Palo Alto Networks XSIAM Analyst — Question 14

A security analyst has been assigned a ticket from the help desk stating that users are experiencing errors when attempting to open files on a specific network share. These errors state that the file format cannot be opened. IT has verified that the file server is online and functioning, but that all files have unusual extensions attached to them.
The security analyst reviews alerts within Cortex XSIAM and identifies malicious activity related to a possible ransomware attack on the file server. This incident is then escalated to the incident response team for further investigation.
Upon reviewing the incident, the responders confirm that ransomware was successfully executed on the file server. Other details of the attack are noted below:
An unpatched vulnerability on an externally facing web server was exploited for initial access
The attackers successfully used Mimikatz to dump sensitive credentials that were used for privilege escalation
PowerShell was used on a Windows server for additional discovery, as well as lateral movement to other systems
The attackers executed SystemBC RAT on multiple systems to maintain remote access
Ransomware payload was downloaded on the file server via an external site, "file.io"
Refer to the scenario to answer this question:
Which forensics artifact collected by Cortex XSIAM will help the responders identify what the attackers were looking for during the discovery phase of the attack?

Answer options

Correct answer: D

Explanation

The correct answer is D, as WordWheelQuery logs provide insights into what users were searching for, allowing responders to understand the attackers' intentions during their discovery phase. Options A, B, and C, while useful for other aspects of forensic analysis, do not specifically reveal the search activities that indicate what the attackers were targeting.