All PSE-Strata Test Inside Paloalto Networks Questions

Deploying Panorama in a High Availability (HA) configuration provides significant advantages, especially for maintaining the management layer and ensuring robust log collection. Here are the key reasons:

Ensure Management Continuity: By deploying a second Panorama appliance in an HA setup, you can ensure continuous management of your firewall environment. In the event that the primary Panorama appliance fails, the secondary appliance can take over, ensuring that there is no interruption in management capabilities. This is crucial for maintaining operational stability and uninterrupted administrative functions​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

Improve Log Collection Redundancy: An HA setup improves the redundancy and reliability of log collection. If the primary Panorama appliance that is collecting logs from various firewalls becomes unavailable, the secondary appliance can continue the log collection process. This ensures that all security events and network activities are recorded without gaps, which is essential for effective monitoring and incident response​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks Knowledge Base)​.

DNS Sinkholing is a powerful feature in network security that offers several advantages:

Forging DNS replies to known malicious domains: This technique redirects malicious domain queries to a designated IP address (sinkhole), effectively preventing the malware from communicating with its command and control servers, thereby neutralizing its threat.

Working upstream from the internal DNS server: DNS Sinkholing can be implemented upstream, meaning it intercepts and manipulates DNS queries before they reach the internal DNS server. This preemptive action helps in blocking threats early in the DNS resolution process, providing an additional security layer​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.

The sinkhole IP address provided by DNS Security serves two main benefits:

Client Communication (A): When the client communicates with the sinkhole IP address instead of the malicious IP address, it prevents the client from establishing a connection with the malicious server. This helps in protecting the client from potential harm and disrupts the malicious activity.

Client Identification (D): If the internal DNS server is positioned between the client and the firewall, the sinkhole IP address allows the firewall to identify which clients are attempting to access the malicious domain. This information is critical for administrators to take further action, such as cleaning the infected devices and enhancing security policies.

References:

Palo Alto Networks, DNS Security and Sinkhole Configuration documentation.

Prisma SaaS and VM-300 firewalls can send logs to the Cortex Data Lake (now called Strata Logging Service). Prisma SaaS logs user activity and data access within SaaS applications and forwards these logs to the Strata Logging Service for centralized analysis and monitoring. Similarly, VM-300 firewalls deployed in AWS can send various types of logs, including traffic and threat logs, to the Strata Logging Service through Panorama or directly​ (Palo Alto Networks)​​ (Palo Alto Networks)​.