156-315.81 Check Point Certified Security Expert R81.20 Questions and Answers

To enable VMAC mode on a cluster member, you need to set the value of the global kernel parameter fwha_vmac_global_param_enabled to 1. This can be done on-the-fly using the command fw ctl set int fwha_vmac_global_param_enabled 1 on all cluster members. This command does not require a reboot or a policy installation. VMAC mode allows the cluster to use a virtual MAC address for its virtual IP addresses, which reduces the number of gratuitous ARP packets sent upon failover and avoids ARP cache issues on some routers and switches. References: How to enable ClusterXL Virtual MAC (VMAC) mode

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

A. Slow Path

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

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

The Check Point TE appliance in Recommended Mode includes 2(OS) images. One image is used for running the appliance, and the other image is used for backup and recovery purposes. The images are not chosen by the administrator during installation, nor based on the license or the latest version. References: [Check Point R81 Threat Emulation Administration Guide]

 In R81, IPS is managed by the Threat Prevention Policy. The Threat Prevention Policy is a unified policy that allows you to configure and enforce IPS, Anti-Bot, Anti-Virus, Threat Emulation, and Threat Extraction settings in one place. References: Threat Prevention Administration Guide

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

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

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

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

References: Views and Reports Tutorial R80

 In the Check Point Firewall Kernel Module, each kernel is associated with a key, which specifies the type of traffic applicable to the chain module. For Wire Mode configuration, chain modules marked with 1 will not apply, as they are related to NAT, VPN, or other features that are not supported in Wire Mode. Wire Mode is a mode of operation that allows transparent traffic forwarding without any inspection or modification by the firewall. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Wire Mode Configuration Guide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

– GUI Client communication

– Database manipulation

– Policy Compilation

– Management HA sync

Wire Mode is a VPN-1 NGX feature that enables VPN connections to successfully fail over, bypassing Security Gateway enforcement. This improves performance and reduces downtime. Based on a trusted source and destination, Wire Mode uses internal interfaces and VPN Communities to maintain a private and secure VPN session, without employing Stateful Inspection. Since Stateful Inspection no longer takes place, dynamic-routing protocols that do not survive state verification in non-Wire Mode configurations can now be deployed. The VPN connection is no different from any other connections along a dedicated wire, thus the meaning of "Wire Mode".

References: VPN Administration Guide

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

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

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

 The Check Point R81 Identity Awareness Web API uses the REST web services protocol to communicate with external identity sources. REST stands for Representational State Transfer, and it is an architectural style for designing web services that use HTTP methods to access and manipulate resources. The Identity Awareness Web API allows external identity sources to send identity and session information to the Security Gateway, which can then use this information for policy enforcement. 

References:

The Correlation Unit in Check Point Security Management performs several actions, but it does not assign a severity level to the event. The Correlation Unit is responsible for identifying patterns in logs, marking logs that are part of larger patterns, generating events based on the Event policy, and adding new log entries to ongoing events. However, assigning a severity level to an event is typically done through the Event policy configuration, not by the Correlation Unit.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 Study Guide

SandBlast Mobile has four components: Management Dashboard, Gateway, Behavior Risk Engine, and On-Device Network Protection. Personal User Storage is not part of the SandBlast Mobile solution. References: SandBlast Mobile Architecture

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

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

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

References:

To see the cluster status in CLI expert mode, you can use the command cphaprob stat. This command displays the status of the Check Point High Availability cluster. It provides information about the state of the cluster members, such as "Active," "Standby," or "Collision."

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

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

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

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

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

 A management plug-in is a software component that interacts with a Security Management Server to provide new features and support for new products. A management plug-in can extend the functionality of SmartConsole, SmartDashboard, SmartView Monitor, SmartView Tracker, SmartEvent, SmartReporter, SmartProvisioning, SmartUpdate, and other management tools. A management plug-in can also add new objects, policies, rules, actions, reports, views, and wizards to the management system. Some examples of management plug-ins are CloudGuard Controller, SandBlast Agent, Endpoint Security Server, Threat Extraction for Web, etc. 

It is recommended to enable Detect-Only for Troubleshooting on the profile during the initial installation of IPS. This option overrides any protections that are set to Prevent so that they will not block any traffic.

During this time you can analyze the alerts that IPS generates to see how IPS will handle network traffic, while avoiding any impact on the flow of traffic.

References:

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

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

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

The other options are not correct because:

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

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

 The process that pulls application monitoring status is cpd. cpd is a daemon that runs on Check Point products and performs various tasks related to management communication, policy installation, license verification, logging, etc. cpd also monitors the status of other processes and applications on the system and reports it to the management server. cpd uses SNMP to collect information from various sources, such as blades, gateways, servers, etc. You can view the application monitoring status in SmartConsole by using the Gateways & Servers tab in the Logs & Monitor view. References: Check Point Processes and Daemons

The Event List within the Event tab contains events generated by a query. The Event List shows the events that match the query criteria, such as time range, filter, and aggregation. The events can be sorted by different columns, such as severity, time, action, and source3. The other options are either not part of the Event tab or not related to the Event List. References: Check Point R81 Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide

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

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

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

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

 CPM process stores objects, policies, users, administrators, licenses and management data in a Postgres SQL database. This database is located in $FWDIR/conf and can be accessed using the pg_client command2. The other options are not the correct database type for CPM. References: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide

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

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

 Automatic affinity means that if SecureXL is running, the affinity for each interface is automatically reset every 60 seconds based on the current traffic load. This ensures optimal performance and load balancing of SecureXL instances. References: SecureXL Mechanism

 TACACS+ is not an authentication method that is used for Mobile Access. Mobile Access supports the following authentication methods: username and password (internal, LDAP, or RADIUS), certificate, SecurID, DynamicID, and SMS2. TACACS+ is a protocol that provides access control for routers, network access servers, and other network devices, but it is not supported by Mobile Access3. References: Check Point R81 Mobile Access Administration Guide, TACACS+ - Wikipedia

Multiple administrators can connect to a Security Management Server at the same time. Each administrator has their own username and works in a session that is independent of other administrators. This allows for collaboration and simultaneous management tasks by different administrators.

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

 CPUSE (Check Point Upgrade Service Engine) is a tool that allows users to download, import, install, and uninstall software packages on Gaia OS. CPUSE has a web-based user interface that can be accessed through Gaia Portal. CPUSE offers four package options in the web GUI for different purposes4:

• Clean Install - This option performs a clean installation of a Major Version package, which erases all existing configuration and data on the system.
• Export Package - This option exports a package from CPUSE repository to an external location for backup or transfer purposes.
• Upgrade - This option performs an upgrade of a Major Version package or a Minor Version package, which preserves the existing configuration and data on the system.
• Database Conversion - This option converts the database schema of a Major Version package to match the current version.

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

References: 4: CPUSE - Gaia Deployment Agent

 The most probable reason for the expert password to be no longer valid after a week is that save config was not issued on clish. The clish command set expert-password sets the expert password for the current session only. To make the password persistent, the clish command save config must be issued after setting the expert password2. The other options are not relevant for setting the expert password. References: 2: Check Point Software, Getting Started, Setting Expert Password.

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

The Check Point Compliance Blade is a security management tool that monitors the compliance status of the Security Gateways and Security Management Servers with various regulatory standards1. The Compliance Blade supports the following regulatory standards2:

• GLBA: The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, is a US federal law that requires financial institutions to protect the privacy and security of their customers’ personal information.
• CJIS: The Criminal Justice Information Services Division, also known as CJIS, is a division of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation that provides criminal justice information services to law enforcement, national security, and intelligence agencies. CJIS has a set of security policies and requirements that govern the access, use, and protection of the CJIS data.
• NCIPA: The National Counterintelligence and Security Center Insider Threat Program Maturity Framework, also known as NCIPA, is a US government framework that provides guidance and best practices for establishing and enhancing insider threat programs within federal agencies. NCIPA defines five levels of maturity for insider threat programs, from initial to optimized.
• SOCI: This is not a valid option for a configurable Compliance Regulation. There is no such regulatory standard with this acronym. However, there is a similar acronym, SOC 2, which stands for Service Organization Control 2, which is a set of standards and criteria for auditing the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of service providers that store, process, or transmit customer data3.

Therefore, the correct answer is C, as SOCI is not a configurable Compliance Regulation.

References: 1: ATRG: Compliance Blade (R80.10 and higher) - Check Point Software 3 2: Check Point R81 - Check Point Software 1 3: SOC 2 Compliance Checklist: What You Need to Know - Varonis

SmartView Monitor is a GUI client that is supported in R81. It allows you to monitor the network and security performance of your Security Gateways and devices5. You can use it to view real-time statistics, alerts, logs, reports, and graphs6. The other GUI clients are not supported in R81 because:

• A. SmartProvisioning was replaced by SmartLSM in R80.20 and later versions7. SmartLSM is a unified solution for managing large-scale deployments of Security Gateways8.
• B. SmartView Tracker was replaced by SmartLog in R80 and later versions9. SmartLog is a powerful log analysis tool that enables fast and easy access to log data from multiple Security Gateways10.
• D. SmartLog is not a GUI client, but a web-based application that runs on the Security Management Server or Log Server10. You can access it from any web browser or from SmartConsole.

References: SmartView Monitor R81 Help, SmartView Monitor R81 Administration Guide, What’s New in Check Point R80.20, SmartLSM R81 Help, What’s New in Check Point R80, SmartLog R81 Help

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

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

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

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

The correct order of a log flow processed by SmartEvent components is: Firewall > Log Server > Correlation Unit > SmartEvent Server Database > SmartEvent Client. The Firewall generates logs for traffic and security events. The Log Server receives and stores the logs from the Firewall. The Correlation Unit analyzes the logs and generates SmartEvent events based on predefined or custom rules. The SmartEvent Server Database stores the events generated by the Correlation Unit. The SmartEvent Client displays the events and reports from the SmartEvent Server Database. References: : Check Point Resource Library, Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview, page 12; : Check Point Software, Training & Certification, SmartEvent Introduction.

The configuration file that contains the structure of the Security Server showing the port numbers, corresponding protocol name, and status is $FWDIR/conf/fwauthd.conf. This file is used for configuring authentication services in Check Point Security Servers.

References: Check Point documentation or training materials related to Security Server configuration.

The command fw tab is used to display the contents of the kernel tables1. The command has several options that can modify the output. The option -s shows only the table names and the number of entries in each table1. For example:

The option -t shows the contents of a specific table, given by its name or ID1. For example:

The option -n shows the numeric values of the fields in the tables, instead of resolving them to names1. For example:

The option -k shows the kernel references for each entry in the table1. For example:

Therefore, the correct answer is B, as it shows only the table names of all kernel tables.

References: 1: CLI R81.20 Reference Guide - Check Point Software

 SDF (Sticky Decision Function) and Flush and ACK are the two correction mechanisms that are available with ClusterXL under R81.20. According to the ClusterXL R81.20 Administration Guide1, correction mechanisms are methods that ClusterXL uses to prevent or recover from out-of-state situations, which occur when different Cluster Members have different information about the connections that they handle1. ClusterXL supports two types of correction mechanisms: SDF and Flush and ACK1.

SDF (Sticky Decision Function) is a mechanism that ensures that packets of the same connection are always handled by the same Cluster Member, regardless of the load balancing algorithm. SDF uses a hash table that maps each connection to a specific Cluster Member, based on the 5-tuple of source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, and protocol. SDF prevents out-of-state situations by avoiding the switch of Cluster Members for existing connections1.

Flush and ACK is a mechanism that synchronizes the connection tables of different Cluster Members when an out-of-state situation is detected. Flush and ACK works as follows:

• When a Cluster Member receives a packet that belongs to an unknown connection, it sends a Flush message to all other Cluster Members, asking them to delete the connection from their tables.
• When a Cluster Member receives a Flush message, it checks if it has the connection in its table. If it does, it deletes the connection and sends an ACK message to the sender of the Flush message, indicating that it has performed the deletion.
• When a Cluster Member receives an ACK message, it creates a new connection entry in its table for the packet that triggered the Flush message, and processes the packet normally.
• If a Cluster Member does not receive any ACK message within a timeout period, it assumes that no other Cluster Member has the connection, and creates a new connection entry in its table for the packet that triggered the Flush message1.

References: : ClusterXL R81.20 Administration Guide

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

After verifying that API Server is not running, you can start the API Server by running the command “api start” in Expert mode. This command will start the API Server process (cpm_api) and enable it to run automatically after reboot. You can also use the command “api enable” to enable the API Server without starting it immediately. The other commands are either incorrect or not related to the API Server. The set api command is used in CLISH mode to configure API settings, such as port, domain, or certificate. The mgmt_cli command is used in Expert mode to execute API commands, such as login, logout, show, set, etc. References: [API Server]

To enable VMAC Mode in ClusterXL, you need to go to Cluster Object -> Edit -> ClusterXL and VRRP -> Use Virtual MAC. VMAC Mode is a feature that allows ClusterXL to use a virtual MAC address for cluster interfaces instead of physical MAC addresses. This simplifies the cluster configuration and avoids issues with MAC address flapping or spoofing on switches. References: [VMAC Mode]

 The log server sends logs to the Correlation Unit. The Correlation Unit analyzes the logs and generates events based on the event policy. The events are then sent to the SmartEvent Server, which displays them in the SmartEvent GUI. References: [SmartEvent Administration Guide]

 Return-oriented programming (ROP) exploits are detected by Check Point Anti-Virus / Threat Emulation blade. ROP exploits are a type of code reuse attack that bypasses common exploit mitigation techniques such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). Check Point Anti-Virus / Threat Emulation blade can detect and prevent ROP exploits using its behavioral analysis engine that monitors the execution flow of processes and identifies malicious patterns. References: [Check Point Security Expert R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide], page 17.

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

The recommended way to have a redundant Sync connection between the cluster nodes is to use a group of bonded interfaces connected to different switches. In the SmartConsole / Gateways & Servers -> select Cluster Properties / Network Management, you should define a dedicated sync interface, only one interface per node.

The correct answer is B. R80.10 and later.

According to the Check Point documentation1, the Multi-Version Cluster Upgrade (MVC) is a new feature in R80.40 and higher that replaces the Connectivity Upgrade (CU) method. MVC allows you to upgrade a cluster to a newer version without a loss in connectivity and test the new version on some of the cluster members before you decide to upgrade the rest of the cluster members. The MVC feature supports the following destination versions2:

• R80.10
• R80.20
• R80.30
• R80.40
• R81
• R81.20

The other options are incorrect because they are either not supported by MVC or they are older than the source version (R80.40).

References:

• Multi-Version Cluster (MVC) replaces Connectivity Upgrade (CU) in R80.401
• ClusterXL upgrade methods and paths2

 The header name-value that has to be in the HTTP Post request after the login when using Web Services to access the API is X-chkp-sid Session Unique Identifier. This header contains the session ID that is returned by the login command and identifies the session for subsequent API commands. The session ID is valid for a limited time and can be extended by using keepalive or logout commands. References: [Check Point R81 Management API Reference Guide]

The cpprod_util command is a utility that provides information about the installed Check Point products and their versions. The cpprod_util MgmtIsPrimary option checks if the Security Management Server is installed as a primary or a secondary server in a High Availability cluster2. If the server is primary, the command returns “yes”. If the server is secondary, the command returns “no”. Therefore, Bob can use this command to verify the provisioning of the secondary Security Management Server.

References: 2: cpprod_util

The verified answer is B. cpinfo.

cpinfo is a command that collects diagnostic data for analyzing a customer setup remotely. It is an auto-updatable utility that runs on the customer’s machine and uploads the data to Check Point servers. The data includes information about the system, the security policy, the objects, and the logs. Check Point support engineers can use the DiagnosticsView utility to open the cpinfo file and view the customer’s configuration and environment settings1.

migrate export is a command that exports the Check Point configuration and database files to a compressed file. It is used for backup and migration purposes, not for remote analysis2.

sysinfo is a command that displays basic information about the system, such as the hostname, the OS version, the CPU model, and the memory size. It does not collect or upload any data to Check Point servers3.

cpv is not a valid command in Check Point.

References:

• Support, Support Requests, Training … - Check Point Software1
• Migrate export - Check Point Software
• sysinfo - Check Point Software

 SandBlast is the best Check Point product to protect against malware and zero-day attacks while ensuring quick delivery of safe content to your users. SandBlast is an advanced network threat prevention solution that uses a combination of technologies to detect and block known and unknown threats before they reach your network. SandBlast uses Threat Emulation, which is a sandboxing technology that inspects files for malicious behavior in a virtual environment; Threat Extraction, which removes potentially malicious elements from files and delivers clean and safe content to your users; Anti-Bot, which identifies and blocks botnet communications and prevents data exfiltration; Anti-Virus, which scans files for known malware signatures; and IPS, which monitors network traffic for malicious or anomalous patterns. SandBlast also provides comprehensive reports and forensic analysis on the detected threats and their origin and behavior. 

 Security Checkup Summary can be easily conducted within Views. Views is a feature in SmartConsole that allows you to create customized dashboards and reports based on various security data sources, such as logs, events, audit trails, and more. You can use Views to perform a Security Checkup Summary, which is a comprehensive analysis of your network security posture and potential risks. You can use predefined templates or create your own views to generate the summary. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Views Administration Guide

Based on the image provided by the user, we can infer that rule 1 and object webserver are locked by another administrator. This is because they have red lock icons next to them, which indicate that they are being edited by another administrator in another session. The lock icons prevent other administrators from modifying these objects until the changes are published or discarded by the original administrator. The lock icons also show the name of the administrator who locked the objects when hovered over with the mouse cursor.

The other options are incorrect because:

• Rule 7 was not created by the ‘admin’ administrator in the current session, but by another administrator in another session. This is because it has a blue lock icon next to it, which indicates that it was added by another administrator in another session. The blue lock icon prevents other administrators from deleting this rule until the changes are published or discarded by the original administrator.
• 8 changes have not been made by administrators since the last policy installation, but in the current session by the ‘admin’ administrator. This is because there is a yellow number 8 next to the Install Policy button, which indicates that there are 8 unpublished changes in the current session by the ‘admin’ administrator. These changes will be published or discarded when the ‘admin’ administrator clicks on Publish or Discard buttons.
• The rules 1, 5 and 6 can be edited by the ‘admin’ administrator, but only after unlocking them from another administrator who locked them in another session. This is because they have red lock icons next to them, which indicate that they are being edited by another administrator in another session. The ‘admin’ administrator can unlock these rules by right-clicking on them and selecting Unlock from the menu. However, this will discard the changes made by the original administrator who locked them.

 A new license should be generated and installed in all of the following situations except when the IP address of the Security Management or Security Gateway has changed. This is because Check Point licenses are not bound to IP addresses, but to other parameters such as MAC addresses, CPU IDs, or hostnames. Therefore, changing the IP address of a licensed machine does not affect the validity of the license. However, changing other parameters, such as replacing a network card or renaming a machine, may require a new license. Additionally, when the existing license expires or the license is upgraded to a higher level or a different package, a new license is needed.

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

References:

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

CoreXL is a performance-enhancing technology that enables the processing CPU cores to concurrently perform multiple tasks on Security Gateways with multiple CPU cores. CoreXL replicates the Firewall kernel multiple times, creating multiple Firewall instances that run on different CPU cores. These Firewall instances handle traffic concurrently, and each Firewall instance is a complete and independent Firewall inspection kernel. To show the current connections distributed by CoreXL FW instances, you can use the command fw ctl multik stat on the Security Gateway. This command will display information such as the number of connections, packets, bytes, drops, and errors handled by each CoreXL FW instance, as well as the CPU utilization and affinity of each instance. The other options are not correct because:

• B. fw ctl affinity -l: This command will show the CPU affinity of all processes and IRQs on the Security Gateway. It will not show the current connections distributed by CoreXL FW instances.
• C. fw ctl instances -v: This command will show the details of all CoreXL FW instances on the Security Gateway, such as their ID, type, state, priority, and interfaces. It will not show the current connections distributed by CoreXL FW instances.
• D. fw ctl iflist: This command will show the list of all interfaces on the Security Gateway, along with their names

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

 The attribute that is not used for identifying a connection by packet acceleration (SecureXL) is TCP Acknowledgment Number. SecureXL identifies connections by using a hash function that takes into account the following attributes: source address, destination address, source port, destination port, protocol, and VPN ID. The TCP Acknowledgment Number is not part of the hash function and does not affect the connection identification. References: [SecureXL Mechanism]

https //sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/R77/CP R77_Firewall_WebAdmm/92711.htm

High Availability (HA) is a deployment scenario where two or more Security Management Servers are configured to work together as a cluster. One server acts as the Primary server and handles all management operations, while another server acts as the Secondary server and serves as a backup. If the Primary server fails, the Secondary server takes over and becomes active. The cluster members communicate using a Virtual IP (VIP) address, which is used by SmartConsole to connect to the active server. If the Primary server is temporarily down, the administrator does not need to do anything, as SmartConsole will automatically connect to the VIP address and reach the Secondary server that has become active. Therefore, the correct answer is A.

References: 6: High Availability Administration Guide

 Permanent VPN tunnels can be set on all tunnels in the community, on all tunnels for specific gateways, or on specific tunnels in the community. Permanent VPN tunnels are always active and prevent VPN tunnel negotiation failures due to idle time or traffic volume. You can configure permanent VPN tunnels in SmartConsole by selecting the Permanent Tunnel option in the VPN Community Properties window.

 SmartEvent Security Checkups can be run from the Reports activity in Logs and Monitor. A Security Checkup is a report that analyzes network traffic and security events and provides recommendations for improving security posture. To run a Security Checkup, go to Logs & Monitor > Reports > New Report > Security Checkup. The other activities in Logs and Monitor do not have the option to run a Security Checkup. References: : Check Point Software, Getting Started, Running a Security Checkup Report.

Communication between different Check Point components is secured by using SIC, which stands for secure internal communication. SIC is a certificate-based channel that uses standards-based TLS 1.2 for creating secure connections and AES128 for encryption. SIC ensures that only authorized components can communicate with each other and that the communication is protected from eavesdropping and tampering. SIC is established by using a one-time password (OTP) that is generated when a Check Point component is created or installed. The OTP is used to initialize the trust relationship between the component and the Security Management Server, which acts as an internal certificate authority (ICA) that issues and revokes certificates for the components. 

 In R81, more than one administrator can login to the Security Management Server with write permission at the same time. This feature is enabled by default and allows concurrent administration of the security policy. Every administrator works in a session that is independent of the other administrators. Changes made by one administrator are not visible to others until they are published. Administrators can also lock objects to prevent others from editing them until they are unlocked. References: R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 43.

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

 The two high availability modes are New and Legacy. High availability (HA) is a feature that allows you to create a cluster of two or more Security Gateways that act as a single entity to provide redundancy and reliability for your network traffic. HA ensures that if one Security Gateway fails or becomes unavailable, another Security Gateway in the cluster takes over its role seamlessly and continues to process the traffic. HA also provides load balancing and synchronization of the cluster members. The New mode is the recommended mode for HA clusters, as it provides better performance, scalability, and stability than the Legacy mode. The New mode uses the ClusterXL mechanism to manage the cluster members and the state synchronization. The Legacy mode uses the High Availability Security Extension (HASE) mechanism to manage the cluster members and the state synchronization. The Legacy mode is supported for backward compatibility with older versions of Check Point products, but it has some limitations and disadvantages compared to the New mode. 

In R81.20, dbedit scripts are being replaced by the mgmt_cli utility for managing and configuring security policies and objects. Here's an explanation of each option:

A. dbedit is not supported in R81.20: This is not entirely accurate. While dbedit is still available and functional in R81.20, it is being phased out in favor of mgmt_cli for policy and object management.

B. dbedit is fully supported in R81.20: This statement is not accurate because although dbedit can still be used, it is not the primary recommended tool for policy management in R81.20.

C. You can use dbedit to modify threat prevention or access policies, but not create or modify layers: This statement is partially true, but it does not provide the complete picture. You can use dbedit for some policy-related tasks, but it's not the primary tool for policy management in R81.20.

D. dbedit scripts are being replaced by mgmt_cli in R81.20: This is the correct and recommended approach. mgmt_cli is the primary tool for managing security policies and objects in R81.20, and it is gradually replacing dbedit for these tasks.

Therefore, option D is the most accurate and recommended answer.

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

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

 The benefit of Manual NAT over Automatic NAT is that you have full control over the priority of the NAT rules. Manual NAT allows you to create NAT rules that are independent of the security policy and specify the order in which they are applied. Automatic NAT creates NAT rules based on the objects’ NAT properties and places them according to predefined criteria. The other options are not benefits of Manual NAT over Automatic NAT. References: : Check Point Software, Getting Started, NAT Rule Base.

The Hit Count feature allows tracking the number of connections that each rule matches, regardless of the Track option set for the rule. When you enable Hit Count, the Security Management Server collects the data from supported Security Gateways and displays it in SmartConsole. You can use the Hit Count feature to optimize your rule base by identifying unused or rarely used rules, or rules that match too many connections. 

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

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

The command cphaprob all show stat is not related to redundancy and functions. This command does not exist in ClusterXL or VRRP. The other commands are valid commands for checking the status of cluster members, interfaces, and synchronization. ClusterXL and VRRP are both high availability solutions that provide redundancy and load balancing for Check Point gateways. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, ClusterXL Administration Guide, VRRP Administration Guide

The correct answer is A. SecurelD.

SecurelD is an authentication method that uses a token-based system to generate one-time passwords (OTPs) for users. Users need to have a physical or software token that displays a code that changes periodically. The code is used along with a personal identification number (PIN) to authenticate the user.

DynamiclD is another authentication method that uses OTPs, but it does not require a token. Instead, it sends the OTP to the user’s email or phone number.

Radius and TACACS are protocols that allow remote authentication of users through a centralized server. They do not use tokens, but they can support different types of authentication methods, such as passwords, certificates, or OTPs.

References:

• Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview1
• What Is Token-Based Authentication? | Okta2

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

The best way to make sure that the old logs will be available after updating the Management to version R81.20 using the Advanced Upgrade Method is to use the migrate_server tool with the option ‘-l’ for the logs and ‘-x’ for the index. This option will export both logs and index files from an existing Security Management Server or Multi-Domain Server to a specified directory or file. The exported data can then be imported to a new server using a similar command with ‘-i’ option. References: [Check Point R81 Installation and Upgrade Guide]

 The recommended configuration when the customer requires SmartLog indexing for 14 days and SmartEvent to keep events for 180 days is to install Management and SmartEvent on different machines. This is because SmartLog and SmartEvent use different databases and storage methods, and having them on separate machines allows for better performance and scalability. References: [SmartLog Administration Guide]

Check Point Management uses MongoDB as its back-end database. MongoDB is a NoSQL database that offers high performance, high availability, and easy scalability, which are essential for managing the complex and dynamic nature of network security configurations and logs.

 The correct syntax to add a new host named “emailserver1” with IP address 10.50.23.90 using GAiA Management CLI is mgmt_cli add host name "emailserver1" ip-address 10.50.23.90. The name and ip-address parameters are required and must be enclosed in double quotes. The other options are missing the double quotes or have incorrect parameter names1. References: 1: Check Point Software, Getting Started, Adding a Host.

Automation and Orchestration differ in that automation relates to codifying tasks, whereas orchestration relates to codifying processes. Automation is the process of converting manual tasks into executable scripts or programs that can be run by machines or software agents. Orchestration is the process of coordinating multiple automated tasks into a coherent workflow that achieves a desired outcome or goal. Orchestration can also involve integrating different systems, tools, and services through web service interactions such as XML and JSON. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Automation & Orchestration Administration Guide

Management Data Plane Separation (MDPS) is a feature that allows the separation of the management plane and the data plane on a Security Gateway or a cluster. The management plane is responsible for accessing, provisioning and monitoring the Security Gateway, while the data plane is responsible for all other network traffic and processing. Each network environment is independent and includes interfaces, routes, sockets, and processes1. References: Check Point R81 Administration Guide

In a Cpinfo (Checkpoint information) command, various information is collected from a Security Gateway. However, firewall logs are NOT collected from a Security Gateway in a Cpinfo.

A. Firewall logs

The Cpinfo command typically collects information such as configuration and database files, system message logs, OS and network statistics, but it does not include firewall logs. Firewall logs are usually obtained separately using other methods or tools.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 Study Guide, Check Point documentation on Cpinfo.

 How many users can have read/write access in Gaia at one time? Only one user can have read/write access in Gaia at one time. This is to prevent conflicts and inconsistencies in the configuration changes made by different users. If another user tries to login with read/write access while a user is already logged in, they will receive a warning message and will be given the option to either login with read-only access or force the other user to logout. References: [Gaia Administration Guide R81], page 15.

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) operates over different ports, with each serving a specific purpose. Port 389 is the default port for unsecured LDAP connections or LDAP with StartTLS, which upgrades the connection to use TLS (Transport Layer Security) for encryption. On the other hand, port 636 is used for LDAP over SSL/TLS, often referred to as LDAPS (LDAP Secure), where communication is encrypted from the start of the connection1.

References:

• LDAP Ports Explained: Configuring Standard, StartTLS, and LDAPS Connections
• Red Hat Directory Server documentation on changing LDAP and LDAPS port numbers
• Oracle documentation on Directory Server and Directory Proxy Server LDAP and LDAPS Port Numbers
• ServerFault discussion on LDAP server authentication ports

CoreXL is supported when one of the following features is enabled: IPS. CoreXL does not support Check Point Suite with these features: Route-based VPN, IPv6, Overlapping NAT, QoS, Content Awareness, Application Control, URL Filtering, Identity Awareness, HTTPS Inspection, DLP, Anti-Bot, Anti-Virus, Threat Emulation. References: CoreXL

 The statement that could not be a reason for synchronization issues in a Management HA environment is that the products installed on the servers do not match: one device is a Standalone Server while the other is only a Security Management server. This is not a valid reason because Management HA requires that both servers have the same products installed, either both as Standalone Servers or both as Security Management servers. The other statements are possible reasons for synchronization issues in a Management HA environment. References: [Check Point Security Expert R81 High Availability Administration Guide], page 11.

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

References:

 The CPM process handles connection from SmartConsole R81. The CPM process is the main process of the Security Management Server and the Multi-Domain Security Management Server. It is responsible for managing the database, handling policy installation, communicating with SmartConsole clients, and providing REST API services. The CPM process runs on port 19009 and uses the CPD process as a proxy for communication with other processes.

References:

• Check Point Processes and Daemons, section “CPM”
• Check Point R81, section “SmartConsole”
• Check Point R81.20, section “REST API”

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

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

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

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

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

References: Check Point R81 Release Notes, page 6

The command to identify the NIC driver before considering about the employment of the Multi-Queue feature is ethtool -i eth0, where eth0 is the name of the network interface. This command displays the information about the driver and firmware version of the NIC, as well as other details such as bus-info and supported features1. The Multi-Queue feature requires a NIC driver that supports multiple transmit and receive queues2.

References: : ethtool(8) - Linux man page : How To Configure Multi-Queue NICs | Linode Docs

High alert is not an alert option in Check Point. Alert options are ways to notify the administrator or other parties when a security event occurs. The available alert options are SNMP, Mail, User defined alert, Log, Popup alert, and User alert. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, Check Point Resource Library

 In ClusterXL Load Sharing Multicast Mode, every member of the cluster receives all of the packets sent to the cluster IP address. This mode uses multicast MAC addresses to distribute packets to all cluster members. Each member decides whether to accept or reject the packet based on a load balancing algorithm. This mode provides better performance and scalability than Unicast mode, but requires a switch that supports multicast MAC addresses. 

 The Logs and Monitor tab is used to monitor network and security performance in SmartConsole. The Logs and Monitor tab lets you view and analyze logs, events, reports, and alerts from various sources, such as Security Gateways, Security Management Servers, Endpoint Security Servers, and SmartEvent Servers. You can also use the Logs and Monitor tab to create custom views, filters, queries, and charts to display the data that is relevant to your needs12.

References: 1: Check Point R81 Security Administration Guide - Check Point Software, page 23 2: Check Point R81 SmartConsole User Guide - Check Point Software, page 9

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

The Correlation Unit in SmartEvent architecture has the function of analyzing each log entry as it arrives at the log server according to the Event Policy. When it identifies a threat pattern, it forwards an event to the SmartEvent Server. This is an essential function in threat detection and analysis, as it helps in identifying and alerting about security threats based on the configured policies.

Option A correctly describes the function of the Correlation Unit, making it the verified answer.

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

According to the Check Point R81 training course, the Proxy ARP feature for Manual NAT in R81.20 requires the configuration of the local.arp file on the Security Gateway. This file contains the mapping of IP addresses to MAC addresses for NATed hosts. The other options are either incorrect or irrelevant. References: Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview

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

SmartView is a web-based application that allows you to view and analyze logs, reports, and events from multiple Check Point products. You can access SmartView by using the following URL:

You need to use HTTPS protocol and the default port 443. You also need to enter the IP address of the Security Management Server that hosts the SmartView application. You cannot use the host name of the Security Management Server or a different port number. References: SmartView R81 Administration Guide

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

References:

SecureXL Templating is a feature that accelerates the processing of packets that belong to the same connection or session by creating a template for the first packet and applying it to the subsequent packets. SecureXL Templating is precluded by factors that prevent the creation of a template, such as source port ranges, encrypted connections, NAT, QoS, etc. References: SecureXL Mechanism

 The most ideal Synchronization Status for Security Management Server High Availability deployment is Synchronized. Security Management Server High Availability deployment is a feature that allows two or more Security Management Servers to provide redundancy and load balancing for managing security policies and logs. Synchronization Status is a parameter that indicates how up-to-date the databases of the Security Management Servers are with each other. Synchronization Status can have one of the following values: Synchronized, Lagging, Never been synchronized, or Collision. Synchronized means that the databases of all Security Management Servers are identical and have no conflicts. This is the most ideal status as it ensures consistency and reliability of security management. Lagging means that one or more Security Management Servers have not received all the updates from other Security Management Servers, and their databases are outdated. Never been synchronized means that one or more Security Management Servers have never synchronized their databases with other Security Management Servers, and their databases are independent. Collision means that one or more Security Management Servers have received conflicting updates from other Security Management Servers, and their databases have discrepancies. 

The CPD daemon is a Firewall Kernel Process that does not pull application monitoring status. The CPD daemon is responsible for Secure Internal Communication (SIC), restarting daemons if they fail, transferring messages between Firewall processes, and managing policy installation. References: CPD process

When requiring certificates for mobile devices, the authentication method should be set to one of the following:

Username and Password

RADIUS

SecurID (RSA SecurID)

So, the correct answer is option B, "SecurID."

Options A, C, and D are not standard authentication methods for mobile devices in this context.

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

 SmartEvent automatically defines events based on IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) alerts. IPS is a feature that detects and prevents malicious network traffic based on predefined or custom signatures. IPS alerts are generated when IPS detects an attack or an anomaly that matches a signature. SmartEvent collects and correlates IPS alerts from different gateways and displays them as events in SmartEventWeb. The other options are not automatically defined as events by SmartEvent. 

References:

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

The SmartEvent component that creates events is the Correlation Unit, which is responsible for correlating and analyzing security events to identify patterns and potential threats.

Option A, "Consolidation Policy," does not create events but is used to configure policies for event consolidation.

Option C, "SmartEvent Policy," is not responsible for creating events but is used to configure policies related to SmartEvent.

Option D, "SmartEvent GUI," is the graphical user interface for managing SmartEvent but does not create events itself.

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

The fwaccel stat command displays the status of SecureXL, and its enabled templates and features. The other commands are either incorrect or incomplete. References: [SecureXL Commands]

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

A star community is a VPN topology where one or more satellites connect to a center gateway. The center gateway can be a Security Gateway or a Security Management Server. The VPN routing option determines how the traffic is routed between the satellites and the center, and between the satellites themselves. There are three VPN routing options available in a star community12:

• To center only: The satellites can only communicate with the center gateway, and not with each other or with any other VPN targets. This option is useful for remote access clients that only need to access resources on the center gateway.
• To center, or through the center to other satellites, to Internet and other VPN targets: The satellites can communicate with the center gateway, and also with other satellites, Internet hosts, and other VPN targets through the center gateway. This option is useful for branch offices that need to access resources on the center gateway, as well as on other branch offices, Internet hosts, and other VPN targets.
• To center and to other satellites through center: The satellites can communicate with the center gateway, and also with other satellites through the center gateway. However, they cannot communicate with Internet hosts or other VPN targets. This option is useful for branch offices that need to access resources on the center gateway and on other branch offices, but not on Internet hosts or other VPN targets.

Therefore, the options A (To satellites through center only) and D (To center only) are not valid VPN routing options in a star community.

References: 1: Remote Access VPN R81.20 Administration Guide - Check Point Software, page 13 2: Gaia R81.20 Administration Guide - Check Point Software, page 1030

 According to the Check Point website, Vanessa needs to fill in the following details in the System Restore window before she can click OK button and test the backup: Server, Protocol, Username, Password, Path, Comment, All Members. These details specify the source and destination of the backup file, as well as the scope of the restore operation. The other options are either missing or incorrect details. References: System Restore

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

According to the Check Point website, Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace both offer secured connection for remote users who are using their mobile devices. However, there are differences between the two. For credential protection, Connect uses One-time Password login support and has no SSO support, whereas Workspace offers both One-Time Password and certain SSO login support. The other statements are either false or partially true. References: Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace

The CLI command to reset the IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) pattern matcher statistics is option D: ips pmstats reset. This command will reset the statistics related to the IPS pattern matcher.

Options A, B, and C are not the correct syntax for resetting the IPS pattern matcher statistics.

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

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

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

Sticky Decision Function (SDF) is a feature that ensures that VPN traffic is handled by the same core on a Security Gateway with multiple CPU cores. This improves the performance and stability of VPN tunnels by avoiding out-of-order packets and reducing encryption overhead. However, the limitation of employing SDF is that acceleration technologies, such as SecureXL and CoreXL are disabled when activating SDF. This means that SDF may reduce the overall throughput and scalability of the Security Gateway. Therefore, SDF should be used only when necessary and only on gateways that are dedicated to VPN traffic. References: R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide

The formats in which Threat Emulation forensics reports can be viewed in are PDF, HTML, and XML. Threat Emulation is a feature that detects and prevents zero-day attacks by emulating files in a sandbox environment and analyzing their behavior. Threat Emulation generates forensics reports that provide detailed information about the emulated files, such as verdict, severity, activity summary, screenshots, network activity, registry activity, file activity, and process activity. These reports can be viewed in PDF, HTML, or XML formats from SmartConsole or SmartView.

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

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

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

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

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

 For packets that do not pass Firewall Kernel Inspection and are rejected by the rule definition, packets are dropped with logs and without sending a negative acknowledgment. Firewall Kernel Inspection is the process of applying security policies and rules to network traffic by the Firewall kernel module. If a packet does not match any rule or matches a rule with an action of Drop or Reject, the packet is dropped by the Firewall kernel module. The difference between Drop and Reject is that Drop silently discards the packet without informing the sender, while Reject discards the packet and sends a negative acknowledgment (such as an ICMP message) to the sender. However, both Drop and Reject actions generate logs that record the details of the dropped packets, such as source, destination, protocol, port, rule number, etc. The other options are either incorrect or describe different scenarios.

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

With SecureXL enabled, accelerated packets will pass through the following: Network Interface Card and the Acceleration Device. SecureXL is a technology that accelerates network traffic processing by offloading intensive operations from the Firewall kernel to a dedicated SecureXL device. Accelerated packets are packets that match certain criteria and can be handled by SecureXL without involving the Firewall kernel. These packets bypass the OSI Network Layer, OS IP Stack, and Check Point Firewall Kernel, and are processed directly by the Network Interface Card and the Acceleration Device. The other options are either incorrect or describe non-accelerated packets. 

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

The tool that is used to enable ClusterXL is cpconfig. ClusterXL is a software-based Load Sharing and High Availability solution that distributes network traffic between clusters of redundant Security Gateways1. ClusterXL can be enabled on Check Point Security Gateways running on Gaia OS, SecurePlatform OS, IPSO OS, or X-Series XOS2.

To enable ClusterXL, the administrator must run the cpconfig command on each cluster member and select the option to enable ClusterXL. This will prompt the administrator to choose the ClusterXL mode (High Availability or Load Sharing) and the Cluster Control Protocol (CCP) mode (Broadcast or Multicast). After enabling ClusterXL, the administrator must reboot the cluster members for the changes to take effect34.

Therefore, the correct answer is B. The tool that is used to enable ClusterXL is cpconfig.

References:

• 1, Introduction to ClusterXL - Check Point Software
• 2, ClusterXL Requirements and Compatibility - Check Point Software
• 3, Configuring ClusterXL - Check Point Software
• 4, How to configure ClusterXL - Check Point Software Technologies

The proxy ARP configuration is stored under the following file:

D. $FWDIR/conf/local.arp on the gateway

This file, local.arp, contains the proxy ARP configuration for the Security Gateway. It is used to configure ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) settings for network communication.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 Study Guide, Check Point documentation on proxy ARP.

The software blade package that uses CPU-level and OS-level sandboxing in order to detect and block malware is the Next Generation Threat Emulation. This package is part of the Check Point SandBlast Zero-Day Protection solution, which protects organizations against unknown malware, zero-day threats and targeted attacks, and prevents infections from undiscovered exploits1.

CPU-level and OS-level sandboxing are two techniques that Check Point uses to analyze files and objects for malicious behavior. CPU-level inspection is a unique technology that detects malware at the pre-infection stage by examining the CPU instructions that the file executes. This allows Check Point to identify and block malware that tries to evade detection by using obfuscation, encryption, or polymorphism12.

OS-level sandboxing is a complementary technology that runs files and objects in a virtualized environment and monitors their behavior for malicious indicators. This allows Check Point to detect and block malware that tries to exploit vulnerabilities in the operating system or applications, or that performs malicious actions such as downloading additional payloads, modifying system settings, or communicating with command and control servers12.

Therefore, the correct answer is B. The Next Generation Threat Emulation software blade package uses CPU-level and OS-level sandboxing in order to detect and block malware.

References:

• 1, Understanding SandBlast - Check Point Software Technologies
• 2, HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR NEXT SANDBOXING SOLUTION - Check Point Software
• 3, CHECK POINT + SERVICENOW
• 4, Check Point Quantum Edge Datasheet

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

 According to the Check Point R81 release notes, you can access the ThreatCloud Repository from R81.20 SmartConsole and Threat Prevention. The ThreatCloud Repository is a cloud-based service that provides real-time threat intelligence and updates to Check Point products. The other options are either outdated or nonexistent. References: Check Point R81

 DES (Data Encryption Standard) is a symmetric block cipher that uses a 56-bit key to encrypt and decrypt 64-bit blocks of data. It was developed by IBM in 1975 and adopted by the US government as a standard for encryption. However, DES has been proven to be insecure and vulnerable to various attacks, such as brute force, differential cryptanalysis, and linear cryptanalysis. A brute force attack can break DES in a matter of hours using modern hardware. Differential cryptanalysis can reduce the number of keys to be searched by a factor of four, and linear cryptanalysis can reduce it by a factor of two. Therefore, DES is the least secure encryption algorithm among the options given.

References: Types of Encryption, Secure Organization’s Data With These Encryption Algorithms, Comparative study of symmetric cryptographic algorithms

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

• Use an automated script to perform common tasks

• Integrate Check Point products with 3rd party solutions

• Create products that use and enhance the Check Point solution

References:

 A best practice before starting to troubleshoot using the fw monitor tool is to disable SecureXL. SecureXL is a performance acceleration solution that optimizes the packet flow through the Security Gateway. However, SecureXL can also bypass some inspection points and cause some packets to be invisible to fw monitor. Therefore, disabling SecureXL can ensure that fw monitor captures all the relevant packets for troubleshooting purposes. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, fw monitor, SecureXL

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

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

References: 1: AppWiki | Check Point Software

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

 To add the company logo to reports, you would save the logo as a PNG file with the name ‘cover-company-logo.png’ and then copy that image file to the $RTDIR/smartview/conf directory on the SmartEvent server. The $RTDIR is an environment variable that points to the runtime directory of the SmartEvent server, which is usually /opt/CPrt-R81. The smartview/conf directory contains the configuration files for SmartView, which is a web-based interface for viewing reports and dashboards generated by SmartEvent. References: SmartEvent Administration Guide, SK120193 - How to add a company logo to SmartView reports

Ken can use either of the two commands lock database override or unlock database to obtain a configuration lock from another administrator on R81 Security Management Server via CLI. These commands allow him to override the existing lock and gain exclusive access to the database. He can also use the WebUI to perform the same action. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, New Courses and Certificates for R81.20 - Check Point CheckMates

 According to the Check Point website, SmartEvent Maps is a feature that was supported in previous versions of SmartEvent, but is not supported in R81. SmartEvent Maps displayed a graphical representation of security events on a world map. The other options are either supported or not valid features in R81. References: SmartEvent Maps

The true statement about the API server on R81.20 is: By default, the API server is active on management servers with 4 GB of RAM (or more) and on stand-alone servers with 8GB of RAM (or more). The API server is a web service that allows external applications to interact with the Check Point management server using standard methods such as HTTP(S) requests and JSON objects. The API server is enabled by default on R81.20 management servers that have at least 4 GB of RAM, and on stand-alone servers that have at least 8 GB of RAM. The API server can also be manually enabled or disabled from the WebUI or the CLI. 

Nothing needs to be done to get SIC to work if there is a Geo-Protection policy blocking Australia and a network requires a Check Point Firewall to be installed in Sydney, Australia. SIC stands for Secure Internal Communication, and it is a mechanism that ensures secure and authenticated communication between Check Point components by using certificates issued by an internal Certificate Authority (ICA). SIC is not affected by Geo-Protection policy, which is a feature that allows administrators to block or allow traffic based on the geographic location of the source or destination IP address. Geo-Protection policy only applies to data traffic, not control traffic, and SIC uses control traffic to establish trust between Check Point components. 

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

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

The port that the CPM process runs on is TCP 19009. CPM stands for Check Point Management, and it is the main process that runs on the Security Management Server and interacts with SmartConsole clients. CPM is responsible for managing policies, objects, logs, tasks, and other management functions. CPM listens on TCP port 19009 for incoming connections from SmartConsole clients. The other ports are either used by other processes or not related to CPM. 

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

The path to monitor the compliance status of the Check Point R81.20 based management is Logs & Monitor > New Tab > Open compliance View. Compliance View is a feature that allows administrators to monitor and assess the compliance level of their Check Point products and security policies based on best practices and industry standards. Compliance View provides a dashboard that shows the overall compliance status, compliance score, compliance trends, compliance issues, compliance reports, and compliance blades for different security aspects, such as data protection, threat prevention, identity awareness, etc. To access Compliance View in R81.20 SmartConsole, administrators need to go to Logs & Monitor > New Tab > Open compliance View. The other options are either incorrect or not available in R81.20.

VPN Link Selection is a feature that allows the Security Gateway to select the best link for each VPN tunnel based on the network topology and the Link Selection configuration1. When the primary VPN link goes down, the Firewall can update the Link Selection entries to start using a different link for the same tunnel, as long as the remote peer supports this feature and has multiple IP addresses configured2. This way, the VPN tunnel can be maintained without interruption or renegotiation. The other options are not correct because:

Firewall

• A. The Firewall will not drop the packets, but will try to send them over another link if possible.

Firewall

• C. The Firewall will not send out the packet on all interfaces, but will use the routing table to determine the best interface for each destination.

Firewall

• D. The Firewall will not inform the client that the tunnel is down, but will try to keep the tunnel up by switching to another link.

References: IPSec VPN - Link Selection, Outgoing VPN Link Selection on a gateway with multiple external interfaces

 The key C is used to save the current CPView page in a filename format cpview_“cpview process ID”.cap"number of captures". This is a feature of CPView that allows the user to capture the current page for later analysis or troubleshooting. The file is saved in the /var/log directory on the Security Gateway. References: Check Point Resource Library, page 3.

According to the Check Point website, GAiA Software update packages can be imported and installed offline in situation where the Security Gateway with GAiA does not have access to Internet. This allows you to manually download the packages from another device and transfer them to the Security Gateway using a USB drive or other media. The other situations are either not relevant or not possible. References: Offline Software Updates

 One of the requirements for Joey’s success in upgrading from R75.40 to R81 version of Security management using Advanced Upgrade with Database Migration method is that the size of the /var/log folder of the target machine must be at least 25% of the size of the /var/log directory on the source machine. Advanced Upgrade with Database Migration method is a procedure that allows administrators to upgrade their Security Management Server to a newer version by migrating their database from an older version to a new machine with a fresh installation of the newer version. One of the steps in this procedure is to copy the /var/log folder from the source machine to the target machine, which contains important log files and configuration files. To ensure that there is enough disk space on the target machine for this operation, it is required that the size of the /var/log folder on the target machine must be at least 25% of the size of the /var/log folder on the source machine. 

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

 Application Control is the software blade that provides Application Security and identity control. It allows administrators to define granular policies based on users or groups to identify, block or limit the usage of web applications and widgets. Application Control also integrates with Identity Awareness to provide user-level visibility and control. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, Check Point Resource Library

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

According to the Check Point Resource Library, the minimum amount of RAM needed for a Threat Prevention Appliance is 4 GB. This applies to both physical and virtual appliances. The other options are either incorrect or irrelevant. References: Check Point Resource Library

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

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

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

 The attributes that SecureXL will check after the connection is allowed by Security Policy are Source address, Destination address, Source port, Destination port, Protocol. These are the five tuple parameters that define a connection and are used by SecureXL to accelerate the traffic. The other options are either missing some of the parameters or include irrelevant ones, such as MAC addresses1. References: Check Point R81 SecureXL Administration Guide

Running the command fw unloadlocal on the Security Management Server will remove the installed Security Policy from the local firewall module. This command is useful for troubleshooting purposes when there is a problem with the policy installation or enforcement. However, it will also expose the Security Management Server to potential attacks, so it should be used with caution. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, R81 CCSA & CCSE exams released featuring Promo for… - Check Point …

 To set the IP address and default gateway of the Management interface on a Check Point appliance, you can use the following commands:

• set interface Mgmt ipv4-address 192.168.80.200 mask-length 24 - This command sets the IPv4 address of the Management interface to 192.168.80.200 and the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 (24 bits).
• set static-route default nexthop gateway address 192.168.80.1 on - This command sets the default gateway to 192.168.80.1 and enables the static route.
• save config - This command saves the configuration changes to the appliance.

These commands are documented in the Check Point appliance initial installation guide, which you can find in the web search results.

The other options are incorrect because they use invalid syntax or parameters for the commands. For example, option B uses add static-route instead of set static-route, option C uses 0.0.0.0. instead of 0.0.0.0, and option D uses add static-route default instead of set static-route default.

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

The “fw monitor” tool can be best used to troubleshoot network traffic issues. Fw monitor is a tool that allows administrators to capture packets at different inspection points in the Firewall kernel, and apply filters and flags to analyze the traffic. Fw monitor can help troubleshoot network connectivity problems, packet drops, NAT issues, VPN issues, and more. The other options are either not related or less suitable for fw monitor.

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

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

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

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

In the context of Check Point remote access clients and Office Mode, the correct answer is:

A. SecuRemote: SecuRemote is a Check Point remote access client that does not provide an Office-Mode Address. Office Mode is a feature that assigns a unique IP address from a designated IP pool to remote users when they connect to the corporate network. SecuRemote does not support this feature.

B. Endpoint Security Suite, C. Endpoint Security VPN, and D. Check Point Mobile are remote access clients that support Office Mode and can provide an Office-Mode Address to remote users.

Therefore, option A is the correct answer as it correctly identifies a remote access client that does not provide an Office-Mode Address.

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