C1000-156 IBM Security QRadar SIEM V7.5 Administration Questions and Answers

The Report wizard in IBM QRadar SIEM provides a structured approach to designing, scheduling, and generating reports. The three key elements used by the Report wizard to help you create a report are:

Content: This element involves selecting the specific data and metrics you want to include in the report. It can include various log sources, events, and other relevant security data.

Format: This element defines how the data will be presented in the report. It includes selecting the type of report (e.g., tabular, graphical) and the specific visualizations that will best represent the data.

Layout: This element refers to the overall structure and design of the report, including the arrangement of content and visual elements to ensure the report is easily readable and professionally formatted.

These elements together ensure that the reports generated are comprehensive, visually appealing, and tailored to the specific needs of the organization.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM documentation

TACACS (Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System) authentication is a protocol used in IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5 for authenticating users by forwarding their credentials to an external server. Here’s how it works:

Encryption: TACACS encrypts the entire payload of the authentication packet, including the username and password, ensuring secure transmission.

Forwarding Credentials: After encryption, the credentials are forwarded to an external TACACS server, which performs the actual authentication.

Authentication Process: The external server checks the credentials against its database and sends a response back to QRadar indicating whether the authentication is successful or not.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM documentation explains TACACS authentication in detail, highlighting its secure encryption and external server verification process.

The primary site for downloading software updates for IBM QRadar is IBM Fix Central. Here’s how it works:

IBM Fix Central: A centralized platform for downloading fixes, updates, and patches for IBM software products.

Accessing Updates: Administrators can log in to IBM Fix Central, select QRadar from the list of products, and download the necessary updates.

Regular Updates: Keeping QRadar updated with the latest fixes and patches ensures optimal performance and security.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM documentation and support resources direct users to IBM Fix Central for downloading and applying software updates.

The QRadar Threat Intelligence app uses open standards to integrate and utilize threat intelligence feeds effectively. The two key standards used are:

TAXII (Trusted Automated eXchange of Indicator Information): This is an application layer protocol used for exchanging cyber threat intelligence over HTTPS. It enables the sharing of threat information across different systems and organizations.

STIX (Structured Threat Information eXpression): This is a standardized language used for representing structured cyber threat information. STIX enables the consistent and machine-readable representation of threat data, facilitating the integration and analysis of threat intelligence.

These standards ensure that threat intelligence data is formatted and exchanged in a consistent and interoperable manner, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the threat intelligence processes in QRadar.

ReferencesThe IBM QRadar SIEM documentation and threat intelligence app configuration guides describe the use of TAXII and STIX for integrating threat intelligence feeds.

When configuring a log source in IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5, the protocols used to receive data into the event ingress component are critical for ensuring proper data collection and analysis. The main protocols that are supported for this purpose are:

Syslog: A widely used protocol for message logging, supported by many network devices and servers.

HTTP Receiver: Allows QRadar to receive logs via HTTP POST requests, enabling integration with various web services and applications.

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol): Used for collecting and organizing information about managed devices on IP networks and for modifying that information to change device behavior.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM documentation and product guides confirm that these are the supported protocols for receiving data into the event ingress component. The specific details on protocol support can be found in the QRadar SIEM administration and configuration manuals.

When exporting a list of events to a CSV file in IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5, the default columns included in the search result typically are:

Log Source: The origin of the log data.

Event Count: The number of events.

High Level Category: The broad classification of the event.

Related Offense: The associated offense ID or description.

These columns provide a comprehensive overview of the events, helping analysts quickly understand the context and significance of the data.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM documentation provides details on the default columns included in search results and their significance in event analysis.

When the error "Insufficient disk space to complete data export request" is encountered, and the Export Directory property in the System Settings has the default configuration, the disk partition that needs to be checked is/store/ariel/events/exports. This directory is typically used for exporting event data in QRadar SIEM. The error indicates that the available disk space in this partition is insufficient to handle the export operation. Administrators should check the storage usage of this partition and manage the space by either cleaning up unnecessary files or expanding the storage capacity.

ReferencesQRadar SIEM V7.5 Administration Guide - Chapter on System Notifications and Disk Management

In QRadar SIEM V7.5, the number of vulnerability processors is limited to 1.

These vulnerability processors are responsible for handling and processing vulnerability data within the system.

Having multiple vulnerability processors is not supported in this version of QRadar.

References:

IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5 Administration documentation.

To include geographic data updates from MaxMind in IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5, the following two pieces of information from the MaxMind account are required:

API Key: This key is used to authenticate and authorize access to the MaxMind services, ensuring that QRadar can request and receive geographic data updates.

License Key: This key is associated with the MaxMind account and allows QRadar to utilize the licensed geographic data for enhanced location-based analysis.

These keys ensure that the data integration is secure and that the usage complies with MaxMind's licensing agreements.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM documentation specifies the API key and license key as necessary credentials for integrating MaxMind geographic data, detailed in the setup and configuration sections.

To get a list of installed applications and their App-ID values in IBM QRadar SIEM, the administrator can run the following command:

Command:/opt/qradar/support/deployment_info.sh

Function: This command outputs detailed information about the current deployment, including a list of all installed applications and their associated App-ID values.

Usage: The administrator executes this command in the terminal, and the information is displayed on the screen.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM V7.5 administration guides include this command as a standard tool for retrieving deployment information, including details about installed applications and their IDs.

The primary method used by IBM QRadar to install and manage applications created using the GUI Application Framework Software Development Kit (SDK) is through the REST API interface:

API Endpoint:/api/gui_app_framework

Functionality: This endpoint allows administrators to manage the lifecycle of applications, including installation, updates, and removal.

Integration: Provides seamless integration with the GUI Application Framework, enabling the development and deployment of custom applications within QRadar.

ReferencesThe IBM QRadar API documentation provides details on the/api/gui_app_frameworkendpoint and its usage for managing GUI applications.

IBM QRadar SIEM supports various types of custom property expressions to allow users to extract and parse data from logs in flexible and powerful ways. Among the supported custom property expression types, Regex, JSON, and LEEF are frequently utilized:

Regex (Regular Expressions): Regular expressions are a powerful tool used for pattern matching and extraction in text. In QRadar, regex can be used to create custom properties that parse specific patterns from log data, allowing for detailed and precise data extraction.

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): JSON is a widely used data interchange format that is lightweight and easy to read and write. QRadar supports JSON expressions to parse and extract structured data from logs formatted in JSON.

LEEF (Log Event Extended Format): LEEF is a log format used by various devices to structure log data in a consistent manner. QRadar can utilize LEEF expressions to extract data from logs that use this format.

These types of expressions enhance QRadar's ability to handle diverse log formats and enable more accurate and efficient data analysis.

ReferencesIBM Security QRadar SIEM and IBM Security QRadar EDR integration.pdf​

Therecon connectcommand in IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5 allows administrators to run a specific command inside a specific container, given an app ID or a combination of workload, service, and container. Here’s how it works:

Command:recon connect

Function: This command connects to a specified container and allows the execution of commands within that container.

Usage: Administrators use this command to manage and troubleshoot applications running in isolated environments (containers) within QRadar.

ReferencesThe QRadar administration and support guides detail the usage of therecon connectcommand for managing containerized applications.

When creating an identity exclusion search in IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5, the time range selected is "Real time (streaming)." This setting ensures that the search continuously monitors and excludes identities in real-time as data is ingested. Here’s the process:

Real-time Monitoring: Continuously updates the search results based on incoming data, providing immediate exclusion of specified identities.

Streaming Data: Processes data in a live stream, ensuring that the exclusion criteria are applied instantaneously as new events occur.

ReferencesThe setup and configuration of identity exclusion searches are detailed in the QRadar SIEM administration guides, highlighting the importance of real-time streaming for effective identity management.

IBM QRadar SIEM V7.5 provides several types of resource restriction mechanisms to manage access control and data visibility. The three main types are:

Role-based restrictions: These restrictions limit what actions users can perform based on their assigned roles. Each role has specific permissions that dictate access to different functionalities and data within QRadar.

Tenant-based restrictions: This type of restriction is used in multi-tenant environments, where different tenants (organizational units) need to have isolated views and access to their data. Tenant-based restrictions ensure that users from one tenant cannot access data from another tenant.

Domain-based restrictions: Domains in QRadar are used to segment data logically. Domain-based restrictions control which data is visible to users based on the domains they have been granted access to.

These restriction types ensure that access control is granular and adheres to organizational security policies.

ReferencesIBM QRadar SIEM documentation outlines the use of role-based, tenant-based, and domain-based restrictions for managing access control and data visibility.