NSK101 Questions and Answers

A file filter is a list of file hashes that you can use to exclude files from inspection by Netskope. By adding the hash of the file that triggered a false alarm to the file filter, you can prevent it from being scanned again by Netskope and avoid generating another incident. Quarantining the file, exporting the packet capture, or looking up the hash at VirusTotal are not effective ways to prevent the same file from triggering another incident, as they do not affect how Netskope handles the file. References: Netskope Security Cloud Operation & Administration (NSCO&A) - Classroom Course, Module 6: Data Loss Prevention, Lesson 2: File Filters.

Netskope’s NewEdge Security Cloud Network Infrastructure is a global network that powers the Netskope Security Cloud, providing real-time inline and out-of-band API-driven services for cloud and web security. Three statements that are correct about Netskope’s NewEdge Security Cloud Network Infrastructure are:

It includes direct peering with Microsoft and Google in every data center. This means that Netskope has established high-speed, low-latency connections with these major cloud service providers, ensuring optimal performance and user experience for their customers. Direct peering also reduces the risk of network congestion, packet loss, or routing issues that may affect the quality of service.

It is a private security cloud network that is massively over provisioned, highly elastic, and built for scale. This means that Netskope owns and operates its own network infrastructure, without relying on third-party providers or public cloud platforms. Netskope has invested over $150 million to build the world’s largest and fastest security private cloud, with data centers in more than 65 regions and growing. Netskope can dynamically scale its network capacity and resources to meet the growing demand and traffic volume of its customers, without compromising on security or performance.

It delivers a single, unified network with no surcharges or reliance on public cloud infrastructure or virtual PoPs. This means that Netskope provides a consistent and transparent network service to its customers, regardless of their location or device. Netskope does not charge any additional fees or hidden costs for accessing its network services, unlike some other providers that may impose surcharges based on geography or bandwidth usage. Netskope also does not use virtual points of presence (PoPs) that are hosted on public cloud platforms, which may introduce latency, complexity, or security risks.

References: Netskope NewEdgeNetskope NewEdge Data SheetNetskope SASE

The CCI scoring is a way to measure the security posture of cloud applications based on a set of criteria and weights. The default objective score is calculated by Netskope using industry best practices and standards. However, customers can change the CCI scoring to suit their own business needs and risk appetite. For example, a customer may want to place a higher business risk weight on vendors that claim ownership of their data, as this may affect their data sovereignty and privacy rights. Changing the CCI scoring for this reason would be valid, as it reflects the customer’s own security requirements and preferences. Changing the CCI scoring for other reasons, such as discovering a new SaaS application, punishing an application vendor, or using an application under research, would not be valid, as they do not align with the purpose and methodology of the CCI scoring. References: Netskope Security Cloud Operation & Administration (NSCO&A) - Classroom Course, Module 7: Cloud Confidence Index (CCI), Lesson 1: CCI Overview and Lesson 2: CCI Scoring.

If you consume application infrastructure (middleware) capabilities by a third-party provider, then the cloud service model that you are using in this scenario is PaaS, which stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is a cloud service model that provides customers with a platform to develop, run, and manage applications without having to deal with the underlying infrastructure or software. PaaS typically includes middleware capabilities such as databases, web servers, development tools, integration services, etc., that customers can use to build and deploy their applications faster and easier. MaaS, DaaS, and SaaS are not cloud service models that match this scenario, as they stand for different types of services. MaaS stands for Monitoring as a Service, which is a service that provides customers with tools to monitor and manage their cloud resources and performance. DaaS stands for Desktop as a Service, which is a service that provides customers with virtual desktops that they can access from any device or location. SaaS stands for Software as a Service, which is a service that provides customers with software applications that they can use over the internet without installing or maintaining them. References: [PaaS], [MaaS], [DaaS], [SaaS].

Shadow IT is the term for the unauthorized use of IT resources and functions by employees within an organization. It can include cloud services, software, and hardware that are not approved or managed by the IT department. Two use cases that would be considered examples of shadow IT within an organization are: an unsanctioned Microsoft 365 OneDrive account being used by a corporate user to upload sensitive data and an unsanctioned Google Drive account used by a corporate user to upload non-sensitive data. In both cases, the corporate user is using a personal cloud storage service that is not sanctioned by the organization to store work-related data. This can introduce security risks, such as data leakage, data loss, compliance violations, malware infections, etc. The IT department may not have visibility or control over these cloud services or the data stored in them. References: What is shadow IT? | CloudflareWhat is Shadow IT? | IBM

Netskope’s DLP solution is a powerful tool that can help customers protect their sensitive data from unauthorized access, exposure, or loss. One use case for Netskope’s DLP solution is to stop unintentional data movement, such as accidental uploads, downloads, or sharing of confidential files or information to or from cloud applications. Another use case for Netskope’s DLP solution is to ensure regulatory compliance, such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or other industry-specific standards that require data protection and privacy measures. Netskope’s DLP solution can help customers comply with these regulations by detecting and preventing data breaches, enforcing encryption policies, applying data retention rules, and generating audit reports. Detecting malware in files before they are uploaded to a cloud application or detecting sensitive data in password protected files are not use cases for Netskope’s DLP solution, as they are more related to threat protection or file inspection capabilities. References: Netskope Security Cloud Operation & Administration (NSCO&A) - Classroom Course, Module 6: Data Loss Prevention, Lesson 1: DLP Overview.

To take into account some recent adjustments to CCI scoring that were made in your Netskope tenant, you can use the App Tag and App Score aspects in the UI to create a real-time protection policy. The App Tag is a label that indicates the level of enterprise readiness of a cloud app based on its CCI score. The App Score is a numerical value that represents the CCI score of a cloud app based on various criteria such as security, auditability, and business continuity. You can use these aspects to filter cloud apps by their CCI ratings and apply policies accordingly. For example, you can create a policy that blocks access to cloud apps with an App Tag of Poor or an App Score below 50. References: Netskope Cloud Confidence IndexCreating Real-Time Policies for Cloud Applications

To collect the logs from the client machine when you have an issue with the Netskope client connecting to the tenant, two ways that you can use are: from the Netskope client UI About page and from the command line using the nsdiag command. From the Netskope client UI About page, you can click on the “Collect Logs” button to generate a zip file containing all the relevant logs and configuration files from the client machine. You can then send this zip file to Netskope support for troubleshooting. From the command line, you can use the nsdiag command with various options to collect different types of logs and diagnostic information from the client machine. For example, you can use nsdiag -l to collect all logs, nsdiag -c to collect configuration files, nsdiag -t to collect traffic statistics, etc. You can also use nsdiag -h to see all available options and usage instructions. You can then send the output files to Netskope support for troubleshooting. References: Netskope Client Configuration overviewInstall and Test the Client - Netskope Knowledge Portal

A SAML reverse proxy is a service that acts as an intermediary between a SAML service provider (SP) and one or more SAML identity providers (IdPs). It can perform various functions, such as authentication, authorization, load balancing, caching, etc. One scenario where you would use a SAML reverse proxy is when there are multiple SAML IdPs in use and the SAML reverse proxy can help federate them all together. For example, suppose you have an internal application that needs to authenticate users from different domains or organizations, each with their own SAML IdP. Instead of configuring the application to trust each IdP separately, you can use a SAML reverse proxy to act as a single SP for the application and a single IdP for the users. The SAML reverse proxy can then redirect the users to their respective IdPs for authentication and relay the SAML assertions back to the application. This way, you can simplify the integration and management of multiple SAML IdPs and provide a seamless user experience. References: SAML Reverse ProxyWhat is application proxy & SAML SSO?

 AD Connector:

The AD Connector is used to integrate your Netskope tenant with Active Directory (AD) to provision and synchronize user accounts.

It ensures that user information in Netskope is always up-to-date by periodically synchronizing with AD.

To set up the AD Connector:

Navigate to Settings > Tools > Directory Importer.

Configure the AD Connector with your AD details.

Set the synchronization schedule.

This method is commonly used in enterprise environments where AD is the primary user directory.

 SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management):

SCIM is an open standard for automating the exchange of user identity information between identity domains or IT systems.

Netskope supports SCIM for provisioning users from identity providers like Okta, Azure AD, and others.

To configure SCIM:

Go to Settings > Tools > SCIM.

Follow the instructions to set up SCIM with your identity provider.

SCIM is beneficial for environments using modern identity management solutions.

 References:

For detailed configuration steps and additional information, refer to the Netskope documentation on provisioning users using the AD Connector and SCIM​​​​.

When working with traffic from applications with pinned certificates, you should add an exception to the steering configuration to bypass them. Pinned certificates are a security technique that prevents man-in-the-middle attacks by validating the server certificates against a hardcoded list of certificates in the application. If you try to intercept or inspect the traffic from such applications, they will reject the connection or display an error message. Therefore, you should add the domains used by certificate-pinned applications as exceptions in your steering configuration, so that they are not steered to Netskope for analysis and enforcement. References: Certificate Pinned ApplicationsCreating a Steering Configuration

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a cloud-based architecture that combines various cloud security and infrastructure enablement technologies into a unified platform that delivers security and networking services from the edge of the network. Two of these technologies are Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB). ZTNA is a technology that provides secure access to private applications without exposing them to the internet or using VPNs. It uses identity-based policies and encryption to grant granular access to authorized users and devices, regardless of their location or network. CASB is a technology that provides visibility and control over cloud applications (SaaS) used by users and devices. It uses API connections or inline proxies to inspect and enforce policies on data and activities in cloud applications, such as data loss prevention, threat protection, or compliance. Distributed Denial of Service Protection (DDoS) and Unified Threat Management (UTM) are not technologies that SASE combines into its unified platform, although they may be related or integrated with some of its components. References: [SASE], [ZTNA], [CASB].

The Application Events page in the SkopeIT Events & Alerts section is where you can find logs and events related to specific activities within cloud applications, such as "edit" or "login successful". This section provides a detailed audit trail of user activities and application usage, which is essential for monitoring, security, and compliance purposes.

This answer is validated by the event categorization provided in the Netskope documentation, where application-specific events are logged under the Application Events section for easier tracking and analysis.

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References:

REST API v2 Overview - Netskope Knowledge Portal​​

Using the REST API v2 UCI Impact Endpoints - Netskope Knowledge Portal​​

Postman Collection for Netskope API​

In the context of the cloud shared responsibility model, the customer's responsibilities include:

Controlling access:

Customers must manage access controls to ensure that only authorized users can access their data and applications. This includes implementing identity and access management (IAM) policies, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and regular auditing of access permissions.

Preventing data leakage:

Customers are responsible for implementing data loss prevention (DLP) strategies to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or exfiltration. This involves configuring and monitoring DLP policies, encryption, and other security measures.

These responsibilities are critical for maintaining the security and integrity of data in the cloud, complementing the cloud provider's responsibilities for the infrastructure and services.

References:

Netskope Knowledge Portal: Cloud Security

Shared Responsibility Model

SaaS API-enabled Protection is a primary function in the Netskope platform that allows customers to connect their sanctioned SaaS applications to Netskope using out-of-band API connections. This enables customers to find sensitive content, enforce near real-time policy controls, and quarantine malware in their SaaS applications without affecting user experience or performance. If you want to use an out-of-band API connection into your sanctioned Microsoft 365 OneDrive for Business application to achieve these goals, you should use SaaS API-enabled Protection as the primary function in the Netskope platform. DLP forensics, Risk Insights, and IaaS API-enabled Protection are not primary functions in the Netskope platform that can be used to connect your application to Netskope. References: [Netskope SaaS API-enabled Protection].

To create a policy to quarantine files based on sensitive content in Netskope, you need to include the DLP Profile variable. Here's a detailed explanation of the steps involved:

Access Netskope Admin Console: First, log in to your Netskope admin console.

Navigate to Policies: Go to the Policies section where you can create and manage different types of policies.

Create a New Policy: Click on the option to create a new policy. Select the type of policy you want to create. In this case, it will be a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policy.

Define Policy Criteria: Define the criteria for your policy. This includes specifying the conditions under which files should be quarantined. You will need to include sensitive content detection as part of the criteria.

Include DLP Profile: The most crucial step is to include a DLP Profile in your policy. The DLP Profile will define the sensitive content that the policy will monitor for. Netskope provides various predefined DLP profiles that you can use, or you can create custom DLP profiles based on your organization's needs.

Set Action to Quarantine: Specify the action to be taken when the policy criteria are met. In this case, you want to quarantine the files. Select the "Quarantine" action from the available options.

Save and Apply Policy: Once you have configured the policy with the DLP profile and action, save the policy and apply it to the relevant users, groups, or organizational units.

References:

Netskope Knowledge Portal: Using DLP Profiles and Policies​​​​​​.

Two primary advantages of Netskope’s Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture are: no on-premises hardware required for policy enforcement and single management console. Netskope’s SASE architecture delivers network and security services as cloud-based services that can be accessed from any location and device. This eliminates the need for on-premises hardware appliances such as firewalls, proxies, VPNs, etc., that are costly to maintain and scale. Netskope’s SASE architecture also provides a single management console that allows administrators to configure and monitor all the network and security services from one place. This simplifies IT operations and reduces complexity and overhead. References: Netskope SASEWhat is SASE?

 To provide a quick view under the Skope IT Applications page showing only risky shadow IT cloud applications being used, you can use two filter combinations: Sanctioned = No and CCL = Medium, Low, Poor. The Sanctioned filter allows you to select whether you want to see only sanctioned or unsanctioned apps in your organization. Sanctioned apps are those that are approved and managed by your IT department, while unsanctioned apps are those that are used without authorization or oversight by your employees. Shadow IT refers to the use of unsanctioned apps that may pose security or compliance risks for your organization. The CCL filter allows you to select the Cloud Confidence Level (CCL) ratings of the apps you want to see. The CCL rating is a measure of how enterprise-ready a cloud app is based on various criteria such as security, auditability, business continuity, etc. The CCL rating ranges from Excellent to Poor, with Excellent being the most secure and compliant and Poor being the least. Risky cloud apps are those that have a low CCL rating, such as Medium, Low, or Poor. By applying these two filters, you can narrow down the list of apps to only those that are unsanctioned and have a low CCL rating, which indicates that they are risky shadow IT cloud applications being used in your organization. References: SkopeIT ApplicationsNetskope Cloud Confidence Index

To protect your users from malicious scripts that may be downloaded from websites, you need to use technologies that can detect and prevent malware, ransomware, phishing, and other advanced threats in web traffic. Two technologies that form a part of Netskope’s Threat Protection module, which is a feature in the Netskope platform that provides these capabilities, are sandbox and heuristics. Sandbox is a technology that allows Netskope to analyze suspicious files or URLs in a virtual environment isolated from the rest of the network. It simulates the execution of the files or URLs and observes their behavior and impact on the system. It then generates a verdict based on the analysis and blocks any malicious files or URLs from reaching your users or devices. Heuristics is a technology that allows Netskope to identify unknown or emerging threats based on their characteristics or patterns, rather than relying on predefined signatures or rules. It uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze various attributes of files or URLs, such as file type, size, entropy, metadata, code structure, etc., and assigns a risk score based on the analysis. It then blocks any files or URLs that exceed a certain risk threshold from reaching your users or devices. A log parser or DLP are not technologies that form a part of Netskope’s Threat Protection module, as they are more related to discovering cloud applications or protecting sensitive data. References: [Netskope Threat Protection], Netskope Security Cloud Operation & Administration (NSCO&A) - Classroom Course, Module 9: Threat Protection.

 NewEdge Traffic Management:

NewEdge is Netskope's high-performance global network designed to deliver fast and secure access to the internet and cloud applications.

NewEdge Traffic Management ensures efficient routing and traffic steering for optimal performance and security.

 Client Integration:

The Netskope Client uses NewEdge Traffic Management to steer traffic securely to the Netskope cloud.

It ensures that user traffic is routed through the best possible path for performance and security.

The Client component is responsible for redirecting user traffic to the NewEdge network, applying security policies, and ensuring secure access.

 References:

For detailed information on NewEdge Traffic Management and how the Netskope Client utilizes it, refer to the Netskope documentation on traffic management and client configuration​​​​.

PCI-DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which is a set of security requirements for organizations that handle credit card data. It aims to protect cardholder data from unauthorized access, disclosure, or theft, both in transit and at rest. PCI-DSS covers various aspects of security, such as encryption, authentication, firewall, logging, monitoring, and incident response. If you are working with a large retail chain and have concerns about their customer data, you should use PCI-DSS as the regulatory compliance standard to govern this data. SOC 3, AES-256, and ISO 27001 are not specific to credit card data protection, although they may have some relevance to general security practices. References: [PCI-DSS], [SOC 3], [AES-256], [ISO 27001].

The two traffic steering configurations that are supported by Netskope are cloud applications only and all Web traffic including cloud applications. These configurations allow you to control what kind of traffic gets steered to Netskope for real-time deep analysis and what kind of traffic gets bypassed. You can choose one of these options for both on-premises and off-premises scenarios, depending on your network environment and security needs. You can also create exceptions for specific domains, IP addresses, or certificate-pinned applications that you want to bypass or steer regardless of the configuration option. References: Steering ConfigurationCreating a Steering Configuration

 Reverse Proxy Overview:

A reverse proxy allows users to access sanctioned cloud applications securely from public or untrusted networks.

It ensures that the traffic is inspected and policy controls are enforced before reaching the cloud application.

 Scenario Justification:

Users connecting from public computers, such as those in hotel business centers, cannot have a steering client installed, and IPsec/GRE tunnels are not feasible.

Proxy chaining requires control over the client's browser settings, which is not possible in this scenario.

A reverse proxy can handle the traffic without requiring configuration changes on the public computer.

 Implementation:

Configure the reverse proxy to handle traffic for sanctioned applications.

Ensure the reverse proxy settings are enforced via your organization's security policies.

 References:

Detailed configurations and use cases can be found in the Netskope documentation on reverse proxy solutions​​​​.

To set up a Netskope API connection to Box, two actions that must be completed are: authorize the Netskope application in Box and configure Box in SaaS API Data protection. Authorizing the Netskope application in Box allows Netskope to access the Box API and perform out-of-band inspection and enforcement of policies on the data that is already stored in Box. Configuring Box in SaaS API Data protection allows you to specify the Box instance details, such as domain name, admin email, etc., and enable features such as retroactive scan, event stream, etc. References: Authorize Netskope Introspection App on Box Enterprise - Netskope Knowledge PortalConfigure Box Instance in Netskope UI - Netskope Knowledge Portal