SPLK-2003 Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer Exam Questions and Answers

The phantom.debug() function is used within Splunk SOAR playbooks to output debug information to the debug window in the Visual Playbook Editor. This function is instrumental in troubleshooting and developing playbooks, as it allows developers to print out variables, messages, or any relevant information that can help in understanding the flow of the playbook, the data being processed, and any issues that might arise during execution. This debugging tool is essential for ensuring that playbooks are functioning as intended and for diagnosing any problems that may occur.

The admin and automation users are included by default. Comprehensive Explanation and References of Correct Answer: According to the Splunk SOAR (On-premises) default credentials, script options, and sample configuration files documentation1, the default credentials on a new installation of Splunk SOAR (On-premises) are:

Web Interface Username: soar_local_admin password: password

On Splunk SOAR (On-premises) deployments which have been upgraded from earlier releases the user account admin becomes a normal user account with the Administrator role.

The automation user is a special user account that is used by Splunk SOAR (On-premises) to run actions and playbooks. It has the Automation role, which grants it full access to all objects and data in Splunk SOAR (On-premises).

The other options are incorrect because they either omit the automation user or include users that are not created by default. For example, option B includes the power and user users, which are not part of the default installation. Option C only includes the admin user, which ignores the automation user. Option D claims that no users are included by default, which is false.

In a new installation of Splunk SOAR, two default user accounts are typically created: admin and automation. The admin account is intended for system administration tasks, providing full access to all features and settings within the SOAR platform. The automation user is a special account used for automated processes and scripts that interact with the SOAR platform, often without requiring direct human intervention. This user has specific permissions that can be tailored for automated tasks. Options B, C, and D do not accurately represent the default user accounts included in a new SOAR installation, making option A the correct answer.

In scenarios where there's a need to run different on_poll searches for a Splunk Cloud instance from Splunk SOAR, configuring a second Splunk asset for the additional query is a practical solution. Splunk SOAR's architecture allows for multiple assets of the same type to be configured with distinct settings. By setting up a second Splunk asset specifically for the second on_poll search query, users can maintain separate configurations and ensure that each query is executed in its intended context without interference. This approach provides flexibility in managing different data collection or monitoring needs within the same SOAR environment.

 The correct answer is B because an active playbook can be configured to operate on all containers that share a label. A label is a user-defined attribute that can be applied to containers to group them by a common characteristic, such as source, type, severity, etc. Labels can be used to filter containers and trigger active playbooks based on the label value. See Splunk SOAR Documentation for more details.

In Splunk SOAR, labels are used to categorize containers (such as incidents or events) based on their characteristics or the type of security issue they represent. An active playbook can be configured to trigger on all containers that share a specific label, enabling targeted automation based on the nature of the incident. This functionality allows for efficient and relevant playbook execution, ensuring that the automated response is tailored to the specific requirements of the container's category. Labels serve as a powerful organizational tool within SOAR, guiding the automated response framework to act on incidents that meet predefined criteria, thus streamlining the security operations process.

Wildcards are used within artifact data paths in Splunk SOAR playbooks to simplify the process of accessing data. They allow playbooks to reference dynamic or variable data structures without needing to specify exact paths, which can vary between artifacts. This flexibility makes it easier to write playbooks that work across different events and scenarios, without hard-coding data paths.

SOAR uses wildcards within artifact data paths to make data access in playbooks easier. A data path is a way of specifying the location of a piece of data within an artifact. For example, artifact.cef.sourceAddress is a data path that refers to the source address field of the artifact. A wildcard is a special character that can match any value or subfield within a data path. For example, artifact.*.cef.sourceAddress is a data path that uses a wildcard to match any field name before the cef subfield. This allows the playbook to access the source address data regardless of the field name, which can vary depending on the app or source that generated the artifact. Therefore, option C is the correct answer, as it explains why SOAR uses wildcards within artifact data paths. Option A is incorrect, because wildcards do not make playbooks more specific, but more flexible and adaptable. Option B is incorrect, because wildcards do not make playbooks filter out nulls, but match any value or subfield. Option D is incorrect, because wildcards do not make decision execution in playbooks run faster, but make data access in playbooks easier.

1: Understanding datapaths in Administer Splunk SOAR (Cloud)

 The correct answer is A because the _filter parameter is used to filter the results based on a field value, and the icontain operator is used to perform a case-insensitive substring match. The filePath field is part of the Common Event Format (CEF) standard, and the cef_ prefix is used to access CEF fields in the REST API. The answer B is incorrect because it uses the wrong syntax for the REST API. The answer C is incorrect because it uses the wrong endpoint (result instead of artifact) and the wrong syntax for the REST API. The answer D is incorrect because it uses the wrong syntax for the REST API and the wrong spelling for the icontains operator. Reference: Splunk SOAR REST API Guide, page 18.

To query and display all artifacts that contain the term "results" in a filePath CEF (Common Event Format) value, using the REST API endpoint with a filter parameter is effective. The filter _filter_cef_filePath_icontain="results" is applied to search within the artifact data for filePath fields that contain the term "results", disregarding case sensitivity. This method allows users to precisely locate and work with artifacts that meet specific criteria, aiding in the investigation and analysis processes within Splunk SOAR.

In Splunk SOAR, a user can determine which app actions are available by navigating to the Apps menu. From there, the user can click on the supported actions dropdown for each app to view the actions that can be performed by that app. This dropdown menu provides a list of all the actions that the app is capable of executing, allowing the user to understand the functionality provided by the app and how it can be utilized within playbooks11.

References:

• Add and configure apps and assets to provide actions in Splunk SOAR (Cloud) - Splunk Documentation

If, after configuring an external Splunk search head for search in SOAR, the search results do not include content that was previously returned, one possible issue could be that the user account configured on the SOAR side does not have the required permissions (such as the 'phantomsearch' capability) enabled on the Splunk side. This capability is necessary for the SOAR server to execute searches and retrieve results from the Splunk search head.

 A step when configuring event forwarding from Splunk to Phantom is to create a Splunk alert that uses the event_forward.py script to send events to Phantom. This script will convert the Splunk events to CEF format and send them to Phantom as containers. The other options are not valid steps for event forwarding. See Forwarding events from Splunk to Phantom for more details.

Configuring event forwarding from Splunk to Phantom typically involves creating a Splunk alert that leverages a script (like event_forward.py) to automatically send triggered event data to Phantom. This setup enables Splunk to act as a detection mechanism that, upon identifying notable events based on predefined criteria, forwards these events to Phantom for further orchestration, automation, and response actions. This integration streamlines the process of incident management by connecting Splunk's powerful data analysis capabilities with Phantom's orchestration and automation framework.

When the Splunk App for SOAR Export executes a Splunk search, it typically involves mapping Common Information Model (CIM) fields from Splunk to the Common Event Format (CEF) used by SOAR, after which a container is created on the SOAR server to house the related artifacts and information. This process allows for the integration of data between Splunk, which uses CIM for data normalization, and Splunk SOAR, which uses CEF as its data format for incidents and events.

Splunk App for SOAR Export is responsible for sending data from your Splunk Enterprise or Splunk Cloud instances to Splunk SOAR. The Splunk App for SOAR Export acts as a translation service between the Splunk platform and Splunk SOAR by performing the following tasks:

•Mapping fields from Splunk platform alerts, such as saved searches and data models, to CEF fields.

•Translating CIM fields from Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) notable events to CEF fields.

•Forwarding events in CEF format to Splunk SOAR, which are stored as artifacts.

Therefore, option B is the correct answer, as it states the activities that are completed when the Splunk App for SOAR Export executes a Splunk search. Option A is incorrect, because CEF fields are not mapped to CIM fields, but the other way around. Option C is incorrect, because a container is not created on the Splunk server, but on the SOAR server. Option D is incorrect, because a container is not created on the Splunk server, but on the SOAR server.

System Health Display is a dashboard that shows the status and performance of the SOAR processes and components, such as the automation service, the playbook daemon, the DECIDED process, and the REST API. Some of the metrics that can be seen from the System Health Display are:

•Memory Usage: The percentage of memory used by the system and the processes.

•Disk Usage: The percentage of disk space used by the system and the processes.

•Load Average: The average number of processes in the run queue or waiting for disk I/O over a period of time.

Therefore, options B, C, and D are the correct answers, as they are the metrics that can be seen from the System Health Display. Option A is incorrect, because Playbook Usage is not a metric that can be seen from the System Health Display, but rather a metric that can be seen from the Playbook Usage dashboard, which shows the number of playbooks and actions run over a period of time.

1: Web search results from search_web(query="Splunk SOAR Automation Developer System Health Display")

The System Health Display in Splunk SOAR provides several metrics to help monitor and manage the health of the system. These typically include:

•B: Memory Usage - This metric shows the amount of memory being used by the SOAR platform, which is important for ensuring that the system does not exceed available resources.

•C: Disk Usage - This metric indicates the amount of storage space being utilized, which is crucial for maintaining adequate storage resources and for planning capacity.

•D: Load Average - This metric provides an indication of the overall load on the system over a period of time, which helps in understanding the system's performance and in identifying potential bottlenecks or issues.

Playbook Usage is generally not a metric displayed on the System Health page; instead, it's more related to the usage analytics of playbooks rather than system health metrics.

System Health Display is a dashboard that shows the status and performance of the SOAR processes and components, such as the automation service, the playbook daemon, the DECIDED process, and the REST API. One of the things that can be done with the System Health Display is to reset DECIDED, which is a core component of the SOAR automation engine that handles the execution of playbooks and actions. Resetting DECIDED can be useful for troubleshooting or debugging purposes, as it resets the playbook environments back to at-start conditions, meaning that any changes made by the playbooks are discarded and the playbooks are reloaded. To reset DECIDED, you need to click on the Reset DECIDED button on the System Health Display dashboard. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as it is the only option that can be done with the System Health Display. Option A is incorrect, because creating a temporary, edited version of a process and testing the results is not something that can be done with the System Health Display, but rather with the Debugging dashboard, which allows you to modify and run a process in a sandbox environment. Option B is incorrect, because partially rewinding processes, which is useful for debugging, is not something that can be done with the System Health Display, but rather with the Rewind feature, which allows you to go back to a previous state of a process and resume the execution from there. Option C is incorrect, because viewing a single column of status for SOAR processes is not something that can be done with the System Health Display, but rather with the Status Display dashboard, which shows a simplified view of the SOAR processes and their status.

The ROI (Return on Investment) Settings within Splunk SOAR are designed to help organizations assess the value derived from their use of the platform, particularly in terms of resource allocation and efficiency gains. The setting mentioned in the question, "Number of full time employees (FTEs)," relates directly to measuring this efficiency.

Answer "C" is correct because configuring the number of full-time employees (FTEs) in the ROI settings allows an organization to input and monitor how many personnel are dedicated to security operations managed through SOAR. This setting is crucial for calculating the labor cost associated with incident response and routine security tasks. By understanding the number of FTEs involved, organizations can better assess the labor cost savings provided by automation and orchestration in SOAR. This data helps in quantifying the operational efficiency and the overall impact of SOAR on resource optimization.

In contrast, other options like "Analyst hours per month," "Time lost," and "Annual analyst salary" might seem relevant but are not directly configurable within the ROI settings of Splunk SOAR. These aspects could be indirectly calculated or estimated based on the number of FTEs and other operational metrics but are not directly input as settings in the system.

This use of FTEs in ROI calculations is often discussed in materials related to cybersecurity efficiency metrics and SOAR platform utilization. Official Splunk documentation and best practices guides typically provide insights into how to set up and interpret ROI settings, highlighting the importance of accurate configuration for meaningful analytics.

 Upon enabling multi-tenancy in Splunk SOAR, the first step in configuration typically involves setting up the default tenant. This foundational step is critical as it establishes the primary operating environment under which subsequent tenants can be created and managed. The default tenant serves as the template for permissions, settings, and configurations that might be inherited or customized by additional tenants. Proper configuration of the default tenant ensures a stable and consistent framework for multi-tenancy operations, allowing for segregated environments within the same SOAR instance, each tailored to specific operational needs or organizational units.

ROI Settings dashboard allows you to configure the parameters used to estimate the data displayed in the Automation ROI Summary dashboard. One of the settings that can be configured is the FTE Gained, which is the number of full time employees (FTEs) that are freed up by automation. To calculate this value, Splunk SOAR divides the number of actions run by automation by the number of expected actions an analyst would take, based on minutes per action and analyst hours per day. Therefore, option A is the correct answer, as it is one of the settings that can be configured in the ROI Settings dashboard. Option B is incorrect, because time lost is not a setting that can be configured in the ROI Settings dashboard, but a metric that is calculated by Splunk SOAR based on the difference between the analyst minutes per action and the actual minutes per action. Option C is incorrect, because analyst hours per month is not a setting that can be configured in the ROI Settings dashboard, but a value that is derived from the analyst hours per day setting. Option D is incorrect, because annual analyst salary is a setting that can be configured in the ROI Settings dashboard, but not the one that is asked in the question.

1: Configure the ROI Settings dashboard in Administer Splunk SOAR (On-premises)

ROI (Return on Investment) Settings within Splunk SOAR are used to estimate the efficiency and financial impact of the SOAR platform. One of the configurable parameters in these settings is the 'Analyst hours per month'. This parameter helps in calculating the time saved through automation, which in turn can be translated into cost savings and efficiency gains. It reflects the direct contribution of the SOAR platform to operational productivity.

In Splunk SOAR, an event is a security occurrence that may require a response. It is ingested from a third-party source and can be labeled to group related events together. The default label for containers is “Events,” which signifies potential threats13. A case, on the other hand, is a container that holds several containers, consolidating multiple events into one logical management unit. Cases can include artifacts and external evidence such as screen captures, analyst notes, and event data from third-party products22. They are used to manage and analyze investigation data tied to specific security events and incidents, providing a structured approach to incident response34.

References:

• Manage the status, severity, and resolution of events in Splunk SOAR (Cloud) - Splunk Documentation
• Managing cases in SOAR - Splunk Lantern
• What is Splunk Phantom (Renamed to Splunk SOAR)? - BlueVoyant
• Overview of cases - Splunk Documentation

To securely store a compressed version of an email attachment suspected of containing malware for future analysis, the most effective approach within Splunk SOAR is to use the Upload action of the Secure Store app. This app is specifically designed to handle sensitive or potentially dangerous files by securely storing them within the SOAR database, allowing for controlled access and analysis at a later time. This method ensures that the file is not only safely contained but also available for future forensic or investigative purposes without risking exposure to the malware. Options A, B, and C do not provide the same level of security and functionality for handling suspected malware files, making option D the most appropriate choice.

Secure Store app is a SOAR app that allows you to store files securely in the SOAR database. The Secure Store app provides two actions: Upload and Download. The Upload action takes a file as an input and stores it in the SOAR database in a compressed and encrypted format. The Download action takes a file ID as an input and retrieves the file from the SOAR database and decrypts it. The Secure Store app can be used to store files that contain sensitive or malicious data, such as email attachments with suspected malware, for future analysis. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as it states the action that will store a compressed, secure version of an email attachment with suspected malware for future analysis. Option A is incorrect, because copying and pasting the attachment into a note will not store the file securely, but rather expose the file content to anyone who can view the note. Option B is incorrect, because adding a link to the file in a new artifact will not store the file securely, but rather create a reference to the file location, which may not be accessible or reliable. Option C is incorrect, because using the Files tab on the Investigation page to upload the attachment will not store the file securely, but rather store the file in the SOAR file system, which may not be encrypted or compressed.

In Splunk SOAR, the Investigation page is where users can delve into the details of containers, artifacts, and actions. It provides a comprehensive view of the incident or event under investigation, including the JSON data associated with containers. This JSON data represents the structured information about the container, including its attributes, artifacts, and actions taken within the playbook. Options A, C, and D do not typically provide a direct view of the container's JSON data, making option B the correct answer for where a user can view this information within SOAR.

A container is the top-level data structure that SOAR playbook APIs operate on. Every container is a structured JSON object which can nest more arbitrary JSON objects, that represent artifacts. A container is the top-level object against which automation is run. To view the JSON data for a container, you need to navigate to the Investigation page, which shows the details of a container, such as its name, label, owner, status, severity, and artifacts. On the Investigation page, you can click on the JSON tab, which displays the JSON representation of the container and its artifacts. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, as it states where in SOAR a user can view the JSON data for a container. Option A is incorrect, because the analyst queue is not where a user can view the JSON data for a container, but rather where a user can view the list of containers assigned to them or their team. Option C is incorrect, because the data ingestion display is not where a user can view the JSON data for a container, but rather where a user can view the status and configuration of the data sources that ingest data into SOAR. Option D is incorrect, because the audit log is not where a user can view the JSON data for a container, but rather where a user can view the history of actions performed on the SOAR system, such as creating, updating, or deleting objects.

1: Understanding containers in Splunk SOAR (Cloud)

When working with complex data paths in Splunk SOAR, particularly within playbooks, the dot (.) operator is used to access sub-elements within a larger data structure. This operator allows for the navigation through nested data, such as dictionaries or objects within JSON responses, enabling playbook actions and decision blocks to reference specific pieces of data within the artifacts or action results. This capability is crucial for extracting and manipulating relevant information from complex data sets during incident analysis and response automation.

Splunk SOAR supports multiple user authentication methods to ensure secure access to the platform. Apart from LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) and SAML2 (Security Assertion Markup Language 2.0), SOAR also supports PIV (Personal Identity Verification) and CAC (Common Access Card) as authentication methods. These are particularly used in government and military organizations for secure and authenticated access to systems, providing a high level of security through physical tokens or cards that contain encrypted user credentials.

Custom CEF fields can be created with a name and a data type. The name must be unique and the data type must be one of the following: string, int, float, bool, or list. The severity is not a valid option for custom CEF fields. See Creating custom CEF fields for more details. When creating Custom Common Event Format (CEF) fields in Splunk SOAR (formerly Phantom), the essential values you need to specify are the "Name" of the field and the "Data Type." The "Name" is the identifier for the field, while the "Data Type" specifies the kind of data the field will hold, such as string, integer, IP address, etc. This combination allows for the structured and accurate representation of data within SOAR, ensuring that custom fields are compatible with the platform's data processing and analysis mechanisms.

To limit the impact of custom code on the Visual Playbook Editor (VPE) in Splunk SOAR, custom code should be placed within a custom function block. Custom function blocks are designed to encapsulate code within a playbook, allowing users to input their own Python code and execute it as part of the playbook run. By confining custom code to these blocks, it maintains the VPE's performance and stability by isolating the custom code from the core functions of the playbook.

A custom function block is a way of adding custom Python code to your playbook, which can expand the functionality and processing of your playbook logic. Custom functions can also interact with the REST API in a customizable way. You can share custom functions across your team and across multiple playbooks to increase collaboration and efficiency. To create custom functions, you must have Edit Code permissions, which can be configured by an Administrator in Administration > User Management > Roles and Permissions. Therefore, option C is the correct answer, as it is the recommended way of placing custom code on the VPE, which limits the impact of custom code on the VPE performance and security. Option A is incorrect, because a custom container or a separate KV store are not valid ways of placing custom code on the VPE, but rather ways of storing data or artifacts. Option B is incorrect, because a separate code repository is not a way of placing custom code on the VPE, but rather a way of managing and versioning your code outside of Splunk SOAR. Option D is incorrect, because a separate container is not a way of placing custom code on the VPE, but rather a way of creating a new event or case.

1: Add custom code to your Splunk SOAR (Cloud) playbook with the custom function block using the classic playbook editor

The Splunk App for Phantom allows users to run Splunk queries directly from within the Phantom platform. This app facilitates the integration between Splunk and Phantom, enabling users to post data to Splunk as events, update notable events, run SPL (Search Processing Language) queries, and pull events from Splunk into Phantom. By configuring the asset settings and ingest settings in the configured asset, users can leverage the full capabilities of Splunk within the Phantom environment1.

References:

• Integrating Splunk Phantom with Splunk Enterprise - TekStream Solutions

The correct answer is A because assets provide location, credentials, and other parameters needed to run actions. Assets are configurations that define how Phantom connects to external systems or devices, such as firewalls, endpoints, or threat intelligence sources. Assets specify the app, the IP address or hostname, the username and password, and any other settings required to run actions on the target system or device. The answer B is incorrect because assets do not provide hostnames, passwords, and other artifacts needed to run actions, which are data objects that can be created or retrieved by playbooks. The answer C is incorrect because assets do not provide Python code, REST API, and other capabilities needed to run actions, which are provided by apps. The answer D is incorrect because assets do not provide firewall, network, and data sources needed to run actions, which are external systems or devices that can be connected to by assets. Reference: Splunk SOAR Admin Guide, page 45. Assets in Splunk Phantom are configurations that contain the necessary information for apps to connect to external systems and services. This information can include IP addresses, domain names, credentials like usernames and passwords, and other necessary parameters such as API keys or tokens. These parameters enable the apps to perform actions like running queries, executing commands, or gathering data. Assets do not provide the actual Python code, REST API capabilities, or network infrastructure; they are the bridge between the apps and the external systems with the configuration data needed for successful communication and action execution

 In Splunk SOAR, it is possible to import external Python libraries, such as the time module, within the scope of a playbook's global code block. The global block allows users to define custom Python code, including imports of standard Python libraries that are included in the Phantom platform's Python environment. This capability enables the extension of playbooks' functionality with additional Python logic, making playbooks more powerful and versatile in their operations.