Unit 42 is the threat intelligence and response team of Palo Alto Networks. The purpose of Unit 42 is to collect and analyze the most up-to-date threat intelligence and apply it to respond to cyberattacks. Unit 42 is composed of world-renowned threat researchers, incident responders and security consultants who help organizations proactively manage cyber risk.Unit 42 is responsible for threat research, malware analysis and threat hunting, among other activities12.

Let's briefly discuss the other options to provide a comprehensive explanation:

A) Unit 42 is not responsible for automation and orchestration of products.Automation and orchestration are capabilities that are provided by Palo Alto Networks products such as Cortex XSOAR, which is a security orchestration, automation and response platform that helps security teams automate tasks, coordinate actions and manage incidents3.

B) Unit 42 is not responsible for the configuration optimization of the Cortex XDR server. The Cortex XDR server is the cloud-based platform that provides detection and response capabilities across network, endpoint and cloud data sources.The configuration optimization of the Cortex XDR server is the responsibility of the Cortex XDR administrators, who can use the Cortex XDR app to manage the settings and policies of the Cortex XDR server4.

C) Unit 42 is not responsible for the rapid deployment of Cortex XDR agents. The Cortex XDR agents are the software components that are installed on endpoints to provide protection and visibility.The rapid deployment of Cortex XDR agents is the responsibility of the Cortex XDR administrators, who can use various methods such as group policy objects, scripts, or third-party tools to deploy the Cortex XDR agents to multiple endpoints5.

In conclusion, Unit 42 is the threat intelligence and response team of Palo Alto Networks that is responsible for threat research, malware analysis and threat hunting. By leveraging the expertise and insights of Unit 42, organizations can enhance their security posture and protect against the latest cyberthreats.

About Unit 42: Our Mission and Team

Unit 42: Threat Intelligence & Response

Cortex XSOAR

Cortex XDR Pro Admin Guide: Manage Cortex XDR Settings and Policies

Cortex XDR Pro Admin Guide: Deploy Cortex XDR Agents

To filter the display to only show incidents that were ''starred'', you need to click the star in the widget. This will apply a filter that shows only the incidents that contain a starred alert, which is an alert that matches a specific condition that you define in the incident starring configuration.You can use the incident starring feature to prioritize and focus on the most important or relevant incidents in your environment1.

Let's briefly discuss the other options to provide a comprehensive explanation:

A) Create a custom XQL widget: This is not the correct answer. Creating a custom XQL widget is not necessary to filter the display to only show starred incidents. A custom XQL widget is a widget that you create by using the XQL query language to define the data source and the visualization type.You can use custom XQL widgets to create your own dashboards or reports, but they are not required for filtering incidents by stars2.

B) This is not currently supported: This is not the correct answer. Filtering the display to only show starred incidents is currently supported by Cortex XDR.You can use the star icon in the widget to apply this filter, or you can use the Filter Builder to create a custom filter based on the Starred field1.

C) Create a custom report and filter on starred incidents: This is not the correct answer. Creating a custom report and filtering on starred incidents is not the only way to filter the display to only show starred incidents. A custom report is a report that you create by using the Report Builder to define the data source, the layout, and the schedule.You can use custom reports to generate and share periodic reports on your Cortex XDR data, but they are not the only option for filtering incidents by stars3.

In conclusion, clicking the star in the widget is the simplest and easiest way to filter the display to only show incidents that were ''starred''. By using this feature, you can quickly identify and focus on the most critical or relevant incidents in your environment.

Filter Incidents by Stars

Create a Custom XQL Widget

Create a Custom Report

If you have an isolated network that is prevented from connecting to the Cortex Data Lake, you can use the Local Agent Proxy setup to facilitate the communication. The Local Agent Proxy is a type of Broker VM that acts as a proxy server for the Cortex XDR agents that are deployed on the isolated network. The Local Agent Proxy enables the Cortex XDR agents to communicate securely with the Cortex Data Lake and the Cortex XDR management console over the internet, without requiring direct access to the internet from the isolated network. The Local Agent Proxy also allows the Cortex XDR agents to download installation packages and content updates from the Cortex XDR management console. To use the Local Agent Proxy setup, you need to deploy a Broker VM on the isolated network and configure it as a Local Agent Proxy. You also need to deploy another Broker VM on a network that has internet access and configure it as a Remote Agent Proxy. The Remote Agent Proxy acts as a relay between the Local Agent Proxy and the Cortex Data Lake. You also need to install a strong cipher SHA256-based SSL certificate on both the Local Agent Proxy and the Remote Agent Proxy to ensure secure communication.You can read more about the Local Agent Proxy setup and how to configure it here1and here2.Reference:

Local Agent Proxy

Configure the Local Agent Proxy Setup

The first protection module that is checked in the Cortex XDR Windows agent malware protection flow is the Hash Verdict Determination. This module compares the hash of the executable file that is about to run on the endpoint with a list of known malicious hashes stored in the Cortex XDR cloud. If the hash matches a malicious hash, the agent blocks the execution and generates an alert.If the hash does not match a malicious hash, the agent proceeds to the next protection module, which is the Restriction Policy1.

The Hash Verdict Determination module is the first line of defense against malware, as it can quickly and efficiently prevent known threats from running on the endpoint. However, this module cannot protect against unknown or zero-day threats, which have no known hash signature.Therefore, the Cortex XDR agent relies on other protection modules, such as Behavioral Threat Protection, Child Process Protection, and Exploit Protection, to detect and block malicious behaviors and exploits that may occur during the execution of the file1.

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Documentation, File Analysis and Protection Flow

JIT Mitigation is an Exploit Protection Module (EPM) that can be used to prevent attacks based on OS function. JIT Mitigation protects against exploits that use the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler of the OS to execute malicious code. JIT Mitigation monitors the memory pages that are allocated by the JIT compiler and blocks any attempts to execute code from those pages. This prevents attackers from using the JIT compiler as a way to bypass other security mechanisms such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR).Reference:

Palo Alto Networks. (2023). PCDRA Study Guide. PDF file. Retrieved from https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/content/dam/pan/en_US/assets/pdf/datasheets/education/pcdra-study-guide.pdf

Palo Alto Networks. (2021). Exploit Protection Modules. Web page. Retrieved from https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/traps/6-0/traps-endpoint-security-manager-admin/traps-endpoint-security-policies/exploit-protection-modules.html