Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) Practice Exam

Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) Practice Exam

The Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) certification stands as a trailblazer, offering comprehensive insights into the fundamental principles of recognized cybersecurity and network security, along with the latest advancements across all Palo Alto Networks technologies. In response to the increasing complexity of the cybersecurity domain, Palo Alto Networks Education Services has proactively aligned its offerings with industry standards, particularly following the NIST/NICE (National Institute of Standards and Technology/National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education) workforce framework.

The PCCET certification confirms the expertise necessary for entry-level roles in network security, where technical demands evolve rapidly alongside advancing technology. Individuals holding PCCET certification have an understanding of contemporary trends in cyberattacks targeting networks, as well as familiarity with state-of-the-art technologies utilized for cyberattack prevention.

Who should take the exam?

The PCCET certification is for a diverse audience including students, those entering the workforce, individuals transitioning into cybersecurity roles, hiring managers seeking to recruit entry-level technical support, technical professionals, educators, and any non-technical individuals eager to validate their comprehensive grasp of contemporary cybersecurity fundamentals.

Exam Details

• Exam Name: Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)
• Exam Languages: English
• Exam Questions: 90-100 Questions
• Time: 90 minutes

Course Outline 

The Exam covers the given topics  - 

Domain 1: Overview of Cybersecurity 30%

• Distinguish between Web 2.0 and 3.0 applications and services
• Describe port-scanning methodologies and their impact
• Recognize applications used to circumvent port-based firewalls
  
• Differentiate between common cloud computing service models
• Describe the business processes of supply-chain management
  
• Describe the vulnerabilities associated with data being stored in the SaaS environment
• Describe the impact of governance, regulation, and compliance
  
• Describe the tactics of the MITRE ATT&CK framework
  
• Identify the different attacker profiles and motivations
• Describe the different phases and events of the cyberattack lifecycle
• Identify the characteristics, capabilities, and appropriate actions for different types of malware and ransomware
• Differentiate between vulnerabilities and exploits
• Identify what chain of events follows an attack
• Differentiate between the functional aspects of bots and botnets
• Differentiate the TCP/IP roles in DDoS attacks
  
• Describe advanced persistent threats
  
• Describe risks with Wi-Fi networks
• Describe perimeter-based network security
  
• Describe the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
  
• Describe the transition from a trusted network to an untrusted network
• Describe Zero Trust
  
• Describe the integration of services for network, endpoint, and cloud
• Identify the capabilities of an effective Security Operating Platform

Domain 2: Understand Network Security Components 30%

• Differentiate between hubs, switches, and routers
• Describe the use of VLANs
  
• Differentiate between routed and routing protocols
• Differentiate between static and dynamic routing protocols
• Identify the borders of collision and broadcast domains
  
• Differentiate between different types of area networks
• Describe the advantages of SD-WAN
  
• Describe the purpose of the Domain Name System (DNS)
• Differentiate between categories of IoT devices
  
• Identify IoT connectivity technologies
  
• Differentiate between IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
• Describe the purpose of a default gateway
  
• Describe the role of NAT
• Describe OSI and TCP/IP models
• Describe the data-encapsulation process
  
• Identify the characteristics of various types of network firewalls
  
• Describe the application of NGFW deployment options (i.e., PA-, VM- and CN-Series)
• Differentiate between intrusion detection systems and intrusion prevention systems
• Describe virtual private networks
  
• Differentiate between the different tunneling protocols
  
• Describe the purpose of data loss prevention
• Differentiate the various types of security functions from those that are integrated into UTM devices
• Describe endpoint security standards
• Identify differences in managing wireless devices compared to other endpoint devices
• Describe the purpose of identity and access management
• Describe the integration of NGFWs with the cloud, networks, and endpoints
• Describe App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID
• Describe Palo Alto Networks firewall subscription services
• Describe network security management
  

Domain 3: Learn about Cloud Technologies 20%

• Describe the NIST cloud service and deployment models
• Recognize and list cloud security challenges
• Identify the 4 Cs of cloud native security
  
• Describe the purpose of virtualization in cloud computing
• Explain the purpose of containers in application deployment
  
• Describe how serverless computing is used
• Describe DevOps
• Describe DevSecOps
• Illustrate the continuous integration/continuous delivery pipeline
• Explain governance and compliance related to deployment of SaaS applications
• Describe the cost of maintaining a physical data center
• Differentiate between data-center security weaknesses of traditional solutions versus cloud environments
• Differentiate between east-west and north-south traffic patterns
• Describe the four phases of hybrid data-center security
• Describe how data centers can transform their operations incrementally
• Describe the cloud-native security platform
• Identify the four pillars of Prisma Cloud application security
• Describe the concept of SASE
• Describe the SASE layer
• Describe sanctioned, tolerated, and unsanctioned SaaS applications
• List how to control sanctioned SaaS usage
• Describe the network-as-a-service layer
• Describe how Prisma Access provides traffic protection
• Describe Prisma Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

Domain 4: Understand the Elements of Security Operations 20%

• Describe the main elements included in the development of SOC business objectives
• Describe the components of SOC business management and operations
• List the six essential elements of effective security operations
• Describe the four SecOps functions
• Describe SIEM
  
• Describe the purpose of security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR)
• Describe the analysis tools used to detect evidence of a security compromise
• Describe how to collect security data for analysis
• Describe the use of analysis tools within a security operations environment
• Describe the responsibilities of a security operations engineering team
• Describe the Cortex platform in a security operations environment and the purpose of Cortex XDR for various endpoints
• Describe how Cortex XSOAR improves security operations efficiency
• Describe how Cortex Data Lake improves security operations visibility
• Describe how XSIAM can be used to accelerate SOC threat response