Passed Exam Today SPLK-2003

The error message "an empty parameters list was passed to phantom.act()" typically indicates that the action being called by the playbook does not have the required parameters to execute. This can happen if the playbook expects certain data to be present in the container's artifacts but finds none. Artifacts in Splunk SOAR (Phantom) are data elements associated with a container (such as an event or alert) that playbooks can act upon. If a playbook action is designed to use data from artifacts as parameters and those artifacts are missing or do not contain the expected data, the playbook cannot execute the action properly, leading to this error.

 The Phantom REST API, often interacted with through the Phantom REST APP, is a powerful tool for automating and integrating Splunk SOAR with other systems. Common uses of the Phantom REST APP include using Django queries to interact with the SOAR database, using curl commands to programmatically create containers and add artifacts to them, and configuring action blocks within playbooks for automated actions. This flexibility allows for a wide range of automation and integration possibilities, enhancing the SOAR platform's capability to respond to security incidents and manage data.

In Splunk SOAR, when working on a case and analyzing events, items marked as significant evidence are aggregated for review. These evidence items can be collectively viewed on the Investigation page under the Evidence tab. This centralized view allows analysts to easily access and review all marked evidence related to a case, facilitating a streamlined analysis process and ensuring that key information is readily available for investigation and decision-making.

Playbooks in Splunk SOAR are designed to handle various types of data to automate responses to security incidents. The correct types of data handled by playbooks include:

Container Data: Containers are used to group related data for an incident or event. Playbooks can access this information to perform actions and make decisions.

Artifact CEF Data: Artifacts hold detailed information about the event or incident, including CEF (Common Event Format) data. Playbooks often process this CEF data for various actions.

Result Data: This refers to the data generated from actions executed by the playbook, such as results from API calls, integrations, or automated responses.

List Data: Lists in Splunk SOAR are collections of reusable data (such as IP blocklists, whitelists, etc.) that playbooks can access to check values or make decisions based on external lists.

The inclusion of List data instead of Threat data distinguishes this option from others, as lists are more directly used by playbooks during execution, whereas threat data is a broader category that is often processed but not always directly handled by playbooks.

References:

Splunk SOAR Documentation: Playbook Data Handling.

Splunk SOAR Best Practices: Automating with Playbooks.