Checkpoint 156-586 Exam Dumps & Practice Test Questions
Question 1
Which three elements make up the essential components of Identity Awareness within the Check Point security framework?
A. User, Active Directory, and Access Role
B. Identity Awareness Blade on Security Gateway, User Database on Management Server, and Active Directory
C. Identity Source, Identity Server (PDP), and Identity Enforcement (PEP)
D. Client, Security Management Server, and Security Gateway
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
In Check Point's Identity Awareness architecture, the primary goal is to enable user- and group-based policy enforcement. Rather than relying solely on IP addresses for access control, Identity Awareness allows security administrators to build policies based on user identity, retrieved dynamically from various sources. This enables more granular, accurate, and context-aware security policies.
The key to how Check Point implements this functionality lies in its three-tier Identity Awareness architecture, which includes:
Identity Source – This is the origin of the user identity information. It can be a Windows Active Directory, RADIUS server, Terminal Servers, or even Identity Agents running on client devices. This component gathers login events and user identity data, serving as the initial point for identity acquisition.
Identity Server (PDP - Policy Decision Point) – The PDP is typically the Security Gateway running the Identity Awareness Blade. It receives the user identity data from the Identity Source and maps it to corresponding IP addresses. Based on this, it makes decisions about user access permissions defined in the policy. The PDP also sends identity mapping data to the PEP.
Identity Enforcement (PEP - Policy Enforcement Point) – The PEP is the component that resides either on the Security Gateway or other enforcing points and is responsible for enforcing the access control decisions based on the identity data it receives from the PDP. The enforcement could apply to resources such as web servers, internal applications, or cloud services.
Let’s examine the other options for accuracy:
A. User, Active Directory, and Access Role: While these are elements of the overall Identity Awareness configuration, this answer lacks the architectural roles like PDP and PEP that describe the operational workflow of identity management. It’s more about policy logic than technical architecture.
B. Identity Awareness Blade on Security Gateway, User Database on Management Server, and Active Directory: This describes components that may be involved in Identity Awareness but not the core functional components. The Identity Awareness Blade is involved, but the User Database on the Management Server is not critical in dynamic identity resolution.
D. Client, Security Management Server, and Security Gateway: This is a generic network topology and not specific to how Identity Awareness functions. These entities are part of the broader Check Point environment, but they do not define Identity Awareness’s essential components.
Therefore, the correct three elements are Identity Source, Identity Server (PDP), and Identity Enforcement (PEP), making C the correct answer.
Question 2
Which Check Point process is tasked with managing Mobile VPN connections, ensuring secure encryption and decryption of data over the Internet?
A. cvpnd
B. vpnk
C. fwk
D. vpnd
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
Check Point uses several internal processes to handle the complex workflows of VPN management, encryption, packet inspection, and traffic control. Among these, the process specifically designed to manage VPN connections, particularly Remote Access VPNs and Mobile VPN sessions, is the vpnd process.
Let’s break down what vpnd does:
The vpnd (VPN daemon) process is responsible for handling VPN connections. It establishes and manages IPsec tunnels, negotiates phase 1 and 2 of the IKE protocol, and is involved in certificate and key exchange. For Mobile Access VPN (such as when users connect remotely through Check Point’s Capsule or Endpoint clients), vpnd is essential for creating secure encrypted tunnels over untrusted networks like the Internet.
Here’s a breakdown of the other options:
A. cvpnd: This is related to SecureClient or legacy client VPN services and is no longer commonly used in modern Check Point architectures. It once served as the client VPN daemon but has largely been deprecated or replaced in newer solutions.
B. vpnk: This process is associated with kernel-level VPN operations, especially handling encryption/decryption of VPN traffic at a low level, often after a tunnel is already established. It plays a supporting role, but does not manage the VPN session establishment or control plane—that’s the role of vpnd.
C. fwk: Short for firewall kernel instance, this process handles packet inspection and enforcement of firewall policies. While it does process VPN traffic as part of its duties, it is not responsible for initiating or managing VPN connections.
In conclusion, the correct process for managing Mobile VPN connections, including encryption and decryption and secure tunnel establishment, is vpnd, making the correct answer D.
Question 3
What is the proper command syntax used to activate all debug flags related to troubleshooting Unified Policy issues in Check Point?
A. fw ctl kdebug -m UP all
B. fw ctl debug -m fw all
C. fw ctl debug -m up all
D. fw ctl debug -m UP all
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
In Check Point, Unified Policy (UP) refers to a consolidated policy enforcement model that combines elements like Access Control and Threat Prevention into a single policy. When troubleshooting Unified Policy-related issues, enabling the correct debug flags is crucial to capture relevant logs and diagnose behavior at the kernel level.
The correct command syntax to activate all debug flags related to Unified Policy is:
fw ctl debug -m UP all
This command breaks down as follows:
fw ctl debug: This is the main kernel debugging command used in Check Point environments.
-m: This flag specifies the module you want to debug.
UP: This refers specifically to the Unified Policy module, which is the relevant context for the debug.
all: This enables all debug flags within the specified module.
Let’s analyze the incorrect options:
A (fw ctl kdebug -m UP all): This is incorrect because fw ctl kdebug is not a valid command. The correct usage is either fw ctl debug for kernel-level debug or fw ctl kdebug followed by specific flags like -f to follow logs or -d for dump, but not in the form shown here.
B (fw ctl debug -m fw all): This enables debug for the FW (firewall) module, which is not specific to Unified Policy. Although useful in general troubleshooting, it won’t help diagnose UP-specific behaviors.
C (fw ctl debug -m up all): This is a nearly correct command, but module names in Check Point are case-sensitive. Since UP is the correct module identifier, using lowercase up would fail or trigger an unrelated debug context.
D (fw ctl debug -m UP all): This is the correct and case-accurate command, enabling all debugging flags specifically related to Unified Policy.
Thus, the accurate command to troubleshoot Unified Policy issues is D.
Question 4
You discover that Identity Awareness is failing to identify users correctly, impacting Access Role enforcement. Which command allows you to troubleshoot both identity collectors and providers from the command line?
A. Run on the gateway: pdp debug set AD all and IDC all
B. Run on the management server: pdp debug on IDC all
C. Run on the management server: pdp debug set all all
D. Run on the gateway: pdp debug set IDC all IDP all
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
Identity Awareness is a critical feature in Check Point security gateways that allows for enforcement of Access Roles based on user identity rather than just IP addresses. It leverages identity sources like Active Directory (AD), Identity Collector (IDC), and Identity Provider (IDP) to gather user-session mappings.
When Identity Awareness fails to correctly identify users, it can lead to improper or failed enforcement of Access Roles. To troubleshoot this, Check Point provides the pdp and pep debug utilities.
The correct command to troubleshoot both Identity Collectors (IDC) and Identity Providers (IDP) is:
pdp debug set IDC all IDP all
Here’s a breakdown of this command:
pdp: The daemon on the gateway responsible for collecting identity information and communicating with identity sources.
debug set: This initiates specific debugging flags.
IDC all: Enables all debug logs related to the Identity Collector mechanism.
IDP all: Enables all debug logs related to the Identity Provider, such as SAML-based authentication or browser-based identity agents.
Let’s review the other options:
A (Run on the gateway: pdp debug set AD all and IDC all): This command syntax is not valid. First, and is not recognized in this context. Second, AD is a general identity source, but you would typically debug either IDC or IDP modules directly. Also, this mixes identity types without a clear debug structure.
B (Run on the management server: pdp debug on IDC all): Incorrect for two reasons. First, pdp runs on the gateway, not the management server. Running this command on the wrong node yields no useful output. Second, the syntax is slightly off—debug on is not the correct phrase. It should be debug set.
C (Run on the management server: pdp debug set all all): Again, this is invalid because the pdp daemon does not run on the management server. It is a gateway process, and therefore this command would not yield results from the correct component.
D (Run on the gateway: pdp debug set IDC all IDP all): This is the correct command, with the correct module names and executed on the correct device (gateway).
In summary, to troubleshoot Identity Awareness failures, especially related to IDC and IDP sources, the right approach is to run the appropriate debug command on the gateway using the correct module names. The valid command is represented by D.
Question 5
What are the main components that make up Check Point’s Security Management architecture?
A. Management Server, Log Server, Gateway Server, Security Server
B. Management Server, Management Database, Log Server, Automation Server
C. Management Server, Security Gateway, Multi-Domain Server, SmartEvent Server
D. Management Server, Log Server, LDAP Server, Web Server
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
Check Point’s Security Management architecture is a centralized model that facilitates the policy management, monitoring, and logging of security activities across a network. It includes several critical components, each with a specialized function, designed to provide comprehensive and scalable security oversight.
The primary components of this architecture are:
Management Server (Security Management Server): This is the core of Check Point’s management architecture. It is responsible for creating, managing, and deploying security policies to Security Gateways. It includes features like SmartConsole, which administrators use to configure rules, objects, and settings.
Security Gateway: This is the enforcement point that inspects and filters traffic according to the policies defined on the Management Server. It can be deployed as a firewall, VPN concentrator, intrusion prevention system (IPS), and more.
Multi-Domain Server (MDS): This component is used in large-scale or service provider environments. It enables the segmentation of security management into multiple independent domains or tenants. Each domain can have its own policies, administrators, and gateways, which enhances scalability and administrative separation.
SmartEvent Server: This is the component responsible for security event correlation and reporting. It collects logs and events from various sources (Security Gateways, Log Servers) and presents aggregated, real-time security intelligence. It allows administrators to see trends, identify threats, and create custom reports and dashboards.
Let’s review the incorrect choices:
A. Management Server, Log Server, Gateway Server, Security Server: While it includes valid components (Management and Gateway), the term “Security Server” is too vague and not a defined part of Check Point’s standard architecture. Also, “Gateway Server” is redundant—it should be “Security Gateway”.
B. Management Server, Management Database, Log Server, Automation Server: Although there is a Management Database internally, and Automation Server functions (for APIs) exist, these are not typically listed as the main components. This answer mixes internal elements and optional components.
D. Management Server, Log Server, LDAP Server, Web Server: LDAP and Web Servers may interact with the Check Point architecture (e.g., for authentication), but they are external systems, not core components of Check Point's management design.
Hence, C is the best and correct representation of the essential parts of the Check Point Security Management architecture.
Question 6
Which Check Point process is primarily responsible for managing and handling logging functions?
A. FWD
B. CPWD
C. CPM
D. CPD
Correct Answer: A
Explanation:
Check Point software includes several key processes, each of which plays a specific role in managing different aspects of the platform. For logging and log forwarding, the central process is fwd.
Here's what each process does:
A. FWD (Firewall Daemon): Correct. The fwd process is specifically responsible for handling logs and communication between components, including log collection, forwarding, and interaction with SmartConsole and SmartEvent. It resides on both Security Gateways (to generate logs) and on Log Servers (to receive and store logs). fwd parses log entries, applies filters, and ensures that the logs are properly transmitted to the configured log destinations. Without fwd, logging would not function properly in the Check Point environment.
B. CPWD (Check Point WatchDog): Incorrect. This process acts as a monitoring and recovery tool. It watches other processes and restarts them if they crash. While it plays a critical background role in process availability, it does not handle logging directly.
C. CPM (Check Point Management): Incorrect. This process is the main management engine on the Security Management Server. It deals with policy management, object database management, and API interactions. Logging is outside its scope.
D. CPD (Check Point Daemon): Incorrect. cpd is involved in initial communication between components, such as when pushing policy from the Management Server to the Security Gateway. It also manages certificates and SIC (Secure Internal Communication). Again, this is not related to logging.
Therefore, the correct answer is A, as fwd is the process dedicated to log management and communication in Check Point environments.
Question 7
Which Check Point daemon handles the Threat Extraction functionality?
A. tedex
B. extractd
C. tex
D. scrubd
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
Check Point offers Threat Extraction as part of its Threat Prevention suite, alongside Threat Emulation. The goal of Threat Extraction is to remove potentially malicious content (such as macros, embedded objects, or active content) from files before they reach the user, thereby delivering a sanitized and safe version of the file.
The daemon responsible for managing this functionality is:
tex: This stands for Threat Extraction daemon and it is the core component in the Check Point architecture responsible for handling the extraction and sanitization process. When a file passes through a Check Point Security Gateway configured with Threat Extraction, the tex daemon sanitizes the file in real time, strips active content, and reconstructs a safe version of the document before delivering it to the end user.
Now let’s examine why the other options are incorrect:
A (tedex): This is a fabricated or incorrect daemon name. There is no tedex process in Check Point that is related to Threat Extraction.
B (extractd): While the name may sound plausible (suggesting “extract daemon”), extractd is not a valid Check Point process. It does not correspond to any of the processes found in Threat Extraction or Threat Prevention.
D (scrubd): This is often confused with other antivirus or malware-related terminology (e.g., "scrubbing" content), but scrubd is not an actual Check Point daemon. No Check Point documentation assigns Threat Extraction tasks to this process.
In summary, tex is the officially recognized and correct Check Point daemon for handling Threat Extraction duties—responsible for stripping out active content, sanitizing files, and ensuring safe delivery. Therefore, the correct answer is C.
Question 8
If the cpsemd process within SmartEvent crashes or fails to start, what is the most probable underlying issue?
A. SmartEvent core component on Solr indexer has been removed
B. The logged-in user lacks permissions to use SmartEvent
C. Postgres database is currently offline
D. CPD process cannot connect to the log server
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
The cpsemd process is a critical component of Check Point SmartEvent, which is responsible for event correlation, threat intelligence analysis, and real-time alerting. SmartEvent relies heavily on underlying services and databases to function properly. One of the key components it depends on is the PostgreSQL database.
Let’s explore why C is the correct answer:
Postgres database offline: The cpsemd process relies on Postgres (PostgreSQL) to store, retrieve, and query event and log data for correlation purposes. If the Postgres service is down, corrupted, or unreachable, cpsemd will fail to start or crash upon execution due to its inability to access its required data structures. This is the most common root cause when cpsemd fails.
Now, let's analyze the incorrect options:
A (SmartEvent core component on Solr indexer has been removed): While Solr is used for indexing logs in certain Check Point deployments, SmartEvent and cpsemd do not directly rely on Solr for operational start-up. Removal of Solr would more likely impact log search performance, not cause cpsemd to crash.
B (The logged-in user lacks permissions to use SmartEvent): Insufficient user permissions might limit access to SmartEvent UI features, but this would not prevent the cpsemd daemon from starting. The daemon runs independently of the GUI session and user privileges.
D (CPD process cannot connect to the log server): While CPD is an essential daemon that coordinates tasks like certificate handling and communication between modules, a failure in CPD’s log server communication wouldn’t directly cause cpsemd to crash. It might affect log ingestion, but cpsemd should still start unless a more critical service like Postgres is unavailable.
In conclusion, the most probable underlying issue when cpsemd fails to start is that the PostgreSQL database is offline, making C the correct answer.
Question 9
You receive a Smart Console error stating "SmartLog is not active or Failed to parse results from server" when investigating a user web access issue. What should be your first step to address the problem?
A. Execute smartlogstart and smartlogstop on the Security Management Server
B. Enable and disable SmartLog debugging using smartlog debug on/off
C. Restart the SmartLog server using smartlog_server restart
D. Restart the Management Server processes using cpmstop and cpmstart
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
The error message "SmartLog is not active or Failed to parse results from server" typically indicates an issue with the SmartLog indexing and search service in Check Point. SmartLog is responsible for enabling fast, full-text searches through log records using a dedicated indexing engine that runs alongside the Security Management Server or Dedicated Log Server.
In such scenarios, the best initial troubleshooting step is to restart the SmartLog server process directly, using the command:
smartlog_server restart
This command attempts to stop and start the SmartLog service, which often resolves temporary glitches related to log indexing, service inactivity, or parsing failures.
Let’s examine the other options and why they are less appropriate as a first response:
A. Execute smartlogstart and smartlogstop on the Security Management Server: This command sequence is used to manually stop and start SmartLog services, but it’s not as targeted or commonly used as smartlog_server restart, which performs a cleaner and more controlled service restart. Also, smartlogstart/smartlogstop is not always recommended as a first step unless you are already confident that the SmartLog service is stopped.
B. Enable and disable SmartLog debugging using smartlog debug on/off: Debugging should not be your first step unless directed by support or if you are already deep into a diagnosis. Turning debugging on without understanding the issue can clutter logs or introduce performance degradation. Debugging is helpful after basic service functionality has been verified or restarted.
D. Restart the Management Server processes using cpmstop and cpmstart: Restarting the entire Management Server is a disruptive action and should not be the first line of troubleshooting for a SmartLog-specific issue. The cpmstop/cpmstart commands restart all core services (including the GUI, API, and policy manager), which can interrupt active sessions and administrative tasks. This is a last resort, not a first step.
In summary, the most efficient and least disruptive action when facing this SmartLog error is to restart the SmartLog service itself, making C the correct and most logical first step.
Question 10
Which Check Point feature ensures continuous enforcement of security policies by detecting changes in user identities and dynamically adjusting access accordingly?
A. Adaptive Threat Prevention
B. Dynamic Identity Awareness
C. Identity Logging Module
D. Context-Aware Inspection
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
The Check Point feature that ensures real-time updates to security policy enforcement based on changing user identities is called Dynamic Identity Awareness. This capability is part of Check Point’s Identity Awareness suite and is crucial in environments where users may change locations, IP addresses, or devices during a session.
Here’s how it works:
Dynamic Identity Awareness enables the Security Gateway to receive real-time updates about users’ identity changes (login, logout, IP change) from various identity sources such as Active Directory, Identity Agents, Remote Access clients, or Terminal Servers. This ensures that access control decisions based on Access Roles and identity remain accurate throughout a session, even if the user’s network details change.
It leverages components like the Policy Decision Point (PDP) and Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) to continually synchronize and enforce identity-based policies. This continuous awareness ensures that if a user changes subnets or logs in from a different device, the system can dynamically reassess and reapply access control.
Reviewing the other options:
A. Adaptive Threat Prevention: This refers to Check Point’s suite of technologies like IPS, Anti-Bot, Anti-Virus, and Threat Emulation that prevent known and unknown threats. While adaptive in nature, it does not manage or enforce identity-aware policies.
C. Identity Logging Module: No specific Check Point feature by this name exists. Logging modules may include identity-related logs, but they do not enforce policies or detect identity changes.
D. Context-Aware Inspection: This is a broader concept referring to traffic inspection based on various contextual factors (like application, user, location), but it does not specifically refer to the identity change tracking and dynamic enforcement that Dynamic Identity Awareness provides.
Thus, Dynamic Identity Awareness is the correct feature that delivers real-time identity tracking and policy updates, making B the correct answer.
