nr output

    Figure 2.12 Linux dhcp.conf file

    Figure 2.13 Nslookup for google.com

    Figure 2.14 nslookup using Google’s DNS with MX query flag

    Figure 2.15 Traceroute for bbc.co.uk

    Figure 2.16 Whois query data for google.com

    Figure 2.17 host command response for google.com

    Figure 2.18 Packet capture data from an nmap scan

    Figure 2.19 Demonstration account from immersion.media.mit.edu

    Chapter 3

    Figure 3.1 FIPS 199 Standards

    Figure 3.2 QualysGuard asset map

    Figure 3.3 Configuring a Nessus scan

    Figure 3.4 Sample Nessus scan report

    Figure 3.5 Nessus scan templates

    Figure 3.6 Disabling unused plug-ins

    Figure 3.7 Configuring authenticated scanning

    Figure 3.8 Choosing a scan appliance

    Figure 3.9 National Cyber Awareness System Vulnerability Summary

    Figure 3.10 Nessus Automatic Updates

    Figure 3.11 Vulnerability management life cycle

    Figure 3.12 QualysGuard dashboard example

    Figure 3.13 Nessus report example by IP address

    Figure 3.14 Nessus report example by criticality

    Figure 3.15 Detailed vulnerability report

    Figure 3.16 QualysGuard scan performance settings

    Chapter 4

    Figure 4.1 Nessus vulnerability scan report

    Figure 4.2 Qualys vulnerability scan report

    Figure 4.3 Scan report showing vulnerabilities and best practices

    Figure 4.4 Vulnerability trend analysis

    Figure 4.5 Vulnerabilities exploited in 2015 by year of initial discovery

    Figure 4.6 Missing patch vulnerability

    Figure 4.7 Unsupported operating system vulnerability

    Figure 4.8 Dirty COW website

    Figure 4.9 Code execution vulnerability

    Figure 4.10 FTP cleartext authentication vulnerability

    Figure 4.11 Debug mode vulnerability

    Figure 4.12 Outdated SSL version vulnerability

    Figure 4.13 Insecure SSL cipher vulnerability

    Figure 4.14 Invalid certificate warning

    Figure 4.15 DNS amplification vulnerability

    Figure 4.16 Internal IP disclosure vulnerability

    Figure 4.17 Inside a virtual host

    Figure 4.18 SQL injection vulnerability

    Figure 4.19 Cross-site scripting vulnerability

    Figure 4.20 First vulnerability report

    Figure 4.21 Second vulnerability report

    Chapter 5

    Figure 5.1 Incident response process

    Figure 5.2 Incident response checklist

    Chapter 6

    Figure 6.1 Routers provide a central view of network traffic flow by sending data to flow collectors.

    Figure 6.2 Netflow data example

    Figure 6.3 Passive monitoring between two systems

    Figure 6.4 PRTG network overview

    Figure 6.5 Netflow Traffic Analyzer

    Figure 6.6 SolarWinds Performance Monitor

    Figure 6.7 Nagios Core tactical view

    Figure 6.8 Nagios Core notifications view

    Figure 6.9 Network bandwidth monitoring showing a dropped link

    Figure 6.10 Beaconing in Wireshark

    Figure 6.11 Unexpected network traffic shown in flows

    Figure 6.12 Sample functional design of a cloud-based DDoS mitigation service

    Figure 6.13 nmap scan of a potential rogue system

    Figure 6.14 The Windows Resource Monitor view of system resources

    Figure 6.15 The Windows Performance Monitor view of system usage

    Chapter 7

    Figure 7.1 Sample chain-of-custody form

    Figure 7.2 Advanced Office Password Breaker cracking a Word DOC file

    Figure 7.3 Order of volatility of common storage locations

    Figure 7.4 dd of a volume

    Figure 7.5 FTK imaging of a system

    Figure 7.6 FTK image metadata

    Figure 7.7 Logicube’s Forensic Dossier duplicator device

    Figure 7.8 A Tableau SATA- and IDE-capable hardware write blocker

    Figure 7.9 FTK image hashing and bad sector checking

    Figure 7.10 USB Historian drive image

    Figure 7.11 Initial case information and tracking

    Figure 7.12 Initial case information and tracking

    Figure 7.13 Email extraction

    Figure 7.14 Web search history

    Figure 7.15 iCloud setup log with timestamp

    Figure 7.16 CCleaner remnant data via the Index Search function

    Figure 7.17 Resignation letter found based on document type

    Figure 7.18 Sample forensic finding from Stroz Friedberg’s Facebook contract investigation

    Chapter 8

    Figure 8.1 Incident response process

    Figure 8.2 Proactive network segmentation

    Figure 8.3 Network segmentation for incident response

    Figure 8.4 Network isolation for incident response

    Figure 8.5 Network removal for incident response

    Figure 8.6 Patching priorities

    Figure 8.7 Sanitization and disposition decision flow

    Chapter 9

    Figure 9.1 Excerpt from CMS training matrix

    Figure 9.2 Excerpt from UC Berkeley Minimum Security Standards for Electronic Information

    Figure 9.3 NIST Cybersecurity Framework Core Structure

    Figure 9.4 Asset Management Cybersecurity Framework

    Figure 9.5 TOGAF Architecture Development Model

    Figure 9.6 ITIL service life cycle

    Chapter 10

    Figure 10.1 Layered security network design

    Figure 10.2 Uniform protection applied to all systems

    Figure 10.3 Protected enclave for credit card operations

    Figure 10.4 Data classification–based design

    Figure 10.5 DMZ with a single firewall

    Figure 10.6 Single firewall service-leg DMZ

    Figure 10.7 Dual-firewall network design

    Figure 10.8 Outsourced remote services via public Internet

    Figure 10.9 VPN-connected remote network design

    Figure 10.10 A fully redundant network edge design

    Figure 10.11 Single points of failure in a network design

    Figure 10.12 Single points of failure in a process flow

    Figure 10.13 Sample security architecture

    Chapter 11

    Figure 11.1 A high-level logical view of identity management infrastructure

    Figure 11.2 LDAP directory structure

    Figure 11.3 Kerberos authentication flow

    Figure 11.4 OAuth covert redirects

    Figure 11.5 A sample account life cycle

    Figure 11.6 Phishing for a PayPal ID

    Figure 11.7 Authentication security model

    Figure 11.8 Google Authenticator token

    Figure 11.9 Context-based authentication

    Figure 11.10 Federated identity high-level design

    Figure 11.11 Attribute release request for loginradius.com

    Figure 11.12 Simple SAML transaction

    Figure 11.13 OAuth authentication process

    Chapter 12

    Figure 12.1 High-level SDLC view

    Figure 12.2 The Waterfall SDLC model

    Figure 12.3 The Spiral SDLC model

    Figure 12.4 Agile sprints

    Figure 12.5 Rapid Application Development prototypes

    Figure 12.6 Fagan code review

    Figure 12.7 Acunetix web application scan vulnerability report

    Figure 12.8 Tamper Data session showing login data

    Chapter 13

    Figure 13.1 Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

    Figure 13.2 Sysinternals Process Explorer

    Figure 13.3 Kiwi Syslog

    Figure 13.4 Splunk

    Figure 13.5 AlienVault SIEM

    Figure 13.6 AlienVault SIEM drill-down

    Figure 13.7 SolarWinds’s Orion

    Figure 13.8 Nmap

    Figure 13.9 Nikto web application scanner

    Figure 13.10 Nessus web application scanner

    Figure 13.11 Metasploit Console

    Figure 13.12 John the Ripper

    Figure 13.13 Check Point firewall console

    Figure 13.14 Bro intrusion detection and prevention system

    Figure 13.15 Wireshark packet captures

    Figure 13.16 tcpdump packet captures

    Figure 13.17 Netstat output

    Figure 13.18 Ping

    Figure 13.19 Traceroute

    Figure 13.20 ifconfig

    Figure 13.21 nslookup

    Figure 13.22 dig

    Figure 13.23 Proxy servers act as intermediaries for network communications.

    Figure 13.24 Configuring a web proxy

    Figure 13.25 Kproxy.com public anonymizing proxy

    Figure 13.26 ModSecurity firewall log entry

    Figure 13.27 Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)

    Figure 13.28 Burp Proxy

    Figure 13.29 shasum

    Figure 13.30 FTK email viewer

    Introduction

    CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Study Guide provides accessible explanations and real-world knowledge about the exam objectives that make up the Cybersecurity Analyst+ certification. This book will help you to assess your knowledge before taking the exam, as well as provide a stepping-stone to further learning in areas where you may want to expand your skillset or expertise.

    Before you tackle the CySA+, you should already be a security practitioner. CompTIA suggests that test takers have between 3 and 4 years of existing hands-on information security experience. You should also be familiar with at least some of the tools and techniques described in this book. You don’t need to know every tool, but understanding how to approach a new scenario, tool, or technology that you may not know using existing experience is critical to passing the CySA+ exam.

      For up-to-the-minute updates covering additions or modifications to the CompTIA certification exams, as well as additional study tools, videos, practice questions, and bonus material, be sure to visit the Sybex website and forum at www.sybex.com.

    CompTIA

    CompTIA is a nonprofit trade organization that offers certification in a variety of IT areas, ranging from the skills that a PC support technical needs, which are covered in the A+ exam, to advanced certifications like the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner, or CASP certification. CompTIA divides its exams into four different categories based on the skill level required for the exam and what topics it covers, as shown in the following table:

    CompTIA recommends that practitioners follow a cybersecurity career path as shown here:

    As you can see, despite the A+, Network+, and Security+ falling into the Professional certification category, the Cybersecurity Analyst+ exam is a more advanced exam, intended for professionals with hands-on experience and who possess the knowledge covered by the prior exams.

    CompTIA certifications are ISO and ANSI accredited, and they are used throughout multiple industries as a measure of technical skill and knowledge. In addition, CompTIA certifications, including the Security+ and the CASP, have been approved by the U.S. government as Information Assuance baseline certifications and are included in the State Department’s Skills Incentive Program.

    The Cybersecurity Analyst+ Exam

    The Cybersecurity Analyst+ exam, which CompTIA refers to as the CySA+, is designed to be a vendor-neutral certification for cybersecurity, threat, and vulnerability analysts. The CySA+ certification is designed for security analysts and engineers as well as Security Operations Center (SOC) staff, vulnerability analysts, and threat intelligence analysts. It focuses on security analytics and practical use of security tools in real-world scenarios. It covers four major domains: Threat Management, Vulnerability Management, Cyber Incident Response, and Security Architecture and Tool Sets. These four areas include a range of topics, from reconnaissance to incident response and forensics, while focusing heavily on scenario-based learning.

    The CySA+ exam fits between the entry-level Security+ exam and the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification, providing a mid-career certification for those who are seeking the next step in their certification and career path.

    The CySA+ exam is conducted in a format that CompTIA calls performance-based assessment. This means that the exam uses hands-on simulations using actual security tools and scenarios to perform tasks that match those found in the daily work of a security practitioner. Exam questions may include multiple types of questions such as multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, multiple-response, drag-and-drop, and image-based problems.

    CompTIA recommends that test takers have 3–4 years of information security–related experience before taking this exam. The exam costs $320 in the United States, with roughly equivalent prices in other locations around the globe. More details about the CySA+ exam and how to take it can be found at https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst.

    Study and Exam Preparation Tips

    A test preparation book like this cannot teach you every possible security software package, scenario, or specific technology that may appear on the exam. Instead, you should focus on whether you are familiar with the type or category of technology, tool, process, or scenario as you read the book. If you identify a gap, you may want to find additional tools to help you learn more about those topics.

    CompTIA recommends the use of NetWars-style simulations, penetration testing and defensive cybersecurity simulations, and incident response training to prepare for the CySA+.

    Additional resources for hands-on exercises include the following:

    Exploit-Exercises.com provides virtual machines, documentation, and challenges covering a wide range of security issues at https://exploit-exercises.com/.

    Hacking-Lab provides Capture the Flag (CTF) exercises in a variety of fields at https://www.hacking-lab.com/index.html.

    The OWASP Hacking Lab provides excellent web application–focused exercises at https://www.owasp.org/index.php/OWASP_Hacking_Lab.

    PentesterLab provides a subscription-based access to penetration testing exercises at https://www.pentesterlab.com/exercises/.

    The InfoSec Institute provides online capture-the-flag activities with bounties for written explanations of successful hacks at http://ctf.infosecinstitute.com/.

    Since the exam uses scenario-based learning, expect the questions to involve analysis and thought, rather than relying on simple memorization. As you might expect, it is impossible to replicate that experience in a book, so the questions here are intended to help you be confident that you know the topic well enough to think through hands-on exercises.

    Taking the Exam

    Once you are fully prepared to take the exam, you can visit the CompTIA website to purchase your exam voucher:

    www.comptiastore.com/Articles.asp?ID=265&category=vouchers

    CompTIA partners with Pearson VUE’s testing centers, so your next step will be to locate a testing center near you. In the United States, you can do this based on your address or your ZIP code, while non-U.S. test takers may find it easier to enter their city and country. You can search for a test center near you at the Pearson Vue website, where you will need to navigate to Find a test center.

    http://www.pearsonvue.com/comptia/

    Now that you know where you’d like to take the exam, simply set up a Pearson VUE testing account and schedule an exam:

    https://certification.comptia.org/testing/schedule-exam

    On the day of the test, take two forms of identification, and make sure to show up with plenty of time before the exam starts. Remember that you will not be able to take your notes, electronic devices (including smartphones and watches), or other materials in with you.

    After the Cybersecurity Analyst+ Exam

    Once you have taken the exam, you will be notified of your score immediately, so you’ll know if you passed the test right away. You should keep track of your score report with your exam registration records and the email address you used to register for the exam.

    Maintaining Your Certification

    CompTIA certifications must be renewed on a periodic basis. To renew your certification, you can either pass the most current version of the exam, earn a qualifying higher-level CompTIA or industry certification, or complete sufficient continuing education activities to earn enough continuing education units (CEUs) to renew it.

    CompTIA provides information on renewals via their website at

    https://certification.comptia.org/continuing-education/how-to-renew

    When you sign up to renew your certification, you will be asked to agree to the CE program’s Code of Ethics, to pay a renewal fee, and to submit the materials required for your chosen renewal method.

    A full list of the industry certifications you can use to acquire CEUs toward renewing the CySA+ can be found at

    https://certification.comptia.org/continuing-education/renewothers/renewing-csa

    What Does This Book Cover?

    This book is designed to cover the four domains included in the CySA+:

    Chapter 1: Defending Against Cybersecurity Threats The book starts by teaching you how to assess cybersecurity threats, as well as how to evaluate and select controls to keep your networks and systems secure.

    Chapter 2: Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering Gathering information about an organization and its systems is one of the things that both attackers and defenders do. In this chapter, you will learn how to acquire intelligence about an organization using popular tools and techniques. You will also learn how to limit the impact of intelligence gathering performed against your own organization.

    Chapter 3: Designing a Vulnerability Management Program Managing vulnerabilities helps to keep your systems secure. In this chapter you will learn how to identify, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities using a well-defined workflow and continuous assessment methodologies.

    Chapter 4: Analyzing Vulnerability Scans Vulnerability reports can contain huge amounts of data about potential problems with systems. In this chapter you will learn how to read and analyze a vulnerability scan report, what CVSS scoring is and what it means, as well as how to choose the appropriate actions to remediate the issues you have found. Along the way, you will explore common types of vulnerabilities and their impact on systems and networks.

    Chapter 5: Building an Incident Response Program This chapter focuses on building a formal incident response handling program and team. You will learn the details of each stage of incident handling from preparation, to detection and analysis, to containment, eradication, and recovery, to the final post-incident recovery, as well as how to classify incidents and communicate about them.

    Chapter 6: Analyzing Symptoms for Incident Response Responding appropriately to an incident requires understanding how incidents occur and what symptoms may indicate that an event has occurred. To do that, you also need the right tools and techniques. In this chapter, you will learn about three major categories of symptoms. First, you will learn about network events, including malware beaconing, unexpected traffic, and link failures, as well as network attacks. Next, you will explore host issues, ranging from system resource consumption issues to malware defense and unauthorized changes. Finally, you will learn about service- and application-related problems.

    Chapter 7: Performing Forensic Analysis Understanding what occurred on a system, device, or network, either as part of an incident or for other purposes, frequently involves forensic analysis. In this chapter you will learn how to build a forensic capability and how the key tools in a forensic toolkit are used.

    Chapter 8: Recovery and Post-Incident Analysis Once an incident has occurred and the initial phases of incident response have taken place, you will need to work on recovering from it. That process involves containing the incident to ensure no further issues occur and then working on eradicating malware, rootkits, and other elements of a compromise. Once the incident has been cleaned up, the recovery stage can start, including reporting and preparation for future issues.

    Chapter 9: Policy and Compliance Policy provides the foundation of any cybersecurity program, and building an effective set of policies is critical to a successful program. In this chapter you will acquire the tools to build a standards-based set of security policies, standards, and procedures. You will also learn how to leverage industry best practices by using guidelines and benchmarks from industry experts.

    Chapter 10: Defense-in-Depth Security Architectures A strong security architecture requires layered security procedures, technology, and processes to provide defense in depth, ensuring that a single failure won’t lead to a failure. In this chapter you will learn how to design a layered security architecture and how to analyze security designs for flaws, including single points of failure and gaps.

    Chapter 11: Identity and Access Management Security The identities that we rely on to authenticate and authorize users, services, and systems are a critical layer in a defense-in-depth architecture. This chapter explains identity, authentication, and authorization concepts and systems. You will learn about the major threats to identity and identity systems as well as how to use identity as a defensive layer.

    Chapter 12: Software Development Security Creating, testing, and maintaining secure software, from simple scripts to complex applications, is critical for security analysts. In this chapter you will learn about the software development life cycle, including different methodologies, testing and review techniques, and how secure software is created. In addition, you will learn about industry standards for secure software to provide you with the foundation you need to help keep applications and services secure.

    Chapter 13: Cybersecurity Toolkit This chapter provides a survey-style view of the many tools that you may encounter while performing threat and vulnerability management as well as incident response. We review tools, what they do, and where to get them.

    Practice Exam Once you have completed your studies, the practice exam will provide you with a chance to test your knowledge. Use this exam to find places where you may need to study more or to verify that you are ready to tackle the exam. We’ll be rooting for you!

    Appendix A: Answers to Review Questions The appendix has answers to the review questions you will find at the end of each chapter.

    Objective Mapping

    The following listing shows how the four Cybersecurity Analyst Exam objectives map to the chapters in this book. If you want to study a specific domain, this mapping can help you identify where to focus your reading.

    Threat Management: Chapters 1, 2

    Vulnerability Management: Chapters 3, 4

    Cyber Incident Response: Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8

    Security Architecture and Tools Sets: Chapters 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

    The book is written to build your knowledge as you progress through it, so starting at the beginning is a good idea. Each chapter includes notes on important content and 20 questions to help you test your knowledge. Once you are ready, a complete practice test is provided to assess your knowledge.

    Study Guide Elements

    This study guide uses a number of common elements to help you prepare. These include the following:

    Summaries The summary section of each chapter briefly explains the chapter, allowing you to easily understand what it covers.

    Exam Essentials The exam essentials focus on major exam topics and critical knowledge that you should take into the test. The exam essentials focus on the exam objectives provided by CompTIA.

    Chapter Review Questions A set of questions at the end of each chapter will help you assess your knowledge and if you are ready to take the exam based on your knowledge of that chapter’s topics.

    Written Labs The written labs provide more in-depth practice opportunities to expand your skills and to better prepare for performance-based testing on the Cybersecurity Analyst+ exam.

    Real-World Scenarios The real-world scenarios included in each chapter tell stories and provide examples of how topics in the chapter look from the point of view of a security professional. They include current events, personal experience, and approaches to actual problems.

    Additional Study Tools

    This book comes with a number of additional study tools to help you prepare for the exam. They include the following.

      Go to www.wiley.com/go/sybextestprep to register and gain access to this interactive online learning environment and test bank with study tools.

    Sybex Test Preparation Software

    Sybex’s test preparation software lets you prepare with electronic test versions of the review questions from each chapter, the practice exam, and the bonus exam that are included in this book. You can build and take tests on specific domains, by chapter, or cover the entire set of Cybersecurity Analyst+ exam objectives using randomized tests.

    Electronic Flashcards

    Our electronic flashcards are designed to help you prepare for the exam. Over 100 flashcards will ensure that you know critical terms and concepts.

    Glossary of Terms

    Sybex provides a full glossary of terms in PDF format, allowing quick searches and easy reference to materials in this book.

    Bonus Practice Exam

    In addition to the practice questions for each chapter, this book includes both a full 90-question practice exam and a 50-question bonus exam. We recommend that you use them both to test your preparedness for the certification exam.

    Setting Up a Kali and Metasploitable Learning Environment

    You can practice many of the techniques found in this book using open source and free tools. This section provides a brief how to guide for setting up a Kali Linux, a Linux distribution built as a broad security toolkit, and Metasploitable, an intentionally vulnerable Linux virtual machine.

    What You Need

    To build a basic virtual security‐lab environment to run scenarios and to learn to use the applications and tools discussed in this book, you will need a virtualization program and virtual machines. There are many excellent security‐oriented distributions and tools beyond those in this example. As you gain experience, you may want to explore tools such as Security Onion, the SANS SIFT forensic distribution, and CAINE.

    Running virtual machines can require a reasonably capable PC. We like to recommend an i5 or i7 (or equivalent) CPU, at least 8 GB of RAM, and 20 or more gigabytes of open space on your hard drive. If you have an SSD instead of a hard drive, you’ll be much happier with the performance of your VMs.

    VirtualBox

    VirtualBox is a virtualization software package for x86 computers, and it is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. You can download VirtualBox at https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/VirtualBox.

    If you are more familiar with another virtualization tool such as VMware or HyperV, you can also use those tools; however, you may have to adapt or modify these instructions to handle differences in how your preferred virtualization environment works.

    Making It Portable

    You can also build your lab so you can take it on the road by using a portable version of VirtualBox from www.vbox.me. Just follow the instructions on the site, and put your virtual machines on an external drive of your choice. Note that this is typically a bit slower if you don’t have a fast USB drive.

    Kali Linux

    Multiple versions of Kali Linux are available at https://www.kali.org/downloads/, and pre‐built Kali Linux virtual machines can be downloaded at https://www.offensive‐security.com/kali‐linux‐vmware‐virtualbox‐image‐download/. We suggest downloading the most recent version of the Kali Linux 64‐bit VBox virtual machine.

    Metasploitable

    You can download the Metasploitable virtual machine at

    https://sourceforge.net/projects/metasploitable/.

    Usernames and Passwords

    Kali’s default username is root, and the password is toor.

    The Metasploitable virtual machine username is msfadmin, and the password is msfadmin.

    If either system will ever be exposed to a live network, or you don’t know if they will be, you should change the passwords immediately after booting the virtual machines for the first time.

    Setting Up Your Environment

    Setting up VirtualBox is quite simple. First, install the VirtualBox application. Once it is installed and you select your language, you should see a VirtualBox window like the one shown in Figure E.1.

    FIGURE E.1 The VirtualBox main screen

    To add the Kali Linux virtual machine, click File ➢ Import Appliance. Navigate to the directory where you downloaded the Kali VM, and import the virtual machine. Follow the wizard as it guides you through the import process. When it is complete, you can continue with these instructions.

    The Metasploitable virtual machine comes as a .zip file, so you’ll need to extract it first. Inside, you’ll see a VMDK instead of the .ova file that VirtualBox uses for its native virtual machines. This means you’ll have to do a little more work.

    Click New in the VirtualBox main window.

    Click Expert Mode, name your system, and then select Linux for the type. You can leave the default alone for Version, and you can leave the memory default alone as well. (See Figure E.2.)

    FIGURE E.2 Adding the Metasploitable VM

    Select Use An Existing Virtual Hard Disk File, navigate to the location where you unzipped the Metasploitable.vmdk file, select it, and then click Create.

    Now that both virtual machines are set up, you should verify their network settings. VirtualBox allows multiple types of networks. Table E.1 shows the critical types of network connections you are likely to want to use with this environment.

    Table E.1 Virtual Machine Network Options

    You may want to have Internet connectivity for some exercises or to update software packages. If you are reasonably certain you know what you are doing, using a NAT network can be very helpful. To do so, you will need to go to the File ➢ Preferences menu of VirtualBox, click on Network, and then set up a NAT network by clicking the network card with a + icon, as shown in Figure E.3.

    FIGURE E.3 Adding the a NAT network

    Warning: Dangerous Traffic!

    If you are not comfortable with your virtual machines having outbound network access, think you might do something dangerous with them, or just want to avoid any other potential issues, you should set up both virtual machines to use Internal Network instead.

    Once your NAT network exists, you can set both machines to use it by clicking on them, and then clicking the Settings gear icon in the VirtualBox interface. From there, click Network, and set the network adapter to be attached to the NAT network you just set up. (See Figure E.4.)

    FIGURE E.4 Configuring VMs for the NAT network

    Now you’re all set! You can start both machines and test to verify that they can see each other. To do this, simply log into the Metasploitable box and run ifconfig to find its IP address. Use ssh [ip address] ‐l msfadmin to SSH from the Kali Linux system to the Metasploitable system. If you connect and can log in, you’re ready to run exercises between the two systems!

    Objectives Map for CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Exam CS0-001

    The following objective map for the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification exam will enable you to find the chapter in this book, which covers each objective for the exam.

    Objectives Map

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