Splunk SPLK-5002 Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Engineer Exam Practice Test

Answer : C

If a user queries an index during a high-priority incident but sees incomplete results, it is likely that the indexers are overloaded, causing queue bottlenecks.

Why Indexer Queue Capacity Issues Cause Incomplete Results:

When indexing queues fill up, incoming data cannot be processed efficiently.

Search results may be incomplete or delayed if events are still in the indexing queue and not fully written to disk.

Heavy search loads during incidents can also increase pressure on indexers.

How to Fix It:

Monitor indexing queues via the Monitoring Console (indexing>indexing performance).

Check metrics.log on indexers for max_queue_size_exceeded warnings.

Increase indexer capacity or optimize search scheduling to reduce load.

Incorrect Answers: A. Buckets in the warm state are inaccessible -- Warm buckets are still searchable unless there is a storage failure. B. Data normalization was not applied -- Normalization affects data consistency but does not cause incomplete results. D. The search head configuration is outdated -- This does not affect indexing, only the execution of searches.

Answer : A

Improving Threat Intelligence Sharing in an Organization

Threat intelligence enhances cybersecurity by providing real-time insights into emerging threats.

1. Implement a Real-Time Threat Feed Integration (A)

Enables real-time ingestion of threat indicators (IOCs, IPs, hashes, domains).

Helps automate threat detection and blocking.

Example:

Integrating STIX/TAXII, Splunk Threat Intelligence Framework, or a SOAR platform for live threat updates.

Incorrect Answers:

B . Restrict access to external threat intelligence sources Sharing intelligence enhances security, not restricting it.

C . Share raw threat data with all employees Raw intelligence needs analysis and context before distribution.

D . Use threat intelligence only for executive reporting SOC analysts, incident responders, and IT teams need actionable intelligence.

Additional Resources:

Splunk Threat Intelligence Framework

How to Integrate STIX/TAXII in Splunk

Answer : A, C, D

Audit-ready reports help demonstrate compliance with security policies and regulations (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, NIST).

1. Including Evidence of Compliance with Regulations (A)

Reports must show security controls, access logs, and incident response actions.

Example:

A PCI DSS compliance report tracks privileged user access logs and unauthorized access attempts.

2. Ensuring Reports Are Time-Stamped (C)

Provides chronological accuracy for security incidents and log reviews.

Example:

Incident response logs should include detection, containment, and remediation timestamps.

3. Automating Report Scheduling (D)

Enables automatic generation and distribution of reports to stakeholders.

Example:

A weekly audit report on security logs is auto-emailed to compliance officers.

Incorrect Answers:

B . Excluding all technical metrics Security reports must include event logs, IP details, and correlation results.

E . Using predefined report templates exclusively Reports should be customized for compliance needs.

Additional Resources:

Splunk Compliance Reporting Guide

Automating Security Reports in Splunk

Answer : A, B, D

Methods to Improve Dashboard Usability in Security Analytics

A well-designed Splunk security dashboard helps SOC teams quickly identify, analyze, and respond to security threats.

1. Using Drill-Down Options for Detailed Views (A)

Allows analysts to click on high-level metrics and drill down into event details.

Helps teams pivot from summary statistics to specific security logs.

Example:

Clicking on a failed login trend chart reveals specific failed login attempts per user.

2. Standardizing Color Coding for Alerts (B)

Consistent color usage enhances readability and priority identification.

Example:

Red Critical incidents

Yellow Medium-risk alerts

Green Resolved issues

3. Adding Context-Sensitive Filters (D)

Filters allow users to focus on specific security events without running new searches.

Example:

A dropdown filter for 'Event Severity' lets analysts view only high-risk events.

Incorrect Answers:

C . Limiting the number of panels on the dashboard Dashboards should be optimized, not restricted.

E . Avoiding performance optimization Performance tuning is essential for responsive dashboards.

Additional Resources:

Splunk Dashboard Design Best Practices

Optimizing Security Dashboards in Splunk

Answer : B

Why Use Data Models in Dashboards?

Splunk Data Models allow dashboards to retrieve structured, normalized data quickly, improving search performance and accuracy.

How Data Models Help in Dashboards? (Answer B) Standardized Field Naming -- Ensures that queries always use consistent field names (e.g., src_ip instead of source_ip). Faster Searches -- Data models allow dashboards to run structured searches instead of raw log queries. Example: A SOC dashboard for user activity monitoring uses a CIM-compliant Authentication Data Model, ensuring that queries work across different log sources.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. To store raw data for compliance purposes -- Raw data is stored in indexes, not data models. C. To compress indexed data -- Data models structure data but do not perform compression. D. To reduce storage usage on Splunk instances -- Data models help with search performance, not storage reduction.

Reference & Learning Resources

Splunk Data Models for Dashboard Optimization: https://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/latest/Knowledge/Aboutdatamodels Building Efficient Dashboards Using Data Models: https://splunkbase.splunk.com Using CIM-Compliant Data Models for Security Analytics: https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/tips-and-tricks

Answer : B

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a process improvement methodology used to enhance operational efficiency by reducing waste, eliminating errors, and improving consistency.

Primary Function of Lean Six Sigma in a Security Program:

Improves security operations efficiency by optimizing alert handling, threat hunting, and incident response workflows.

Reduces unnecessary steps in SOC processes, eliminating redundancies in threat detection and response.

Enhances decision-making by using data-driven analysis to improve security metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Incorrect Answers: A. Automating detection workflows -- Lean Six Sigma focuses on process improvement, not automation. C. Monitoring the performance of detection searches -- While Lean Six Sigma enhances efficiency, it does not specifically monitor search performance. D. Enhancing user activity logs -- This is related to logging and auditing, not Lean Six Sigma.

Lean Six Sigma in Cybersecurity

Using Six Sigma to Improve SOC Processes

Answer : B

The GET method in the Splunk REST API is used to retrieve data from a Splunk index. It allows users and automated scripts to fetch logs, alerts, or query results programmatically.

Key Points About GET in Splunk API:

Used for searching and retrieving logs from indexes.

Can be used to get search results, job status, and Splunk configuration details.

Common API endpoints include:

/services/search/jobs/{search_id}/results -- Retrieves results of a completed search.

/services/search/jobs/export -- Exports search results in real-time.

Incorrect Answers: A. POST -- Used for submitting new search jobs or sending data to Splunk. C. PUT -- Used for modifying existing Splunk configurations, not retrieving data. D. DELETE -- Used to remove Splunk objects like reports or alerts, not for retrieval.

Splunk REST API - GET Method

How to Use Splunk API for Search Queries