XDR-ANALYST Palo Alto Networks XDR Analyst Exam

Format & Logistics
Questions: 60-75 (multiple choice/simulation)
Time: 90 minutes
Passing Score: 860 (on a 300-1000 scale)
Delivery:

Certification Objectives
This certification validates the knowledge, skills, and abilities of current or aspiring security operations center (SOC) analysts and security operations specialists in incident investigation and response, alert handling, threat hunting, vulnerability assessment, reporting, and compliance using Cortex XDR.

The Palo Alto Networks XDR-Analyst exam (PCCXDA) tests your skills in threat detection, investigation, and response using Cortex XDR, covering alerting, incident handling, data analysis, and endpoint security. Expect around 60-75 questions, a 90-minute time limit, and a passing score of 860/1000, focusing on practical application for SOC analysts and security pros. Preparation involves studying the syllabus, taking practice exams, and getting hands-on with Cortex XDR.

Standard
With standard delivery you will receive two emails within 3-4 hours of your purchase. The first email will be an order confirmation, and the second will include your voucher and registration information. Make sure to check your spam and junk folders.

Exam Overview
Vendor: Palo Alto Networks
Certification: Palo Alto Networks Certified XDR Analyst (PCCXDA)
Focus: Incident investigation, threat hunting, and response with Cortex XDR

Key Exam Topics & Domains
Cortex XDR Platform Fundamentals: Understanding the architecture, components, and data flow.
Alerting & Detection Processes (23%): How XDR generates and manages alerts, understanding key metrics.
Incident Handling & Response (34%): Validating, scoping incidents, using causality views, investigating.
Data Analysis (28%): Utilizing tools like Live Terminal, analyzing artifacts, memory dumps, and registry changes.
Endpoint Security Management (15%): Agent states (disconnected, quarantined), host insights, vulnerability assessment.
Threat Hunting & Reporting: Proactive threat hunting and compliance reporting.

Core Skills Validated
Investigating and responding to security incidents.
Performing forensic analysis on endpoints.
Using XDR tools for comprehensive threat investigation.
Understanding MITRE ATT&CK framework coverage.

To prepare, use Palo Alto Networks’ digital learning paths, attend training, and practice with the Cortex XDR platform.

Key Exam Topics (Syllabus)
Alerting and Detection Processes (23%)
Incident Handling and Response (34%)
Data Analysis (28%)
Endpoint Security Management (15%)

Target Audience
SOC Analysts, Threat Hunters, Security Engineers
IT security professionals managing XDR operations

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Sample Question and Answers

QUESTION 1
Phishing belongs to which of the following MITRE ATT&CK tactics?

A. Initial Access, Persistence
B. Persistence, Command and Control
C. Reconnaissance, Persistence
D. Reconnaissance, Initial Access

Answer: D

Explanation:
Phishing is a technique that belongs to two MITRE ATT&CK tactics: Reconnaissance and Initial Access.
Reconnaissance is the process of gathering information about a target before launching an attack.
Phishing for information is a sub-technique of Reconnaissance that involves sending phishing
messages to elicit sensitive information that can be used during targeting. Initial Access is the
process of gaining a foothold in a network or system. Phishing is a sub-technique of Initial Access that
involves sending phishing messages to execute malicious code on victim systems. Phishing can be
used for both Reconnaissance and Initial Access depending on the objective and content of the
phishing message. Reference:
Phishing, Technique T1566 – Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK® 1
Phishing for Information, Technique T1598 – Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK® 2
Phishing for information, Part 2: Tactics and techniques 3
PHISHING AND THE MITREATT&CK FRAMEWORK – EnterpriseTalk 4
Initial Access, Tactic TA0001 – Enterprise | MITRE ATT&CK® 5

QUESTION 2
When creating a BIOC rule, which XQL query can be used?

A. dataset = xdr_data
| filter event_sub_type = PROCESS_START and
action_process_image_name ~= “.*?\.(?:pdf|docx)\.exe”

B. dataset = xdr_data
| filter event_type = PROCESS and
event_sub_type = PROCESS_START and
action_process_image_name ~= “.*?\.(?:pdf|docx)\.exe”

C. dataset = xdr_data
| filter action_process_image_name ~= “.*?\.(?:pdf|docx)\.exe”
| fields action_process_image

D. dataset = xdr_data
| filter event_behavior = true
event_sub_type = PROCESS_START and
action_process_image_name ~= “.*?\.(?:pdf|docx)\.exe”

Answer: B

Explanation:
A BIOC rule is a custom detection rule that uses the Cortex Query Language (XQL) to define the
behavior or actions that indicate a potential threat. A BIOC rule can use the xdr_data and
cloud_audit_log datasets and presets for these datasets. A BIOC rule can also use the filter stage,
alter stage, and functions without any aggregations in the XQL query. The query must return a single
field named action_process_image, which is the process image name of the suspicious process. The
query must also include the event_type and event_sub_type fields in the filter stage to specify the
type and sub-type of the event that triggers the rule.
Option B is the correct answer because it meets all the requirements for a valid BIOC rule query. It
uses the xdr_data dataset, the filter stage, the event_type and event_sub_type fields, and the
action_process_image_name field with a regular expression to match any process image name that
ends with .pdf.exe or .docx.exe, which are common indicators of malicious files.
Option A is incorrect because it does not include the event_type field in the filter stage, which is
mandatory for a BIOC rule query.
Option C is incorrect because it does not include the event_type and event_sub_type fields in the
filter stage, and it uses the fields stage, which is not supported for a BIOC rule query. It also returns
the action_process_image field instead of the action_process_image_name field, which is the
expected output for a BIOC rule query.
Option D is incorrect because it uses the event_behavior field, which is not supported for a BIOC rule
query. It also does not include the event_type field in the filter stage, and it uses the event_sub_type
field incorrectly. The event_sub_type field should be equal to PROCESS_START, not true.
Reference:
Working with BIOCs
Cortex Query Language (XQL) Reference

QUESTION 3
Which built-in dashboard would be the best option for an executive, if they were looking for the
Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) metric?

A. Security Manager Dashboard
B. Data Ingestion Dashboard
C. Security Admin Dashboard
D. Incident Management Dashboard

Answer: D

Explanation:
The Incident Management Dashboard provides a high-level overview of the incident response
process, including the Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR) metric. This metric measures the average
time it takes to resolve an incident from the moment it is created to the moment it is closed. The
dashboard also shows the number of incidents by status, severity, and assigned analyst, as well as
the top alerts by category, source, and destination. The Incident Management Dashboard is designed
for executives and managers who want to monitor the performance and efficiency of their security
teams. Reference: [PCDRA Study Guide], page 18.

QUESTION 4
What are two purposes of oeRespond to Malicious Causality Chains in a Cortex XDR Windows
Malware profile? (Choose two.)

A. Automatically close the connections involved in malicious traffic.
B. Automatically kill the processes involved in malicious activity.
C. Automatically terminate the threads involved in malicious activity.
D. Automatically block the IP addresses involved in malicious traffic.

Answer: B, D

Explanation:
The oeRespond to Malicious Causality Chains feature in a Cortex XDR Windows Malware profile
allows the agent to take automatic actions against network connections and processes that are
involved in malicious activity on the endpoint. The feature has two modes: Block IP Address and Kill Process1.
The two purposes of oeRespond to Malicious Causality Chains in a Cortex XDR Windows Malware profile are:
Automatically kill the processes involved in malicious activity. This can help to stop the malware from
spreading or doing any further damage.
Automatically block the IP addresses involved in malicious traffic. This can help to prevent the
malware from communicating with its command and control server or other malicious hosts.
The other two options, automatically close the connections involved in malicious traffic and
automatically terminate the threads involved in malicious activity, are not specific to oeRespond to
Malicious Causality Chains . They are general security measures that the agent can perform
regardless of the feature.
Reference:
Cortex XDR Agent Security Profiles
Cortex XDR Agent 7.5 Release Notes
PCDRA: What are purposes of oeRespond to Malicious Causality Chains in ¦

QUESTION 5
When creating a custom XQL query in a dashboard, how would a user save that XQL query to the Widget Library?

A. Click the three dots on the widget and then choose oeSave and this will link the query to the Widget Library.
B. This isnt supported, you have to exit the dashboard and go into the Widget Library first to create it.
C. Click on oeSave to Action Center in the dashboard and you will be prompted to give the query a name and description.
D. Click on oeSave to Widget Library in the dashboard and you will be prompted to give the query a name and description.

Answer: D

Explanation:
To save a custom XQL query to the Widget Library, you need to click on oeSave to Widget Library in
the dashboard and you will be prompted to give the query a name and description. This will allow
you to reuse the query in other dashboards or reports. You cannot save a query to the Widget Library
by clicking the three dots on the widget, as this will only give you options to edit, delete, or clone the
widget. You also cannot save a query to the Action Center, as this is a different feature that allows
you to create alerts or remediation actions based on the query results. You do not have to exit the
dashboard and go into the Widget Library first to create a query, as you can do it directly from the
dashboard. Reference:
Cortex XDR Pro Admin Guide: Save a Custom Query to the Widget Library
Cortex XDR Pro Admin Guide: Create a Dashboard