SECOPS - Implementing Cisco Cybersecurity Operations v1.0 Course Details:

Today's organizations are challenged with rapidly detecting cybersecurity breaches and effectively responding to security incidents. Teams of people in Security Operations Centers (SOC’s) keep a vigilant eye on security systems, protecting their organizations by detecting and responding to cybersecurity threats. CCNA Cyber Ops prepares candidates to begin a career working with associate-level cybersecurity analysts within security operations centers.

This course allows learners to understand how a Security Operations Center (SOC) functions and the introductory-level skills and knowledge needed in this environment. It focuses on the introductory-level skills needed for a SOC Analyst at the associate level. Specifically, understanding basic threat analysis, event correlation, identifying malicious activity, and how to use a playbook for incident response.

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Module 1: SOC Overview
Objective: Describe the three common Security Operations Center types, the different tools used by the SOC analysts, the different job roles within the Security Operations Center, and incident analysis within a threat-centric Security Operations Center.

Lesson 1: Defining the Security Operations Center
Objective: Explain how a SOC operates and describes the different types of services that are performed from a Tier 1 SOC analyst’s perspective.

  • Types of Security Operations Centers
    • Objective: Explain the different types of SOCs (Threat-Centric, Compliance-Based, Operational-Based).
  • SOC Analyst Tools
    • Objective: Describe at a high-level, the types of network security monitoring tools typically used within a SOC.
  • Data Analytics
    • Objective: Explain the purpose of data analytics, and using log mining, packet captures, and rule-based alerts for incident investigations.
  • Hybrid Installations: Automated Reports, Anomaly Alerts
    • Objective: Describe at a high level, the use of automation within the SOC.
  • Proper Staffing Necessary for an Effective Incident Response Team
    • Objective: Describe the proper staffing necessary for implementing an effective incident response team.
  • Roles in a Security Operations Center
    • Objective: Describe the different job roles within a typical SOC.
  • Develop Key Relationships with External Resources
    • Objective: List the external resources a typical SOC needs to establish a relationship with.
  • Challenge

Lesson 2: Understanding NSM Tools and Data
Objective: Explain the network security monitoring tools and data available to the network security analyst.

  • Introduction
  • NSM Tools
    • Objective: Describe the three types of network security monitoring tools used within the SOC (commercial, open source, or homegrown).
  • NSM Data
    • Objective: Describe the different types of network security monitoring data (session data, full packet capture, transaction data, alert data, and statistical data).
  • Security Onion
    • Objective: Explain at a high level, the use of Security Onion as a network security monitoring tool.
  • Full Packet Capture
    • Objective: Explain packet capture data is stored in the PCAP format, and the storage requirements for full packet capture.
  • Session Data
    • Objective: Describe session data content, and provide an example of session data.
  • Transaction Data
    • Objective: Describe transaction data content, and provide an example of transaction data.
  • Alert Data
    • Objective: Describe alert data content, and provide an example of alert data.
  • Other NSM Data Types
    • Objective: Describe the other types of network security monitoring data (extracted content, statistical data, and metadata).
  • Correlating NSM Data
    • Objective: Explain the need to correlate network security monitoring data, and provide an example.

Lesson 3: Understanding Incident Analysis in a Threat-Centric SOC
Objective: Understand the kill chain and the diamond models for incident investigations, and the use of exploit kits by the threat actors.

  • Classic Kill Chain Model Overview
    • Objective: Describe using the classic kill chain model to perform network security incident analysis.
  • Kill Chain Phase 1: Reconnaissance
    • Objective: Describe the reconnaissance phase of the classic kill chain model.
  • Kill Chain Phase 2: Weaponization
    • Objective: Describe the weaponization phase of the classic kill chain model.
  • Kill Chain Phase 3: Delivery
    • Objective: Describe the delivery phase of the classic kill chain model.
  • Kill Chain Phase 4: Exploitation
    • Objective: Describe the exploitation phase of the classic kill chain model.
  • Kill Chain Phase 5: Installation
    • Objective: Describe the installation phase of the classic kill chain model.
  • Kill Chain Phase 6: Command-and-Control
    • Objective: Describe the command-and-control phase of the classic kill chain model.
  • Kill Chain Phase 7: Actions on Objectives
    • Objective: Describe the actions on objectives phase of the classic kill chain model.
  • Applying the Kill Chain Model 
    • Objective: Describe how the kill chain model can be applied to detect and prevent ransomware.
  • Diamond Model Overview
    • Objective: Describe using the diamond model to perform network security incident analysis.
  • Applying the Diamond Model
    • Objective: Describe how to apply the diamond model to perform network security incident analysis using a threat intelligence platform such as ThreatConnect.
  • Exploit Kits
    • Objective: Describe the use of exploit kits by the threat actors.

Lesson 4: Identifying Resources for Hunting Cyber Threats

  • Cyber-Threat Hunting Concepts
    • Objective: Describe at a high level, the cyber-threat hunting concepts.
  • Hunting Maturity Model
    • Objective: Explain the five hunting maturity levels (HM0 to HM4).
  • Cyber-Threat Hunting Cycle
    • Objective: Explain the hunting cycle four-stage loop.
  • Common Vulnerability Scoring System
    • Objective: Describe at a high level, the use of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, and list the v3.0 base metrics.
  • CVSS v3.0 Scoring
    • Objective: Describe the Common Vulnerability Scoring System v3.0 scoring components (base, temporal, and environmental).
  • CVSS v3.0 Example
    • Objective: Provide an example of Common Vulnerability Scoring System v3.0 scoring.
  • Hot Threat Dashboard
    • Objective: Describe the use of a hot threat dashboard within a SOC.
  • Publicly Available Threat Awareness Resources
    • Objective: Provide examples of some of the publicly available threat awareness resources.
  • Other External Threat Intelligence Sources and Feeds Reference
    • Objective: Provide examples of some of the publicly available external threat intelligence sources and feeds.

Module 2: Security Incident Investigations
Objective: Explain the concepts of security incident investigations, including events correlation and normalization, common attack vectors, and able to identify malicious and suspicious activities.

Lesson 1: Understanding Event Correlation and Normalization

  • Event Sources
    • Objective: Describe some of the network security monitoring event sources (IPS, Firewall, NetFlow, Proxy Server, IAM, AV, Application Logs).
  • Evidence
    • Objective: Describe direct evidence and circumstantial evidence.
  • Security Data Normalization
    • Objective: Provide an example of security data normalization.
  • Event Correlation
    • Objective: Provide an example of security events correlation.
  • Other Security Data Manipulation 
    • Objective: Explain the basic concepts of security data aggregation, summarization, and deduplication.

Lesson 2: Identifying Common Attack Vectors
Objective: Identify the common attack vectors.

  • Obfuscated JavaScript
    • Objective: Explain the use of obfuscated JavaScript by the threat actors.
  • Shellcode and Exploits
    • Objective: Explain the use of shellcode and exploits by the threat actors.
  • Common Metasploit Payloads
    • Objective: Explain the three basic types of payloads within the Metasploit framework (single, stager, stage).
  • Directory Traversal
    • Objective: Explain the use of directory traversal by the threat actors.
  • SQL Injection
    • Objective: Explain the basic concepts of SQL injection attacks.
  • Cross-Site Scripting 
    • Objective: Explain the basic concepts of cross-site scripting attacks.
  • Punycode
    • Objective: Explain the use of punycode by the threat actors.
  • DNS Tunneling
    • Objective: Explain the use of DNS tunneling by the threat actors.
  • Pivoting
    • Objective: Explain the use of pivoting by the threat actors.

Lesson 3: Identifying Malicious Activity
Objective: Explain how to identify malicious activities.

  • Understanding the Network Design
    • Objective: Explain the needs for the security analysts to have an understanding of the network design which they are protecting.
  • Identifying Possible Threat Actors
    • Objective: Describe the different threat actor types.
  • Log Data Search
    • Objective: Provide an example of log data search using ELSA.
  • NetFlow as a Security Tool
    • Objective: Explain using NetFlow as a security tool.
  • DNS Risk and Mitigation Tool
    • Objective: Explain how DNS can be used by the threat actors to perform attacks.

Lesson 4: Identifying Patterns of Suspicious Behavior
Objective: Explain how to identify patterns of suspicious behaviors.

  • Network Baselining
    • Objective: Explain the purpose of baselining the network activities.
  • Identify Anomalies and Suspicious Behaviors 
    • Objective: Explain using the established baseline to identify anomalies and suspicious behaviors.
  • PCAP Analysis 
    • Objective: Explain the basic concepts of performing PCAP analysis.
  • Delivery 
    • Objective: Explain the use of a sandbox to perform file analysis.

Lesson 5: Conducting Security Incident Investigations

  • Security Incident Investigation Procedures
  • Objective: Explain the objective of security incident investigation to discover the who, what, when, where, why, and how about the security incident.
  • Threat Investigation Example: China Chopper Remote Access Trojan
  • Objective: Describe at a high level, the China Chopper Remote Access Trojan.

Module 3: SOC Operations
Objective: Explain using a SOC playbook to assist with investigations, using metrics to measure the SOC's effectiveness, using a SOC workflow management system and automation to improve the SOC's efficiency, and the concepts of an incident response plan.

Lesson 1: Describing the SOC Playbook
Objective: Explain the use of a typical playbook in the SOC.

  • Security Analytics
  • Objective: Describe the security analytics process,
  • Playbook Definition
  • Objective: Describe the use of a playbook in a SOC.
  • What Is in a Play?
  • Objective: Describe the components of a play in a typical SOC playbook.
  • Playbook Management System
  • Objective: Describe the use of a playbook management system in the SOC.

Lesson 2: Understanding the SOC Metrics
Objective: Explain the use of SOC metrics to measure the SOC's effectiveness.

  • Security Data Aggregation
    • Objective: Explain using a SIEM to provide security data aggregation, real-time reporting, and analysis of security events.
  • Time to Detection
    • Objective: Explain what is the time to detection.
  • Security Controls Detection Effectiveness
    • Objective: Explain measuring the security controls effectiveness in terms of true positive/negative events, false positive/negative events.
  • SOC Metrics
    • Objective: Explain using different metrics to measure the SOC effectiveness.
  • Challenge

Lesson 3: Understanding the SOC WMS and Automation
Objective: Explain the use of a workflow management system and automation to improve the SOC's effectiveness.

  • SOC WMS Concepts
    • Objective: Explain the basic concepts and benefits of using a workflow management system within a SOC.
  • Incident Response Workflow
    • Objective: Describe a typical incident response workflow.
  • SOC WMS Integration
    • Objective: Describe how a typical workflow management system is integrated within a SOC.
  • SOC Workflow Automation Example
    • Objective: Provide an example of a SOC workflow automation system (Cybersponse).
  • Challenge

Lesson 4: Describing the Incident Response Plan

  • Incident Response Planning
    • Objective: Explain the purpose for incident response planning.
  • Incident Response Life Cycle
    • Objective: Describe the typical incident response life cycle.
  • Incident Response Policy Elements
    • Objective: Describe the typical elements within an incident response policy.
  • Incident Attack Categories
    • Objective: Describe how incidents can be classified.
  • Reference: US-CERT Incident Categories
    • Objective: Describe the different US-CERT incident categories (CAT 0 to CAT 6).
  • Regulatory Compliance Incident Response Requirements
    • Objective: Describe compliance regulations which contain an incident response requirements.
  • Challenge

Lesson 5: Appendix A—Describing the Computer Security Incident Response Team
Objective: Explain the functions of a typical Computer Security Incident Response Team.

  • CSIRT Categories
    • Objective: Describe the different general CSIRT categories.
  • CSIRT Framework
    • Objective: Describe the basic framework that defines a CSIRT.
  • CSIRT Incident Handling Services
    • Objective: Describe the different CSIRT incident handling services (triage, handling, feedback, optional announcement).
  • Challenge

Lesson 6: Appendix B—Understanding the use of VERIS
Objective: Explain the use of VERIS to document security incidents in a standard format.

  • VERIS Overview
    • Objective: Explain what is VERIS.
  • VERIS Incidents Structure
    • Objective: Explain the VERIS incident structure.
  • VERIS 4 As
    • Objective: Explain the VERIS 4 As.
  • VERIS Records
    • Objective: Describe a typical VERIS record.
  • VERIS Community Database
    • Objective: Describe the VERIS Community Database.
  • Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report and Cisco Annual Security Report
    • Objective: Describe the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, and the Cisco Annual Security Report.
  • Challenge

*Please Note: Course Outline is subject to change without notice. Exact course outline will be provided at time of registration.
  • Define a SOC and the various job roles in a SOC
  • Understand SOC infrastructure tools and systems
  • Learn basic incident analysis for a threat centric SOC
  • Explore resources available to assist with an investigation
  • Explain basic event correlation and normalization
  • Describe common attack vectors
  • Learn how to identifying malicious activity
  • Understand the concept of a playbook
  • Describe and explain an incident respond handbook
  • Define types of SOC Metrics
  • Understand SOC Workflow Management system and automation

Guided Lab 1: Explore Network Security Monitoring Tools

  • Task 1: Prepare the Lab Environment
  • Task 2: Analyze Alerts
  • Task 3: Extract Content from Packet Captures
  • Task 4: Analyze Malware
  • Task 5: Search Bro Data Using ELSA
  • Challenge

Discovery 1: Investigate Hacker Methodology

  • Task 1: Scanning and Analyzing Reconnaissance Activity
  • Task 2: Analyzing the Weaponization, Delivery, and Exploitation Phases of the Kill Chain Model
  • Task 3: Persistence on the Target Machine
  • Task 4: Host-Based Analysis
  • Task 5: Identifying Data Exfiltration
  • Challenge

Discovery 2: Hunt Malicious Traffic

  • Task 1: Threat Simulation
  • Task 2: Combing Network Traffic with ELSA
  • Task 3: Pivot to Wireshark with capME!
  • Task 4: Analyzing Exfiltration Data
  • Task 5: Confirm A Backdoor
  • Challenge

Discovery 3: Correlate Event Logs, PCAPs, and Alerts of an Attack

  • Task 1: Examine OSSEC Alerts
  • Task 2: Find and Correlate Additional Activity
  • Challenge

Discovery 4: Investigate Browser-Based Attacks

  • Task 1: Setting up Security Onion
  • Task 2: SQL Injection
  • Task 3: Cross Site Scripting Attack
  • Task 4: Local File Inclusion and Directory Traversal
  • Challenge

Discovery 5: Analyze Suspicious DNS Activity

  • Task 1: Investigate DNS Fast Fluxing
  • Task 2: Perform DNS Exfiltration
  • Task 3: Analyze DNS Exfiltration Activities
  • Challenge

Discovery 6: Investigate Suspicious Activity Using Security Onion

  • Task 1: Identify Suspicious Domain Names
  • Task 2: Identify Suspicious User Agents
  • Task 3: Upload Malware to Malwr.com
  • Challenge

Discovery 7: Investigate Advanced Persistent Threats

  • Task 1: Investigate Sguil Alerts
  • Task 2: Investigate Suspicious Packet Captures
  • Task 3: Implement New Custom Snort Rule
  • Challenge

Discovery 8: Explore SOC Playbooks

  • Task 1: Access ELSA on the Security Onion VM
  • Task 2: Play: 404s Indicating Web Recon
  • Task 3: Play: Posts to Dynamic DNS Sites
  • Task 4: Play: DNS over TCP
  • Task 5: Play: HTTP Header Host Field Containing IP Address
  • Task 6: Play: Known Botnet C2 Domains (Manual Play)
  • Task 7: Play: Explore the Raw Bro Log Files
  • Task 8: Play: Known Botnet C2 Domains (Semi-Automated Play)
  • Task 9: Play: Malicious Files (Manual Play)
  • Task 10: Play: Malicious Files (Semi-Automated Play)
  • Task 11: Play: Large File Transfers (Semi-Automated Play)
  • Challenge
  • Challenge

It is strongly recommended, but not required, that students have the following knowledge and skills:

  • Skills and knowledge equivalent to those learned in Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1)
  • Working knowledge of the Windows operating system
  • Working knowledge of Cisco IOS networking and concepts
  • Security Operations Center Security Analyst
  • Computer Network Defense Analyst
  • Computer Network Defense Infrastructure Support personnel
  • Future Incident Responders and Security Operations Center (SOC) personnel
  • Students beginning a career and entering the cybersecurity field
  • IT personnel looking to learn more about the area of cybersecurity operations
  • Students beginning a career, entering the cybersecurity field. 
  • Cisco Channel Partners

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