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

NAT rules are prioritized in the following order:

• Automatic Static NAT: This is the highest priority NAT rule and it translates the source or destination IP address to a different IP address without changing the port number. It is configured in the network object properties.
• Automatic Hide NAT: This is the second highest priority NAT rule and it translates the source IP address and port number to a different IP address and port number. It is configured in the network object properties.
• Manual/Pre-Automatic NAT: This is the third highest priority NAT rule and it allows you to create custom NAT rules that are not possible with automatic NAT. It is configured in the NAT policy rulebase before the automatic NAT rules.
• Post-Automatic/Manual NAT rules: This is the lowest priority NAT rule and it allows you to create custom NAT rules that are not possible with automatic NAT. It is configured in the NAT policy rulebase after the automatic NAT rules.

The fw tab -s command lists all tables in Gaia. The fw tab command displays information about the firewall tables, such as connections, NAT translations, SAM rules, etc. The -s option shows a summary of all tables. References: fw tab - Check Point Support Center

Threat Simulator is not a component of Check Point SandBlast. Check Point SandBlast is a solution that provides advanced protection against zero-day threats using four components: Threat Emulation, Threat Extraction, Threat Cloud, and Threat Prevention. References: Check Point SandBlast Network

 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

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. 

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.

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:

Session unique identifiers are passed to the web API using the X-chkp-sid HTTP header option. The web API 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. To use the web API, you need to create a session with the management server by sending a login request with your credentials. The management server will respond with a session unique identifier (SID) that represents your session. You need to pass this SID in every subsequent request to the web API using the X-chkp-sid HTTP header option. This way, the management server can identify and authenticate your session and perform the requested operations. References: Check Point R81 REST API Reference Guide

To help SmartEvent determine whether events originated internally or externally, you must define the traffic direction using the Initial Settings under General Settings in the Policy Tab. There are four options available to calculate the traffic direction: Incoming, Outgoing, Internal, and Other. Incoming means the source is external and the destination is internal. Outgoing means the source is internal and the destination is external. Internal means both the source and the destination are internal. Other means both the source and the destination are external. References: SmartEvent R81 Administration Guide

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]

 Dynamic Dispatcher is a feature that optimizes the performance of Security Gateways with multiple CPU cores by dynamically allocating traffic to different cores based on their load and priority. Firewall Priority Queues is a feature that prioritizes traffic based on its type and importance by assigning it to different queues with different weights and limits. To fully enable Dynamic Dispatcher with Firewall Priority Queues on a Security Gateway, you need to run the following command in Expert mode then reboot:

This command sets the multi-core mode to 9, which means that Dynamic Dispatcher is enabled with Firewall Priority Queues. The other commands are not valid or do not enable both features. References: R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide

 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

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. 

 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

 Sub Policies are a new R81 Gateway feature that had not been available in R77.X and older. Sub Policies are sets of rules that can be created and attached to specific rules. If the rule is matched, inspection will continue in the sub policy attached to it rather than in the next rule. This allows for more granular and modular control over the policy. The other features were already available in previous versions . References: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, Check Point R77 Security Management Administration Guide, Check Point R77 Gaia Administration Guide, Check Point R77 Security Gateway Technical Administration 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

The Access Control policy supports two policy layers. These are the Network layer and the Application & URL Filtering layer. The Network layer contains rules that control the network traffic based on the source, destination, service, and action. The Application & URL Filtering layer contains rules that control the application and web access based on the application, site category, and user identity12.

The Access Control policy can also use inline layers, which are sub-policies that are embedded within a rule. Inline layers allow more granular control over specific traffic or scenarios, such as VPN, Mobile Access, or different user groups13. However, inline layers are not considered as separate policy layers, but rather as extensions of the parent rule4.

Therefore, the correct answer is A. The Access Control policy supports two policy layers.

References:

• 1, Policy Layers in R80.x - Check Point CheckMates
• 2, Access Control policies, layers, and rules | Check Point Firewall …
• 3, Chapter 8: Introduction to Policies, Layers, and Rules - Check Point …
• 4, Creating an Access Control Policy - Check Point Software

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.

The SandBlast Agent is designed to prevent malware from spreading within the network if it enters an end user’s system. SandBlast Agent is a lightweight endpoint security solution that protects devices from advanced threats such as ransomware, phishing, zero-day attacks, and data exfiltration. SandBlast Agent uses various technologies such as behavioral analysis, anti-exploitation, anti-ransomware, threat emulation, threat extraction, and forensics to detect and block malware before it can harm the device or the network. The other options are either not the main purpose or not the functionality of SandBlast Agent. 

The kind of information that you would expect to see using the sim affinity command is network interfaces and core distribution used for CoreXL. Sim affinity is a command that allows administrators to view and modify the CPU core affinity of network interfaces and SecureXL instances. CoreXL is a technology that improves the performance of the Security Gateway by using multiple cores to handle concurrent connections. The sim affinity command can show which network interfaces and SecureXL instances are bound to which CPU cores, and allow administrators to change the affinity settings.

The statement that is true regarding redundancy is Both ClusterXL and VRRP are fully supported by Gaia and available to all Check Point appliances, open servers, and virtualized environments. ClusterXL and VRRP are two technologies that provide high availability and load sharing for Security Gateways. They are both supported by Gaia OS and can be deployed on various platforms5. The other statements are either false or incomplete regarding redundancy. References: Check Point R81 ClusterXL Administration Guide, Check Point R81 Gaia Administration Guide

 Sticky Decision Function (SDF) is required to prevent asymmetric routing in an Active-Active cluster. Asymmetric routing occurs when packets from a source to a destination follow a different path than packets from the destination to the source. This can cause problems with stateful inspection and NAT. SDF ensures that packets from the same connection are handled by the same cluster member1. References: Check Point R81 ClusterXL Administration Guide

Suspicious Activity Rules Solution

Suspicious Activity Rules is a utility integrated into SmartView Monitor that is used to modify access privileges upon detection of any suspicious network activity (for example, several attempts to gain unauthorized access).

The detection of suspicious activity is based on the creation of Suspicious Activity rules. Suspicious Activity rules are Firewall rules that enable the system administrator to instantly block suspicious connections that are not restricted by the currently enforced security policy. These rules, once set (usually with an expiration date), can be applied immediately without the need to perform an Install Policy operation.

References:

 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.

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 CPM process is the core process of the Security Management Server that handles all management operations. It listens to TCP-port 19009 by default. References: CPM process

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

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 fwd process on the Security Gateway sends logs to the fwd process on the Management Server via the cpm process. The cpm process is the main management process that handles database operations, policy installation, and communication with GUI clients via TCP port 190093. The other options are either incorrect or irrelevant to the log flow. References: Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview, Check Point Ports Used for Communication by Various Check Point Modules

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 file that contains the host address to be published, the MAC address that needs to be associated with the IP address, and the unique IP of the interface that responds to ARP request is $FWDIR/conf/local.arp. Local.arp is a configuration file that defines static ARP entries for hosts behind NAT devices. This file allows the Security Gateway to respond to ARP requests for NATed hosts with the correct MAC address, and to publish the NATed IP address instead of the real IP address. The other files are either not related or not valid. 

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]

The three components for Check Point Capsule are Capsule Workspace, Capsule Docs, and Capsule Cloud. Capsule Workspace is a secure container app that allows users to access corporate data and applications from their mobile devices. Capsule Docs is a solution that protects documents with encryption and granular access control. Capsule Cloud is a cloud-based security service that enforces security policies on devices that are outside the corporate network. References: Check Point Capsule

To fully enable Dynamic Dispatcher on a Security Gateway, you need to run the following command in Expert mode then reboot:

This command sets the multi-core mode to 9, which means that Dynamic Dispatcher is enabled without Firewall Priority Queues. Dynamic Dispatcher is a feature that optimizes the performance of Security Gateways with multiple CPU cores by dynamically allocating traffic to different cores based on their load and priority. Dynamic Dispatcher can improve the throughput and scalability of the Security Gateway, especially for traffic that is not accelerated by SecureXL. The other commands are not valid or do not enable Dynamic Dispatcher. References: R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide

Check Point recommends configuring Disk Space Management parameters to delete old log entries when available disk space is less than or equal to a certain threshold. In this case, the correct threshold is specified as option D: 15%.

So, when the available disk space reaches or falls below 15%, old log entries should be deleted to free up space.

Options A, B, and C do not represent the recommended threshold for deleting old log entries according to Check Point's best practices.

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

 Gateway API is not an example of a Check Point API. Check Point APIs are interfaces that enable interactions with Check Point products using automation scripts or external applications. The examples of Check Point APIs are Management API, OPSEC SDK, Threat Prevention API, Identity Awareness Web Services API, and others4. Gateway API is not a valid Check Point API name. References: Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide, Check Point APIs

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.

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 hostname of the Standby member should not be changed to match the hostname of the Active member, as this would cause a conflict in the network. The correct procedure is to change the hostname of the Active member to a different name, and then change the Standby member to the original hostname of the Active member1. References: 1: Check Point Resource Library, Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview, page 9.

 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

References:

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

 In a Standalone deployment, a Check Point computer runs both the Security Gateway and Security Management Server products. This means that the same appliance performs both network security functions and security policy management functions. A Standalone deployment is suitable for small or branch offices that do not require a separate management server. References: Check Point R81 Installation and Upgrade Guide, page 10

 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

The statement that is correct about the Sticky Decision Function is It is not supported with either the Performance pack of a hardware based accelerator card. The Sticky Decision Function (SDF) is a feature that ensures that packets from the same connection are handled by the same cluster member in a Load Sharing configuration. However, SDF is not compatible with SecureXL acceleration, which is enabled by default or by using a Performance pack or a hardware based accelerator card4. The other statements are either incorrect or outdated about SDF. References: Check Point R81 ClusterXL Administration Guide, Sticky Decision Function - Check Point CheckMates

 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)

 To ensure that VMAC mode is enabled, the CLI command that should be run on all cluster members is fw ctl get int fwha_vmac_global_param_enabled; result of command should return value 1. VMAC mode is a feature that allows ClusterXL to use virtual MAC addresses for cluster interfaces, instead of physical MAC addresses. This improves the failover performance and compatibility of ClusterXL with switches and routers. To check if VMAC mode is enabled, the command fw ctl get int fwha_vmac_global_param_enabled can be used, which returns 1 if VMAC mode is enabled, and 0 if VMAC mode is disabled. 

The methods of SandBlast Threat Emulation deployment are Cloud, Appliance, and Private. SandBlast Threat Emulation is a solution that detects and prevents zero-day attacks by emulating files in a sandbox environment and analyzing their behavior for malicious indicators. SandBlast Threat Emulation can be deployed in three different methods: Cloud, Appliance, and Private. Cloud method is when the files are sent to the Check Point cloud service for emulation and analysis. This method does not require any additional hardware or software on the customer’s side, and provides the fastest updates and feeds from ThreatCloud. Appliance method is when the files are sent to a dedicated appliance on the customer’s network for emulation and analysis. This method provides more control and privacy for the customer, and supports more file types and sizes. Private method is when the files are sent to a private cloud service on the customer’s network for emulation and analysis. This method provides the highest level of control and privacy for the customer, and supports customizing the emulation environment and scenarios.

Secure Network Distributor (SND) is a relevant feature of the Security Gateway because it is used to distribute packets among Firewall instances. SND is a technology that improves the performance and scalability of the Security Gateway by using multiple cores to handle concurrent connections. SND consists of two components: SND driver and Firewall instances. SND driver is responsible for receiving packets from network interfaces and distributing them to Firewall instances based on a load balancing algorithm. Firewall instances are responsible for inspecting packets according to security policies and forwarding them to their destinations. The other options are either incorrect or not related to SND.

What two ordered layers make up the Access Control Policy Layer? Network and Application Control are the two ordered layers that make up the Access Control Policy Layer. The Network layer controls network access based on source, destination, service, time, etc. The Application Control layer controls application access based on users, groups, applications, content categories, etc. The Network layer is always processed before the Application Control layer. References: R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 29.

 There are 8 priority queues by default, and up to 8 additional queues can be manually configured1. Priority Queues are a feature of SecureXL that accelerates the performance of the Security Gateway by offloading CPU-intensive operations to the SecureXL device2. Priority Queues are used to prioritize traffic when the Security Gateway is stressed and needs to drop packets2. By default, there are 8 priority queues, each with a different priority level and type of connections2. You can manually configure up to 8 additional queues by setting the relevant kernel parameters in $FWDIR/boot/modules/fwkern.conf file1. You can also customize the queue length, the load balancing method, and the services that are considered as control connections1.

References: Firewall Priority Queues in R80.x / R81.x - Check Point Software, SecureXL - Check Point Software

https://sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/R80.40/WebAdminGuides/EN/CP_R80.40_PerformanceTuning_AdminGuide/Content/Topics-PTG/CoreXL-Configuring-IPv4-and-IPv6-CoreXL-FW-instances.htm?Highlight=Configuring%20the%20Number%20of%20IPv4%20CoreXL%20Firewall%20Instances R81 https://sc1.checkpoint.com/documents/R81/WebAdminGuides/EN/CP_R81_PerformanceTuning_AdminGuide/Topics-PTG/CoreXL-Configuring-IPv4-and-IPv6-CoreXL-FW-instances.htm cpconfig - > Enter the number of the Check Point CoreXL option. ( Enter 1 to select Change the number of firewall instances. OR Enter 2 for the option Change the number of IPv6 firewall instances.) -> Enter the total number of IPv4 (IPv6) CoreXL Firewall instances you wish the Security Gateway to run. Follow the instructions on the screen. -> Exit from the cpconfig menu. - Reboot the Security Gateway.

 One of the requirements for a successful upgrade using the Advanced Upgrade with Database Migration 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. This is to ensure that there is enough space to copy the log files from the source machine to the target machine during the upgrade process. References: Advanced Upgrade with Database Migration

The best way to test if the policy from two weeks ago have the same issue is to install the specific version of the policy from the installation history view of the gateway. This way, you can keep the changes from the last weeks in the management server and revert back to them later if needed. You do not need to take a backup or a snapshot of the gateway or the management server for this purpose. References: [Check Point Security Expert R81 Administration Guide], page 34.

 The SmartEvent Correlation Unit is responsible for analyzing the log entries and identifying events from them. It runs on the Log Server machine or on a dedicated machine1. To check the status of the SmartEvent Correlation Unit, you can use the command cpstat cpsead on the machine where it is installed. This command will show you information such as the number of logs processed, the number of events generated, the CPU and memory usage, and the status of the connection to the SmartEvent Server23.

References: SmartEvent Administration Guide R76, SmartEvent Administration Guide R75, SmartEvent Performance Tuning Guide

 The reason why the web session is being disconnected after 10 minutes is that the idle timeout for the web session is specified with the “set web session-timeout” command, not the “set inactivity-timeout” command. The “set inactivity-timeout” command only affects the CLI session, not the web session. To prevent the web session from being disconnected after 10 minutes of inactivity, you need to use the “set web session-timeout” command with a higher value than 10 minutes. References: [Check Point Security Expert R81 Administration Guide], page 77.

Central Licensing is the preferred and recommended method of licensing because it simplifies the license management process and reduces the risk of license issues. Central Licensing ties to the IP address of the management server and is not dependent on the IP of any gateway in the event it changes. This means that you can easily add, remove, or replace gateways without affecting your license status. Central Licensing also allows you to view and manage all your licenses from one central location using SmartConsole or SmartUpdate. Central Licensing is supported with Gaia and is not the only option when deploying Gaia. Central Licensing does not tie to the IP address of a gateway and cannot be changed to any gateway if needed. References: Check Point R81 Licensing and Contract Administration Guide, page 7

 By default, when the CPUSE Software Updates Policy is set to Automatic, updates are checked every three hours3. This means that the CPUSE agent will automatically download and install updates that match the policy settings every three hours. The other options are not the default values for the CPUSE Software Updates Policy. References: 3: Check Point Software, Getting Started, CPUSE Software Updates Policy.

The verified answer is B. SmartConsole machine is not part of the domain.

The Identity Awareness wizard uses the SmartConsole machine to detect the windows domain by querying the Active Directory server using DCOM protocol1. If the SmartConsole machine is not part of the domain, the query will fail and the wizard will not automatically detect the domain. The user will have to manually enter the domain name and credentials to proceed with the configuration.

The Security Gateway, the Security Management Server, and the Identity Awareness global properties do not affect the domain detection by the wizard. However, they are required for other aspects of the Identity Awareness blade, such as AD Query, Identity Collector, and Browser-Based Authentication2.

References:

• Identity Awareness Configuration wizard authentication fails3
• Identity Awareness - Check Point Software4

 The command used to manually failover a Multi-Version Cluster during the upgrade is clusterXL_admin down in Clish. This command causes the cluster member to stop passing traffic and switch to the Down state. This triggers a failover to another cluster member that is in the Active or Ready state. This command can be used during a Multi-Version Cluster upgrade to manually control which cluster member handles the traffic. The other options are not valid commands for manually failing over a Multi-Version Cluster. References: : Check Point Software, Getting Started, Manually Failing Over a Cluster Member.

 The multicast destination assigned by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for VRRP is 224.0.0.18. This is a reserved multicast address that is used by VRRP routers to communicate with each other and announce their priority and state. Firewall policies must be configured to accept VRRP packets on the Gaia platform if it runs Firewall software. Otherwise, VRRP packets will be dropped by default. References: [Configuring VRRP on Gaia]

Identity Awareness uses various methods to acquire identity information. These methods include:

• Active Directory Query: Identity Awareness queries Active Directory servers to retrieve user and group information.
• Cloud IdP (Identity Provider): Identity Awareness integrates with cloud identity providers such as Microsoft Azure AD, Okta, and Google Workspace.
• RADIUS: Identity Awareness can use RADIUS servers to authenticate users.

However, Remote Access is not a method used by Identity Awareness for acquiring identity. Remote Access typically refers to VPN connections, and while Identity Awareness can be used in conjunction with VPNs, it does not directly acquire identity information from remote access connections.

References:

• Check Point Troubleshooting Expert - R81 (CCTE) Reference Materials guides and documents.
• Check Point Certified Troubleshooting Expert R81.20 - CCTE
• Check Point CCTE Certification Sample Questions and Practice Exam

The verified answer is B. Automatic proxy ARP configuration can be enabled.

Proxy ARP is a feature that allows a gateway to respond to ARP requests on behalf of another IP address that is not on the same network segment. Proxy ARP is required for manual NAT rules when the NATed IP addresses are not routed to the gateway1.

By default, proxy ARP for manual NAT rules has to be configured manually by editing the local.arp file or using the CLISH commands on the gateway2. However, since R80.10, there is an option to enable automatic proxy ARP configuration for manual NAT rules by modifying the files $CPDIR/tmp/.CPprofile.sh and $CPDIR/tmp/.CPprofile.csh on the gateway3.

fw ctl proxy is a command that displays the proxy ARP table on the gateway, but it does not configure proxy ARP4.

Translate Destination on Client Side is a NAT option that determines whether the destination IP address is translated before or after the routing decision. It does not affect proxy ARP.

References:

• Configuring Proxy ARP for Manual NAT - Check Point Software1
• R80.10: Automatic Proxy ARP with Manual NAT rules - checkpointengineer2
• Automatic creation of Proxy ARP for Manual NAT rules on Security Gateway R80.103
• fw ctl proxy - Check Point Software
• NAT Properties - Check Point Software

The valid authentication methods for mutual authenticating the VPN gateways are Pre-shared Secret and PKI Certificates. Pre-shared Secret is a method that uses a secret key that is known only to the two VPN gateways. PKI Certificates is a method that uses digital certificates that are issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA) and contain the public key of each VPN gateway. Both methods ensure that the VPN gateways can verify each other’s identity before establishing a secure VPN tunnel. References: [Check Point R81 VPN Administration Guide]

 The type of SecureXL template that is not valid among the options is Deny template. SecureXL templates are pre-allocated data structures that store information about connections that match certain criteria. They are used to accelerate the processing of packets that belong to those connections. The valid types of SecureXL templates are Accept, Drop, NAT, and Crypt. The Accept template is used for connections that are allowed by the Firewall policy. The Drop template is used for connections that are blocked by the Firewall policy. The NAT template is used for connections that require Network Address Translation. The Crypt template is used for connections that require encryption or decryption. References: [SecureXL Templates]

The Check Point software blade that provides protection from zero-day and undiscovered threats is Threat Emulation. Threat Emulation is a sandboxing technology that inspects files for malicious behavior in a virtual environment before they reach the end user. Threat Emulation can detect and block malware that tries to evade traditional signature-based solutions by using unknown or obfuscated techniques. Threat Emulation can also generate forensic reports and provide actionable intelligence on the malware origin and behavior. 

 Updatable Objects are a Threat Cloud Service that provides network objects that represent external services, such as Office 365, AWS, GEO locations, and more. These objects are updated automatically by Check Point and do not require policy installation for the changes to take effect. Dynamic Objects are created and maintained locally by the administrator and can be used to define temporary or changing network objects, such as IP addresses, ports, or ranges. Dynamic Objects also do not require policy installation for the changes to take effect. References: Updatable Objects, Updateable Objects and NAT, R80.20 Updatable Domain Objects and CLI Commands.

 The possible Automatic Reactions in SmartEvent are Mail, SNMP Trap, Block Source, Block Event Activity, and External Script1. Automatic Reactions are actions that SmartEvent can perform automatically when a specific event occurs2. They can help you respond quickly and efficiently to security incidents and threats2. The Automatic Reactions are1:

• Mail: This reaction sends an email notification to a specified recipient with the details of the event. You can customize the subject and the body of the email, and use variables to include relevant information.
• SNMP Trap: This reaction sends an SNMP trap to a specified SNMP server with the details of the event. You can customize the OID and the community string of the trap, and use variables to include relevant information.
• Block Source: This reaction blocks the source IP address of the event from accessing your network for a specified duration. You can choose to block the source on all gateways or on specific gateways. You can also choose to block the source on a specific port or service.
• Block Event Activity: This reaction blocks the specific activity that triggered the event from occurring again for a specified duration. You can choose to block the activity on all gateways or on specific gateways. You can also choose to block the activity on a specific port or service.
• External Script: This reaction runs an external script on a specified server with the details of the event as arguments. You can use any script that can be executed by the operating system of the server, such as bash, perl, python, etc. You can use variables to include relevant information in the script arguments.

References: SmartEvent R81.20 Administration Guide - Check Point Software, SmartEvent - Check Point Software

 You are the administrator for ABC Corp. You have logged into your R81 Management server. You are making some changes in the Rule Base and notice that rule No.6 has a pencil icon next to it.

This means that rule No.6 has been marked for editing in your Management session. In R81, every administrator works in a session that is independent of other administrators. Changes made by one administrator are not visible to others until they are published. When you edit a rule, it is marked with a pencil icon to indicate that it has been modified in your session. You can also lock a rule to prevent other administrators from editing it until you unlock it or publish your session. References: R81 Security Management Administration Guide, page 43.

 The Check Point WatchDog daemon (cpwd) invokes and monitors critical processes and attempts to restart them if they fail. The cpwd daemon is responsible for starting processes such as cpd, cpm, fwm, fwd, and others. The cpd daemon is the Check Point Management daemon that handles communication between SmartConsole applications and Security Management Servers. The cpm daemon is the Check Point Management Server daemon that handles database operations and policy installation. The fwm daemon is the Firewall Management daemon that handles communication between Security Gateways and Security Management Servers. References: : Check Point Software, Getting Started, WatchDog Daemon; : Check Point Software, Getting Started, Processes.

 The IPS policy for pre-R81 gateways is installed during the Anti-bot policy install. The Anti-bot policy install includes both Anti-bot and IPS protections for pre-R81 gateways, since they share the same inspection engine. For R81 and above gateways, the IPS policy is installed separately as part of the Threat Prevention policy install, which also includes Anti-virus and Threat Emulation protections. References: R81 Threat Prevention Administration Guide, page 15.

 Harmony Endpoint is a solution that provides comprehensive protection for endpoint devices against cyber threats. Harmony Endpoint includes a personal firewall that controls the network traffic to and from the endpoint device, based on predefined rules and policies. Harmony Endpoint also integrates with Check Point’s VPN solutions to provide secure remote access to corporate resources1. Therefore, the customer will need Harmony Endpoint because of the personal firewall requirement.

References: 1: Harmony Endpoint Administration Guide

The verified answer is C. Identity Awareness.

Identity Awareness is the Check Point software blade that provides detailed visibility of users, groups, and machines, while also providing application and access control through the creation of accurate, identity-based policies1. Identity Awareness allows you to easily configure network access and auditing based on three items: network location, the identity of a user and the identity of a machine1. Identity Awareness integrates with multiple identity sources, such as Microsoft Active Directory, Cisco Identity Services Engine, and RADIUS Accounting23.

Application Control is the Check Point software blade that enables network administrators to identify and control thousands of applications and widgets, and millions of websites, based on categories, risk, and characteristics.

Firewall is the Check Point software blade that provides stateful inspection and enforcement of network traffic, and protects against network and application-level attacks.

URL Filtering is the Check Point software blade that enables secure web access by blocking access to malicious and inappropriate websites, and enforcing compliance with corporate policies.

References:

• Identity Awareness - Check Point Software1
• Check Point Integrated Security Architecture - Check Point Software2
• Cisco Identity Services Engine and Check Point Integration3
• Application Control - Check Point Software
• Firewall - Check Point Software
• URL Filtering - Check Point Software

 When a packet arrives at the gateway, the gateway checks it against the rules in the top Policy Layer, sequentially from top to bottom, and enforces the first rule that matches the packet. The order of rule enforcement depends on the action of the matching rule. If the action is Accept, the gateway allows the packet to pass through the gateway, but also continues to check rules in the next Policy Layer down. If the action is Drop, Reject, or Encrypt, the gateway applies that action to the packet and stops checking rules in that Policy Layer and any subsequent Policy Layers. If there is no matching rule in a Policy Layer, the gateway applies the Implicit Clean-up Rule for that Policy Layer, which is usually Drop. 

The most common cause for the issue is that the admin forgot to apply the new license. The Access Control license is included by default but the service subscriptions for the Threat Prevention Blades are missing. Without a valid license, the Threat Prevention Policy cannot be installed on the new hardware. The admin should check the license status on the SmartConsole -> Gateways & Servers -> Licenses & Contracts and apply the appropriate license for the replacement hardware. References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81.20 Course Overview, sk171213: Threat Prevention policy installation reports failure in SmartConsole with this error: “Policy installation had failed due to an internal error.”

Starting R81, the Access Control Policy installation process is accelerated thereby reducing the duration of the process significantly. According to the Check Point R81 Security Management Administration Guide1, Accelerated Install Policy is a new feature in R81 that optimizes common use-cases and drastically speeds up the installation with up to 90% improvement. Policy installation is accelerated depending on the changes that were made to the Access Control policy since the last installation. When the policy installation is accelerated, the icon will appear under the “Install Policy Acceleration” column in the Install Policy window.

References:

• Accelerated Install Policy - Check Point Software, section “Accelerated Install Policy”

 The CLISH command to change the default Gaia WebUI Portal port number is set web ssl-port . This command will change the port that the WebUI listens on for HTTPS connections. After changing the port, you need to save the configuration with save config and verify that the change was applied with show web ssl-port. You also need to update the Main URL in the Platform Portal section of the gateway object in SmartConsole and install the policy. 

Which command is used to obtain the configuration lock in Gaia? The command that is used to obtain the configuration lock in Gaia is lock database override. This command allows a user to take over the configuration lock from another user who is currently logged in with read/write access. The other user will be forced to logout and will lose any unsaved changes. This command should be used with caution and only when necessary. References: Gaia Administration Guide R81, page 15.

After installing a new multicore CPU to replace the existing single core CPU, the administrator is required to perform one additional task, which is to increase the number of kernel instances using cpconfig. This is because by default, only one kernel instance is enabled on a Security Gateway. To take advantage of multiple cores, the administrator needs to configure more kernel instances according to the number of cores available on the CPU. References: Configuring CoreXL

You plan to automate creating new objects using new R81 Management API. You decide to use GAIA CLI for this task.

The first step to run management API commands on GAIA’s shell is mgmt_login. This command allows you to login to the management server and obtain a session ID, which is required for running other management API commands. You can also specify the user name and password as parameters, or enter them interactively. The session ID is stored in the file $CPDIR/tmp/.api_session by default, unless you specify a different file name. References: R81 Management API Reference Guide, page 15.

 Aaron should check API Server status with “api status” from Expert mode. If services are stopped, he should start them with “api start”. This is the correct way to verify and start the API Server on a Security Management Server running Gaia R81.X. The other commands are either invalid or not related to the API Server. The api command is a wrapper script that simplifies the management of the API Server. It can be used to start, stop, restart, status, enable, or disable the API Server. References: [API Server]

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

The WebUI can be used to manage user accounts and assign privileges to users. It can also add users to your Gaia system and edit the home directory of the user. However, it cannot assign user rights to their home directory in the Security Management Server1. References: Check Point Resource Library, page 3.

 The lowest supported version of the Security Management that can be upgraded to R81.X is R75 Gaia. This means that the Security Management Server must be running on the Gaia Operating System and have a version of R75 or higher. R76 Splat, R77.X Gaia, and R75 Splat are not supported for upgrading to R81.X1. References: 1: Check Point Software, Getting Started, Supported Upgrade Paths.

You can establish a VPN before the user login to the Endpoint Client by enabling Machine Authentication in the Gateway object of the Smart Console1. Machine Authentication is a feature that allows you to authenticate with a machine certificate and establish a VPN tunnel before the Windows Logon2. This feature provides the following benefits2:

• It enhances the security of the VPN connection by verifying the identity of the machine before allowing access to the network.
• It simplifies the user experience by eliminating the need to enter credentials twice (once for the VPN and once for the Windows Logon).
• It enables seamless connectivity to the network resources and domain services, such as Group Policy, login scripts, and mapped drives. Machine Authentication is supported on Check Point Endpoint Security Client for Windows with E80.71 and higher versions2. It requires a hotfix on top of R77.30 jumbo 286 on the Security Gateway2. To configure Machine Authentication, you need to do the following steps2:
• Generate and distribute machine certificates to the Endpoint machines using a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).
• Enable Machine Authentication in the Gateway object of the Smart Console and select the CA that issued the machine certificates.
• Install policy on the Security Gateway and reboot it.
• Enable Machine Authentication in the Endpoint Security Client and select the machine certificate to use.

 The feature that is not provided by all Check Point Mobile Access solutions is support for IPv6. Check Point Mobile Access is a comprehensive solution that provides secure remote access to corporate applications and resources using various methods, such as SSL VPN, IPsec VPN, clientless VPN, and mobile VPN. However, not all of these methods support IPv6, which is the latest version of the Internet Protocol that uses 128-bit addresses. According to the Check Point Mobile Access R81 Administration Guide1, only the following Mobile Access methods support IPv6:

• SSL Network Extender (SNX) - a thin client that enables remote users to connect securely to the corporate network using SSL/TLS VPN.
• Mobile VPN - a full VPN client that enables remote users to connect securely to the corporate network using IPsec VPN.
• Capsule Connect - a mobile VPN app for iOS and Android devices that enables remote users to connect securely to the corporate network using IPsec VPN.

The following Mobile Access methods do not support IPv6:

• Clientless VPN - a web-based method that enables remote users to access web applications and services using a web browser without installing any software on their devices.
• Endpoint Security VPN - a full VPN client that enables remote users to connect securely to the corporate network using IPsec VPN and also provides endpoint security features such as firewall, anti-virus, anti-malware, etc.
• Capsule Workspace - a mobile app for iOS and Android devices that enables remote users to access email, calendar, contacts, and corporate applications securely without requiring a VPN connection.

 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 statement that is wrong regarding the usage of the Central Deployment in SmartConsole is that only be installed Hotfixes can with the Central Deployment in SmartConsole. This is wrong because Central Deployment can also be used to install Jumbo Hotfix accumulators, upgrade clusters, and perform other operations on multiple gateways simultaneously. Central Deployment simplifies and automates the deployment process and reduces human errors and downtime. References: [Check Point Security Expert R81 Administration Guide], page 23.

 SandBlast Mobile Protect is an application that provides comprehensive protection for mobile devices against cyber threats. SandBlast Mobile Protect is a lightweight app that does not affect the device performance or battery life. It monitors network traffic, device behavior, and installed apps to detect and prevent attacks such as phishing, malware, ransomware, botnets, and man-in-the-middle5. SandBlast Mobile Protect also integrates with Check Point’s ThreatCloud intelligence network to provide real-time threat information and updates6. Therefore, the correct answer is B.

References: 5: [SandBlast Mobile Protect] 6: [SandBlast Mobile Administration Guide]

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

 The error message “Error 404. The Management API server is not available. Please check that the Management API server is up and running.” indicates that the API is not running on the Management Server. The netstat command shows that there is no process listening on port 4434, which is the default port for the API. To start the API, the command ‘api start’ should be used. The other options are not relevant to this issue. References: Check Point R81 Installation and Upgrade Guide, page 18.

From SecureXL perspective, the three paths of traffic flow are Firewall Path, Accelerated Path, and Medium Path. Firewall Path is the path that handles packets that are not processed by SecureXL and are sent to the Firewall kernel for inspection. Accelerated Path is the path that handles packets that are processed by SecureXL and bypass the Firewall kernel. Medium Path is the path that handles packets that are partially processed by SecureXL and partially by the Firewall kernel1. References: Check Point R81 Performance Tuning Administration Guide

The vpn tu command and the SmartView Monitor are two components that allow you to reset a VPN tunnel. The vpn tu command is a command-line tool that lets you view and manage the status of VPN tunnels on a Security Gateway or cluster member. The SmartView Monitor is a graphical tool that lets you monitor the network and security performance, view VPN tunnel status, and reset VPN tunnels. Both components can be used to reset a VPN tunnel by selecting the option to delete IKE SA or IPsec SA for a specific peer or all peers. References: R81 VPN Administration Guide, page 29-30; R81 SmartConsole R81 Resolved Issues, sk170114

 The action that is not supported in UserCheck objects is Reject. UserCheck objects in the Application Control and URL Filtering rules allow the gateway to communicate with the users and display messages or requests on their browsers. The supported actions in UserCheck objects are Ask, Inform, Block, and Continue. The Ask action prompts the user to confirm or cancel an action. The Inform action notifies the user about an event or a policy. The Block action prevents the user from accessing a resource or performing an action. The Continue action allows the user to access a resource or perform an action after displaying a message. References: [UserCheck]

Capsule Connect is a full layer 3 VPN client that provides secure and seamless remote access to corporate networks from iOS and Android devices. It supports all VPN authentication methods, such as certificates, passwords, tokens, and challenge-response. It also supports split tunneling and seamless roaming. References: Capsule Connect Datasheet, Capsule Connect Administration Guide

 By default, the R81 web API uses JSON as the content-type in its response. JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation and is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy to read and write. XML, Java Script, and Text are not the default content-types for the R81 web API. References: : Check Point Software, Getting Started, Web API; : JSON.org, Introducing JSON.

The “sim affinity -I” command is a command that displays the affinity distribution of the Security Gateway’s interfaces. Affinity distribution is the assignment of CPU cores to handle the traffic from different interfaces. The “sim affinity -I” command shows the following information for each interface:

• The interface name, such as eth0, eth1, etc.
• The interface index, such as 0, 1, 2, etc.
• The interface type, such as physical, bond, VLAN, etc.
• The interface state, such as up or down
• The interface speed, such as 1000 Mbps, 10000 Mbps, etc.
• The interface MTU, such as 1500, 9000, etc.
• The interface MAC address, such as 00:11:22:33:44:55
• The interface IP address, such as 192.168.1.1, 10.0.0.1, etc.
• The interface affinity mask, such as 0x00000001, 0x00000002, etc. The affinity mask is a hexadecimal value that represents the CPU cores that are assigned to handle the traffic from the interface. For example, 0x00000001 means that only CPU core 0 is assigned, 0x00000003 means that CPU cores 0 and 1 are assigned, and so on.

The “sim affinity -I” command can help you to monitor and optimize the performance of your Security Gateway by showing you how the traffic load is distributed among the CPU cores. You can also use the “sim affinity” command with other options to change the affinity settings of the interfaces or the firewall instances. For more information, you can refer to the Check Point R81.20 (Titan) Resolved Issues and Enhancements1 or the Solved: Sim Affinity - Check Point CheckMates2.

To use SmartConsole R81 for managing SmartEvent R81, you need to have the following ports open:

• Port 19009 for communication over HTTPS (443)
• Port 19009 for communication over HTTP (80)

These ports are necessary for the SmartConsole to communicate with SmartEvent for management and monitoring purposes.

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

Threat Emulation downloads packages by default once per day. The packages contain updates for the Threat Emulation engine, signatures, and images. The download frequency can be changed in the Threat Prevention policy settings. References: Threat Emulation Administration Guide, Threat Prevention R81 Release Notes

In SmartDashboard, Threat Prevention profiles can be assigned to one or more rules. This means that you can have multiple profiles assigned to a single gateway, and each of these profiles can be associated with one or more rules. This allows for granular control over threat prevention settings for different rules or scenarios.

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

The correct command to verify the CPUSE (Check Point Update Service Engine) version is:

Option B is incorrect because it uses the "[Expert@HostName:0]#" prompt, which is typically used for expert mode commands, but the CPUSE version can be checked using the "show installer status build" command in standard mode.

Option C is incorrect because it uses the "[Expert@HostName:0]#" prompt, and while it includes the "build" parameter, it's not the standard command to check the CPUSE version.

Option D is incorrect because it uses the "HostName:0>" prompt, but it lacks the "show" command and uses "build" instead of "status build."

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 documentation

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.

 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 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.

 User-mode processes are processes that run in the user space of the operating system, as opposed to kernel-mode processes that run in the kernel space. User-mode processes are usually less privileged and have less access to system resources than kernel-mode processes. Check Point products use both user-mode and kernel-mode processes to provide various functionalities and services.

The following are some of the user-mode processes that can be seen on the management server and gateway:

• fwd: This process is responsible for policy installation, logging, and communication with other Check Point components. It runs on both the management server and gateway.
• cpd: This process is responsible for licensing, certificate management, and communication with SmartConsole. It runs on both the management server and gateway.
• cpwd: This process is responsible for monitoring and restarting other processes. It runs on both the management server and gateway.

The following is a user-mode process that can only be seen on the management server:

• fwm: This process is responsible for managing the security policy database, compiling the security policy, and generating reports. It runs only on the management server.

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

References: Check Point Processes and Daemons, Check Point Processes Cheat Sheet, Check Point Firewall Security Solution

Threat Extraction (Answer B): Threat Extraction always delivers a file, but it removes potentially malicious content from the file before delivering it to the user. It is designed to provide a safe version of the file quickly, taking less than a second to complete.

Threat Emulation (Option A): Threat Emulation does not deliver the original file to the user until it has been thoroughly analyzed for threats. It may take more than 3 minutes to complete the analysis. The emphasis here is on safety and thorough inspection, which may result in a longer processing time.

Therefore, Option B correctly describes the main difference between Threat Extraction and Threat Emulation.

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

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…

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 fwaccel stat command on the gateway shows the status of SecureXL acceleration, including the number of accelerated and non-accelerated connections, and the reason for non-acceleration. The reason for non-acceleration can be either a rule that disables templating, or a feature that is not supported by SecureXL. To determine which rule disables templating, the administrator can use the -s option to show the rule numbers and names. For example:

 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

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 correct command to add an “emailserver1” host with IP address 10.50.23.90 using GAiA management CLI is mgmt: add host name emailserver1 ip-address 10.50.23.90. This command will create a new host object in the Security Management Server database, with the specified name and IP address. The mgmt: prefix indicates that the command is executed on the Security Management Server, and not on the local GAiA machine. The other commands are either missing the mgmt: prefix, or have incorrect syntax or parameters. 

Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace are both components of Check Point's remote access solution, but they serve different purposes and have distinct features:

A. Capsule Connect provides a Layer 3 VPN, which allows remote users to connect securely to their corporate network. It typically provides network-level access, allowing users to access resources on the corporate network. On the other hand, Capsule Workspace provides a secure workspace environment, including a virtual desktop with usable applications. It is more focused on providing application-level access to users in a secure manner.

B. This statement is partially true. Capsule Workspace is designed to provide secure access to a wide range of applications and resources, not limited to specific applications.

C. Capsule Connect does provide business data isolation by creating a secure VPN tunnel for remote users, ensuring that their network traffic is isolated from the public internet.

D. Capsule Connect usually requires an installed application or VPN client on the client device to establish a secure connection to the corporate network. This statement is not entirely accurate because an installed application or client is typically required.

Therefore, option A is the correct answer as it accurately distinguishes between Capsule Connect and Capsule Workspace based on their primary functionalities.

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

The most recommended way to install patches and hotfixes is CPUSE (Check Point Update Service Engine). CPUSE 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 target device using a USB drive or SCP. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, CPUSE Administration Guide

 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

Check Point's SecureXL technology, which is responsible for acceleration, has certain limitations and conditions under which acceleration may not occur. In this context, the question is asking about factors that will NOT affect acceleration.

Option B, "A 5-tuple match," will not affect acceleration. A 5-tuple match refers to the matching of source IP, source port, destination IP, destination port, and protocol. SecureXL can accelerate traffic that matches these criteria, but it's not a factor that hinders acceleration.

Options A, C, and D can all affect acceleration:

Option A mentions "Connections destined to or originated from the Security gateway," which implies that SecureXL acceleration can apply to these connections.

Option C mentions "Multicast packets," and SecureXL may have limitations in handling multicast traffic efficiently.

Option D mentions "Connections that have a Handler (ICMP, FTP, H.323, etc.)," and certain protocols (such as FTP) may require special handling and might not be fully accelerated by SecureXL.

References: Check Point Certified Security Expert R81 Study Guide

 The best way to block .exe and .bat file types using Threat Emulation technologies is to enable DLP and select .exe and .bat file type. DLP stands for Data Loss Prevention, and it is a feature that allows administrators to define rules and actions to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access or transfer. One of the DLP rule conditions is File Type, which can be used to block or alert on specific file types, such as .exe and .bat, that may contain malicious code or scripts. The other options are either not related to Threat Emulation technologies, or not effective in blocking .exe and .bat file types. 

Check Point Capsule is a suite of solutions designed to provide comprehensive mobile security and secure access. The components of Check Point Capsule include:

Capsule Docs (Option A): A component that secures document sharing and protects sensitive data.

Capsule Cloud (Option B): A component that provides cloud-based security services.

Capsule Workspace (Option D): A component that provides secure workspace on mobile devices.

Option C, "Capsule Enterprise," is not a recognized component of Check Point Capsule based on the available information. Therefore, it is the correct answer as the component that is NOT part of Check Point Capsule.

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

The directory /opt/CPsuite-R81/fw1/log contains the log files for the Security Gateway, such as firewall, VPN, IPS, and anti-virus logs1. These log files can be viewed and analyzed using SmartConsole or SmartView2. The other directories are not correct because:

• A. The directory /opt/CPSmartlog-R81/log contains the log files for the SmartLog server, which is a separate component that indexes and searches the logs from multiple Security Gateways3.
• B. The directory /opt/CPshrd-R81/log contains the log files for the shared components of the Check Point suite, such as cpwd, cpca, cpd, and cpwatchdog4.
• D. The directory /opt/CPsuite-R81/log does not exist by default and is not used for logging purposes.

References: Logging and Monitoring R81 Administration Guide, SmartConsole R81 Help, SmartLog R81 Help, Check Point Processes and Daemons

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

 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

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

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

Threat Emulation is a software blade that takes minutes to complete (less than 3 minutes). Threat Emulation analyzes files for malicious behavior by running them in a virtual sandbox. Threat Emulation works on MS Office, PDF, executables, and archive files. Threat Emulation does not always deliver a file, but only if no threats are found or if the user chooses to download the original file after seeing a warning message. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Threat Emulation Administration Guide

Each instance of VRRP running on a supported interface may monitor the link state of other interfaces. The monitored interfaces do not have to be running VRRP.

If a monitored interface loses its link state, then VRRP will decrement its priority over a VRID by the specified delta value and then will send out a new VRRP HELLO packet. If the new effective priority is less than the priority a backup platform has, then the backup platform will begin to send out its own HELLO packet.

Once the master sees this packet with a priority greater than its own, then it releases the VIP.

References:

Check Point API is a set of web services that enable the usage of functions and commands in a dynamic and automated fashion. Check Point API is available in different types, each serving a different purpose and functionality. According to the Check Point Resource Library1, the following are the types of Check Point API available in R81.x:

• Identity Awareness Web Services: This type of API allows external applications to send identity and location information to the Security Gateway, which can then use this information for policy enforcement. Identity Awareness Web Services can be used for scenarios such as guest registration, captive portal, identity agents, etc.
• OPSEC SDK: This type of API provides a framework for developing applications that interact with Check Point products using the OPSEC (Open Platform for Security) protocol. OPSEC SDK can be used for scenarios such as log export, event management, anti-virus integration, etc.
• Management: This type of API allows external applications to perform management operations on the Check Point Management server using RESTful web services. Management API can be used for scenarios such as policy installation, object creation, configuration backup, etc.

Mobile Access is not a type of Check Point API, but rather a feature that provides secure remote access to corporate resources from various devices. Mobile Access uses SSL VPN technology and supports different authentication methods and access scenarios.

References: What is an API Gateway?, How to use Check Point API with Postman quick guide, Home - Check Point Developers, Introduction to RESTful APIs and JSON format, Checkpoint API tutorial, part 1 - getting started

The cvpnd_restart command is used to restart the daemon after making modifications to the $CVPNDIR/conf/cvpnd.C file. The cvpnd daemon is responsible for managing the communication between the Check Point components and the Content Vectoring Protocol (CVP) server. The CVP server is an external server that provides content inspection and filtering services for Check Point gateways. The $CVPNDIR/conf/cvpnd.C file contains the configuration settings for the cvpnd daemon, such as the CVP server IP address, port number, timeout value, and debug level. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Content Inspection Using ICAP, cvpnd daemon debug file

Threat Extraction is a software blade that always delivers a file to user. 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. Threat Extraction works on MS Office, PDF, and archive files, but not on executables. Threat Extraction can take up to 3 minutes to complete, depending on the file size and complexity. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Threat Extraction Administration Guide

Dynamic Dispatch is a feature that enhances CoreXL performance by dynamically assigning new connections to CoreXL FW instances based on their CPU utilization1. To enable Dynamic Dispatch on Security Gateway without enabling Firewall Priority Queues (FPQ), you need to run the command fw ctl multik set_mode 4 in Expert mode and reboot2. This command will set the CoreXL mode to Dynamic Dispatcher without FPQ. The other options are not correct because:

• A. fw ctl Dyn_Dispatch on: This command does not exist and will return an error message.
• B. fw ctl Dyn_Dispatch enable: This command does not exist and will return an error message.
• D. fw ctl multik set_mode 1: This command will set the CoreXL mode to Static Dispatcher without FPQ, which is the default mode2. This mode will use a static hash function to assign new connections to CoreXL FW instances based on their IP addresses and protocol.

References: CoreXL Dynamic Dispatcher, To fully enable Dynamic Dispatcher on a Security Gateway, Running Dynamic Dispatch / Dynamic Split / Dynamic Balancing on VSEC/IaaS in Vmware, Dynamic Balancing for CoreXL

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

 SecureXL templates are a mechanism to accelerate the rate of connection establishment by grouping connections that match a particular service and whose sole differentiating element is the source port. SecureXL templates enable even the very first packets of a TCP handshake to be accelerated, without waiting for the Firewall kernel to create a connection entry. The first packets of the first connection on the same service will be forwarded to the Firewall kernel, which will then create a template of the connection. The template will contain all the relevant information for the connection, such as source and destination IP addresses, destination port, NAT information, policy decision, etc. The template will be used by SecureXL to handle subsequent connections on the same service, without involving the Firewall kernel. This reduces the CPU load and increases the throughput.

There are three types of SecureXL templates: Accept, Drop, and NAT. Accept templates are used for connections that are allowed by the Firewall policy. Drop templates are used for connections that are blocked by the Firewall policy. NAT templates are used for connections that require NAT translation. Deny templates are not a valid type of SecureXL template.

References: SecureXL NAT Templates in R80.20 and lower, Part 3 - SecureXL, Security Gateway Performance Optimization - Part 5 - SecureXL

SandBlast appliances can be deployed in the following modes:

C. Inline/prevent or detect

SandBlast appliances can be deployed in an inline mode where they actively inspect and prevent or detect malicious traffic. In this mode, the appliance sits in the network traffic path and can take actions to block or detect threats in real-time.

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

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 secure application for Mail/Calendar for mobile devices in Check Point is called "Capsule Workspace." Capsule Workspace provides secure access to email and calendar data on mobile devices while maintaining security policies and controls.

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

NAT (Network Address Translation) is one item that will not be configured on the R81 Security Management Server when setting up an externally managed log server. NAT is a technique that allows devices with private IP addresses to communicate with devices with public IP addresses by translating the private addresses to public ones. NAT is not relevant for configuring an externally managed log server, which requires only the IP address, SIC (Secure Internal Communication), and FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) of the log server. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Logging and Monitoring Administration Guide

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.

 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

When simulating a problem on a ClusterXL cluster with the command "cphaprob –d STOP -s problem -t 0 register" to initiate a failover on an active cluster member, you can use the command "cphaprob –d STOP unregister" to remove the problematic state and return the cluster to normal operation.

Option A correctly identifies the command that allows you to remove the problematic state, making it the verified answer.

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

 The main stages of a policy installation are Verification & Compilation, Transfer and Commit. Verification & Compilation is the stage where the Security Management Server checks the validity and consistency of the policy and compiles it into a binary format. Transfer is the stage where the compiled policy is sent to the Security Gateways over a secure channel. Commit is the stage where the Security Gateways activate the new policy and update their connections table accordingly. References: Check Point Security Expert R81 Course, Policy Installation Process

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.

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 Sticky Decision Function in ClusterXL is primarily used in Load Sharing implementations. In Load Sharing, the pivot member is responsible for determining the destination of new connections and ensures that traffic from the same source IP address is directed to the same cluster member. This ensures session stickiness for the same source IP, improving load sharing efficiency.

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

 The command fw ctl pstat can be used to verify the number of active concurrent connections on a gateway. This command displays various statistics about the firewall kernel, such as memory usage, CPU utilization, packet rates, and connection table information. The output of this command includes a line that shows the current number of connections and the peak number of connections since the last reboot. For example:

This means that there are currently 1234 active connections out of a maximum of 8192 connections, which is 15% of the connection table capacity. The peak number of connections since the last reboot was 2345. 

Check Point Protect is a lightweight app that can be used to gather and analyze threats to your mobile device. It provides real-time threat intelligence, device posture assessment, and secure browsing protection3. The other applications are either not designed for mobile devices, or do not offer threat analysis features. References: R81 CCSA & CCSE exams released featuring Promo for… - Check Point …, Check Point Protect - Apps on Google Play

 The statement that is most correct regarding about “CoreXL Dynamic Dispatcher” is: The CoreXL FW instances assignment mechanism is based on the utilization of CPU cores. CoreXL Dynamic Dispatcher is a feature that allows the Security Gateway to dynamically assign connections to the most available CoreXL FW instance, based on the CPU core utilization. This improves the performance and load balancing of the Security Gateway, especially when handling connections with different processing requirements. The other statements are either incorrect or describe the CoreXL Static Dispatcher mechanism, which assigns connections based on a hash function of the Source IP, Destination IP, and IP Protocol type.

 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. 

 To enable MTA (Mail Transfer Agent) functionality in the Security Gateway, the Threat Prevention Software Blade Package is required. The Threat Prevention Software Blade Package includes the Anti-Virus, Anti-Bot, and Threat Emulation blades, which can scan and hold external email with potentially malicious attachments. The MTA functionality allows the Security Gateway to act as an SMTP relay between the mail server and the Internet, and apply Threat Prevention policies to the email traffic. The other options are either not related or not sufficient to enable MTA functionality. R

 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 TCP/IP model is a four-layer model that describes how data is transmitted over a network. The four layers are: Application, Transport, Internet, and Network Access. The Application layer provides services and protocols for applications to communicate with each other. The Transport layer provides reliable or unreliable data delivery between hosts. The Internet layer provides routing and addressing of packets across networks. The Network Access layer provides physical and logical access to the network media. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, Check Point Resource Library

The best suggestion for Pamela to make sure she successfully captures entire traffic in context of Firewall and problematic traffic is: Pamela should check SecureXL status on DMZ Security gateway and if it’s turned ON. She should turn OFF SecureXL before using fw monitor to avoid misleading traffic captures. SecureXL is a technology that accelerates network traffic processing by offloading intensive operations from the Firewall kernel to a dedicated SecureXL device. However, this also means that some traffic might not be seen by fw monitor, which is a tool that captures packets at different inspection points in the Firewall kernel. Therefore, to ensure that fw monitor captures all traffic, SecureXL should be turned OFF before using fw monitor. The other suggestions are either incorrect or less effective in capturing traffic. 

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. 

 According to the Check Point R81 training course, the medium path is available only when CoreXL is enabled. CoreXL is a performance-enhancing technology that allows multiple CPU cores to process traffic simultaneously. The medium path handles packets that require deeper inspection or content awareness, such as IPS, Anti-Virus, or URL Filtering. The other paths are either available regardless of CoreXL or not valid terms. References: Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview

The Implicit Clean-up Rule is another name for the Clean-up Rule, which is the last rule in every policy layer. The Clean-up Rule defines the default action for traffic that does not match any of the preceding rules in the layer. The default action is to drop the traffic and log it, but it can be changed by the administrator. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, Check Point Resource Library

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. 

 UserCheck is a communication tool used to inform a user about a website or application they are trying to access. UserCheck allows administrators to interact with users in real time, informing them of the security policy and the actions they need to take. UserCheck can also enable users to self-remediate incidents or request exceptions from the administrator. References: Training & Certification | Check Point Software, Check Point Resource Library

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.

The file that gives you a list of all security servers in use, including port number, is $FWDIR/conf/fwauthd.conf. Security servers are processes that handle application-level protocols such as HTTP, FTP, SMTP, etc., and perform security checks on them. Fwauthd.conf is a configuration file that defines which security servers are enabled, which ports they listen on, and which inspection points they are attached to. 

The R81 SmartConsole, SmartEvent GUI client, and SmartView Web Application consolidate billions of logs and show them as prioritized security events. The SmartView Web Application is a web-based interface that allows you to access the SmartEvent Server from any browser. You can use the SmartView Web Application to view and analyze security events, generate reports, and configure SmartEvent settings12.

References: 1: Check Point R81 SmartConsole User Guide - Check Point Software, page 10 2: Check Point R81 SmartEvent Administration Guide - Check Point Software, page 9

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:

 Check Point Mobile Web Portal is a Mobile Access Application that allows a secure container on mobile devices to give users access to internal websites, file shares and emails. The Mobile Web Portal is a web-based application that can be accessed from any browser on any device. It provides a user-friendly interface to access various resources on the corporate network without requiring a VPN client or additional software installation. The Mobile Web Portal supports authentication methods such as user name and password, certificate, one-time password (OTP), etc. The Mobile Web Portal also supports security features such as encryption, data leakage prevention (DLP), threat prevention, etc. References: R81 Mobile Access Administration Guide

The error “no proposal chosen” indicates that the VPN gateway did not find a matching proposal for the IKE Phase 1 negotiation. This phase is responsible for establishing a secure channel between the VPN peers, using a pre-shared secret or a certificate. The proposal consists of parameters such as encryption algorithm, hash algorithm, Diffie-Hellman group, and lifetime. If the VPN gateway does not receive a proposal that matches its own configuration, it will reject the connection attempt and log the error “no proposal chosen” 1.

To troubleshoot this issue, one should verify that the VPN peers have the same IKE Phase 1 settings, such as:

• The same pre-shared secret or certificate
• The same encryption algorithm (e.g., AES-256)
• The same hash algorithm (e.g., SHA-256)
• The same Diffie-Hellman group (e.g., Group 14)
• The same lifetime (e.g., 86400 seconds)

One can use the command vpn tu on the VPN gateway to view the current IKE Phase 1 settings and compare them with the other peer. Alternatively, one can use the SmartConsole to check the VPN community properties and the gateway object properties for the IKE Phase 1 settings 2.

References: 1: Troubleshooting the “no proposal chosen” error - Check Point Software 2: Support, Support Requests, Training … - Check Point Software

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:

Check Point security components are divided into the following components: GUI Client, Security Management, Security Gateway. GUI Client is the graphical user interface that allows administrators to configure, manage, and monitor Check Point products and security policies. Security Management is the server that stores and enforces the security policies and provides logging and reporting functions. Security Gateway is the device that inspects and filters network traffic according to the security policies. 

 The command that would be used to set the network interfaces’ affinity in Manual mode is sim affinity -s. Sim affinity is a command that allows administrators to view and modify the CPU core affinity of network interfaces and SecureXL instances. Core affinity is a feature that binds network interfaces and SecureXL instances to specific CPU cores, which improves the performance and load balancing of the Security Gateway. Sim affinity -s sets the network interfaces’ affinity in Manual mode, which means that administrators can manually assign network interfaces to CPU cores. The other options are either invalid or perform different functions. 

 In Logging and Monitoring, the tracking options are Log, Detailed Log and Extended Log. The option that can be added to each Log, Detailed Log and Extended Log is Accounting/Suppression. Accounting/Suppression is a feature that allows administrators to control how often logs are generated for certain rules or connections. Accounting means that logs are generated periodically based on a specified interval or volume. Suppression means that logs are generated only for the first and last packet of a connection or session. Accounting/Suppression can be added to any tracking option to reduce the number of logs and save disk space.

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

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. 

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. 

 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.

ThreatCloud is a collaboration platform for all the Check Point customers to share information about malicious and benign files that all of the customers can benefit from as it makes emulation of known files unnecessary. ThreatCloud is a cloud-based service that collects and analyzes threat intelligence from multiple sources, such as Check Point products, third-party vendors, open sources, and customers. ThreatCloud provides real-time updates and feeds to Check Point products, such as SandBlast, which is a solution that detects and prevents zero-day attacks by emulating files in a sandbox environment. By integrating with ThreatCloud, a Threat Emulation appliance can benefit from the shared information about malicious and benign files, and avoid emulating files that are already known to be safe or harmful. This can improve the performance and efficiency of the Threat Emulation appliance. The other options are either incorrect or not relevant to ThreatCloud or Threat Emulation. 

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

 For Stateful Mode configuration, chain modules marked with 2 will not apply. Stateful Mode configuration is a feature that allows administrators to define how packets are processed by different firewall kernel modules in inbound and outbound directions. Chain modules are firewall kernel modules that perform various security functions, such as VPN, IPS, QoS, etc. Each chain module is associated with a key, which specifies the type of traffic applicable to the chain module. The key can be one of the following values: 0 for all packets, 1 for stateful packets, 2 for stateless packets, and 3 for no match packets. For Stateful Mode configuration, only chain modules with key 0 or 1 will apply, as they handle all packets or stateful packets. Chain modules with key 2 will not apply, as they handle stateless packets, which are not relevant for Stateful Mode configuration.

Tom’s changes will have been stored on the Management when he reconnects and he will not lose any of his work.

This is because SmartConsole has a feature called Concurrent Administration, which allows multiple administrators to work on the same Security Policy simultaneously, without blocking each other or creating conflicts. Concurrent Administration uses a locking mechanism to prevent multiple administrators from modifying the same rule or object at the same time. When an administrator clicks on a rule or an object, it becomes locked and a lock icon appears next to it. The lock icon shows the name of the administrator who is working on that rule or object, and prevents other administrators from editing it until it is unlocked12.

Concurrent Administration also has a feature called Session Persistence, which preserves the changes made by an administrator in case of a network failure or a SmartConsole crash. When an administrator reconnects to the Management Server after a network failure or a SmartConsole crash, they can resume their work from where they left off, without losing any changes. The changes are stored locally on the administrator’s machine until they are published to the Management Server13.

Therefore, if Tom has connected to the R81 Management Server remotely using SmartConsole and is in the process of making some Rule Base changes, when he suddenly loses connectivity, his changes will not be lost. They will be stored locally on his machine and he can resume his work when he reconnects to the Management Server.

 According to the Check Point website, Whitelist Files is the tool that provides a list of trusted files to the administrator so they can specify to the Threat Prevention blade that these files do not need to be scanned or analyzed. Whitelist Files can be configured in SmartConsole under Threat Prevention > Policy > Whitelist Files. The other tools are either not related or not valid tools. References: Whitelist Files

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. 

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

One of the major features in R81 SmartConsole is concurrent administration. This feature allows multiple administrators to work on the same Security Policy simultaneously, without blocking each other or creating conflicts. Concurrent administration improves the efficiency and productivity of security management operations1.

However, not all of the options given are possible considering that AdminA, AdminB and AdminC are editing the same Security Policy. The correct answer is B. AdminA and AdminB are editing the same rule at the same time. This is not possible because concurrent administration uses a locking mechanism to prevent multiple administrators from modifying the same rule or object at the same time. When an administrator clicks on a rule or an object, it becomes locked and a lock icon appears next to it. The lock icon shows the name of the administrator who is working on that rule or object, and prevents other administrators from editing it until it is unlocked12.

Therefore, the other options are possible considering that AdminA, AdminB and AdminC are editing the same Security Policy. Option A is possible because a lock icon shows that a rule or an object is locked and will be available when the administrator who locked it finishes working on it or logs out of SmartConsole12. Option C is possible because a lock icon next to a rule informs that any administrator is working on this particular rule, and hovering over the lock icon will show the name of that administrator12. Option D is possible because AdminA, AdminB and AdminC are editing three different rules at the same time, which does not create any conflicts or blockages12.

According to the Check Point website, INSPECT Engine is the technology that extracts detailed information from packets and stores that information in state tables. INSPECT Engine is the core of Check Point’s Stateful Inspection technology, which enables Security Gateways to inspect traffic at multiple layers and enforce security policies. The other technologies are either not related or not specific enough. References: INSPECT Engine

The command to show SecureXL status is fwaccel stat. This command displays information about SecureXL acceleration, such as the number of accelerated and non-accelerated connections, the reason for non-acceleration, and the SecureXL device name and mode. The other commands are either invalid or show different statistics.

 fwssd is a child process of fwd, which is the firewall daemon that handles policy installation, logging, and state synchronization. cpwd is the watchdog process that monitors and restarts other processes. fwm is the management server process that handles communication with GUI clients. cpd is the infrastructure daemon that handles SIC, licensing, and policy code generation. References: Check Point Processes Cheat Sheet – LazyAdmins, Check Point R81 Gaia Administration Guide, Certified Security Expert (CCSE) R81.20 Course Overview

 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

 You can communicate with the API server using three command sources: SmartConsole GUI Console, mgmt_cli Tool, and Gaia CLI. Web Services are not a command source, but a way to access the API server using HTTP requests. References: Check Point Management APIs

 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

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