HPE7-A02 Exam Dumps - Aruba Certified Network Security Professional Exam

To follow best security practices for 802.1X authentication settings in Windows domain clients:

Specify at least two server names under "Connect to these servers":

Admins should explicitly list trusted RADIUS server names (e.g., radius.example.com) to prevent the client from connecting to unauthorized or rogue servers.

This mitigates man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks where an attacker attempts to present their own RADIUS server.

Select the desired Trusted Root Certificate Authority and "Don't prompt users":

Select the Trusted Root CA that issued the RADIUS server's certificate. This ensures clients validate the correct server certificate during the EAP-TLS/PEAP authentication process.

Enabling "Don't prompt users" ensures end users are not confused or tricked into accepting certificates from untrusted servers.

Why the other options are incorrect:

Option C: Incorrect. Wildcards in server names (e.g., *.example.com) weaken security and allow broader matching, increasing the risk of rogue servers.

Option D: Incorrect. Clearing "Use simple certificate selection" requires users to select certificates manually, which can lead to errors and usability issues. Simple certificate selection is recommended when properly configured.

Recommended Settings for Best Security Practices:

Server Validation: Specify the exact RADIUS server names in the "Connect to these servers" field.

Root CA Validation: Ensure only the correct Trusted Root Certificate Authority is selected.

User Prompts: Enable "Don't prompt users" to enforce automatic and secure authentication without user intervention.

Why Monitoring Control Plane Policing (CoPP) with an NAE Agent Is Effective for Detecting DoS Attacks

Control Plane Policing (CoPP): AOS-CX switches use CoPP to protect the CPU from excessive traffic caused by DoS attacks (e.g., ARP floods, ICMP floods). CoPP enforces rate limits and drops malicious traffic at the control plane level.

NAE (Network Analytics Engine) Agent:

The NAE on AOS-CX switches can monitor CoPP counters in real time and trigger alerts if thresholds for certain traffic types (e.g., ICMP, ARP) are exceeded.

Admins can use NAE to automate detection and respond faster to DoS attacks.

Analysis of Each Option

A. Deploy an NAE agent on the switches to monitor control plane policing (CoPP):

Correct:

NAE agents provide real-time visibility into CoPP behavior, helping detect DoS attacks more quickly.

By analyzing CoPP statistics, the NAE can pinpoint abnormal traffic patterns and alert admins.

This is the most efficient and scalable solution for this use case.

B. Configure the switches to implement RADIUS accounting to HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass and enable HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Insight:

Incorrect:

While ClearPass can provide visibility into user authentication and device activity, it is not specifically designed to detect or mitigate DoS attacks against switches.

C. Implement ARP inspection on all VLANs that support end-user devices:

Incorrect:

ARP inspection helps mitigate ARP spoofing or poisoning, but it does not directly address detection of DoS attacks like ICMP or ARP floods.

It is a preventative measure, not a detection tool.

D. Enabling debugging of security functions on the switches:

Incorrect:

Debugging logs can help troubleshoot specific issues but are not practical for real-time detection of DoS attacks.

Enabling debugging can overload the switch and is not suitable for proactive monitoring.

Final Recommendation

Deploying an NAE agent to monitor CoPP is the best solution because it provides real-time detection, alerting, and insights into traffic patterns that indicate DoS attacks.

References

AOS-CX Network Analytics Engine (NAE) Configuration Guide.

HPE Aruba AOS-CX Control Plane Policing Documentation.

Best Practices for Protecting Switches Against DoS Attacks in Aruba Networks.

In the exhibit, the HPE Aruba Networking Central settings for the 9x00 gateway show that traffic inspection is enabled, and the gateway is set to operate in IDS (Intrusion Detection System) mode with the fail strategy set to "Block". This configuration means that the gateway will drop traffic if it matches a rule in the active ruleset.

1.Active Ruleset: The ruleset version 9861 is active, and the gateway is configured to automatically update the ruleset daily.

2.Traffic Matching Rules: When traffic matches a rule in the active ruleset, it is flagged as suspicious or malicious.

3.Block Mode: Since the fail strategy is set to "Block", any traffic that matches a rule in the active ruleset will be dropped to prevent potential threats.

User-Based Tunneling (UBT) with VRRP:

UBT allows traffic from authenticated users to be tunneled to an HPE Aruba Networking gateway.

In the case of VRRP, where two gateways are configured for redundancy, the AOS-CX switch will always send the traffic to the primary gateway defined in the UBT zone configuration.

The VRRP state (master/backup) does not impact the UBT decision; the UBT primary configuration takes precedence.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect. UBT does not strictly follow the VRRP master; it adheres to the UBT primary gateway configuration.

Option B: Correct. The switch tunnels all traffic to the primary gateway configured in the UBT zone.

Option C: Incorrect. UBT does not load-share traffic between gateways.

Option D: Incorrect. UBT uses the primary gateway configured in the UBT zone, not dynamically determined active devices.

RAPIDS Ad-Hoc Detection:

The alert "Detect ad-hoc using Valid SSID" indicates that a device is broadcasting an SSID that matches a valid network SSID in ad-hoc mode. This can be an indication of an infrastructure attack or misconfiguration.

Next Steps:

Use Aruba Central floorplans or AP location data to identify the physical area where the offending device is detected.

Locate and investigate the device to determine if it is malicious or simply misconfigured.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect. While tuning thresholds is useful for reducing false positives, this step does not directly address a potential threat.

Option B: Incorrect. Faulty drivers can cause similar behavior, but this step is not immediately actionable without locating the device first.

Option C: Correct. Floorplans or AP identities help locate the threat's physical area for further investigation.

Option D: Incorrect. RAPIDS focuses on detecting devices via SSID and MAC, not IP addresses, making this approach less relevant.

Comprehensive Detailed Explanation

To prohibit users from uploading and downloading files from Dropbox using HPE Aruba Networking SSE (Secure Service Edge), you need to configure web access policies. This typically involves:

Adding a web category to the SSE configuration that includes Dropbox.

The SSE solution uses category-based filtering to block access to specific applications or services, such as Dropbox, based on their classification.

Other Options:

B. Installing the SSE root certificate is required for enabling SSL inspection, but this does not directly control access to Dropbox.

C and D. Deploying a connector is not necessary for this purpose as the enforcement is done via SSE policies, not by directly interfacing with Dropbox or remote users.

References

Aruba Networking SSE documentation on web filtering policies.

HPE Aruba SSE Application Control Best Practices Guide.

For a company with AOS-CX switches and HPE Aruba Networking APs running AOS-10, where 802.1X authentication is required on all edge ports, you should configure all edge ports in client auth-mode. This mode ensures that each client connecting through the APs is authenticated individually, maintaining the security policy requirements for 802.1X authentication on all connections.

The "Detect Valid SSID Misuse" event in Aruba's Wireless Intrusion Detection System (WIDS) indicates that a valid SSID, associated with your network, is being broadcast from an unauthorized source. This scenario often signals a potential rogue access point attempting to deceive clients into connecting to it (e.g., for credential harvesting or man-in-the-middle attacks).

1. Explanation of Each Option

A. Clients are failing to authenticate to corporate SSIDs. You should first check for misconfigured authentication settings and then investigate a possible threat:

Incorrect:

This event is not related to authentication failures by legitimate clients.

Misconfigured authentication settings would lead to events like "authentication failures" or "radius issues," not "valid SSID misuse."

B. Admins have likely misconfigured SSID security settings on some of the company's APs. You should have them check those settings:

Incorrect:

This event refers to an external device broadcasting your SSID, not misconfiguration on the company’s authorized APs.

WIDS differentiates between valid corporate APs and rogue APs.

C. Hackers are likely trying to pose as authorized APs. You should use the detecting radio information and immediately track down the device that triggered the event:

Correct:

This is the most likely cause of the "detect valid SSID misuse" event. A rogue AP broadcasting a corporate SSID could lure clients into connecting to it, exposing sensitive credentials or traffic.

Immediate action includes:

Using the radio information from the event logs to identify the rogue AP's location.

Physically locating and removing the rogue device.

Strengthening WIPS/WIDS policies to prevent further misuse.

D. This event might be a threat but is almost always a false positive. You should wait to see the event over several days before following up on it:

Incorrect:

While false positives are possible, "valid SSID misuse" is a critical security event that should not be ignored.

Delaying action increases the risk of successful attacks against your network.

2. Recommended Steps to Address the Event

Review Event Logs:

Gather details about the rogue AP, such as SSID, MAC address, channel, and signal strength.

Locate the Rogue Device:

Use the detecting AP's radio information and signal strength to triangulate the rogue AP's physical location.

Respond to the Threat:

Remove or disable the rogue device.

Notify the security team for further investigation.

Prevent Future Misuse:

Strengthen security policies, such as enabling client whitelists or enhancing WIPS protection.

References

Aruba WIDS/WIPS Configuration and Best Practices Guide.

Aruba Central Security Event Analysis Documentation.

Wireless Threat Management Using Aruba Networks.