HPE6-A78 Exam Dumps - Aruba Certified Network Security Associate Exam

AOS-CX switches use certificates for various purposes, such as securing HTTPS access to the switch’s web interface, authenticating the switch as a RadSec client, or securing other communications. Managing local certificates on AOS-CX switches involves ensuring that the switch trusts the certificate authority (CA) that issued the certificate, which is critical for proper operation.

Option C, "Before installing the local certificate, create a trust anchor (TA) profile with the root CA certificate for the certificate that you will install," is correct. A trust anchor (TA) profile on AOS-CX switches contains the root CA certificate (or intermediate CA certificate) that issued the local certificate. This TA profile allows the switch to validate the certificate chain when the local certificate is installed. For example, if you install a CA-signed certificate for the HTTPS server, the switch needs the root CA certificate in a TA profile to trust the certificate. This is a standard guideline for certificate management on AOS-CX switches to ensure secure and proper operation.

Option A, "Understand that the switch must use the same certificate for all usages, such as its HTTPS server and RadSec client," is incorrect. AOS-CX switches support using different certificates for different purposes. For example, you can have one certificate for the HTTPS server and another for RadSec client authentication, as long as each certificate is associated with the appropriate service and trusted by the switch.

Option B, "Create a self-signed certificate online on the switch because AOS-CX switches do not support CA-signed certificates," is incorrect. AOS-CX switches fully support CA-signed certificates, and using CA-signed certificates is recommended for production environments to ensure trust and security. Self-signed certificates can be used for testing but are not a guideline for general certificate management.

Option D, "Install an Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) certificate to simplify the process of enrolling and re-enrolling for certificates," is incorrect. OCSP is a protocol used to check the revocation status of certificates, not to simplify certificate enrollment. AOS-CX switches support OCSP for certificate validation, but installing an "OCSP certificate" is not a concept in certificate management, and it’s not a guideline for managing local certificates.

The HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX 10.12 Security Guide states:

"Before installing a CA-signed local certificate on the switch, you must create a trust anchor (TA) profile that includes the root CA certificate (or intermediate CA certificate) that issued the local certificate. This ensures that the switch can validate the certificate chain. For example, to install a CA-signed certificate for the HTTPS server, use the command crypto pki ta-profile to create the TA profile, and then import the root CA certificate into the profile using crypto pki import ta-profile . Then, install the local certificate using crypto pki import local-certificate and associate it with the HTTPS server." (Page 201, Certificate Management Section)

Additionally, the guide notes:

"AOS-CX switches support both self-signed and CA-signed certificates. For production environments, it is recommended to use CA-signed certificates and ensure that the appropriate trust anchor profiles are configured to validate the certificate chain." (Page 202, Best Practices Section)

Opportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) provides encrypted communications on open Wi-Fi networks, which addresses the company's desire to have encryption without requiring a password for guests. It can work in transition mode, which allows for the use of OWE by clients that support it, while still permitting legacy clients to connect without encryption. Combining this with a captive portal enables the desired welcome web page for guests to log in.

In an AOS-8 architecture, the Mobility Controller (MC) includes a stateful firewall that enforces policies on client traffic. The firewall uses user roles to apply policies, allowing granular control over traffic based on the client’s identity and context.

User Roles: In AOS-8, each client is assigned a user role after authentication (e.g., via 802.1X, MAC authentication, or captive portal). The user role contains firewall policies (rules) that define what traffic is allowed or denied for clients in that role. For example, a "guest" role might allow only HTTP/HTTPS traffic, while an "employee" role might allow broader access.

Option A, "The firewall applies the rules in policies associated with the client's user role," is correct. The AOS firewall evaluates traffic based on the user role assigned to the client. Each role has a set of policies (rules) that are applied in order, and the first matching rule determines the action (permit or deny). For example, if a client is in the "employee" role, the firewall applies the rules defined in the "employee" role’s policy.

Option B, "The firewall applies every rule that includes the client's IP address as the source," is incorrect. The firewall does not apply rules based solely on the client’s IP address; it uses the user role. Rules within a role may include IP addresses, but the role determines which rules are evaluated.

Option C, "The firewall applies the rules in policies associated with the client's WLAN," is incorrect. While the WLAN configuration defines the initial role for clients (e.g., the default 802.1X role), the firewall applies rules based on the client’s current user role, which may change after authentication (e.g., via a RADIUS VSA like Aruba-User-Role).

Option D, "The firewall applies every rule that includes the client's IP address as the source or destination," is incorrect for the same reason as Option B. The firewall uses the user role to determine which rules to apply, not just the client’s IP address.

The HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 8.11 User Guide states:

"The AOS firewall on the Mobility Controller applies rules based on the user role assigned to a client. Each user role contains a set of firewall policies that define the allowed or denied traffic for clients in that role. For example, a policy in the ‘employee’ role might include a rule like ipv4 user any http permit to allow HTTP traffic. The firewall evaluates the rules in the client’s role in order, and the first matching rule determines the action for the traffic." (Page 325, Firewall Policies Section)

Additionally, the HPE Aruba Networking Security Guide notes:

"User roles in AOS-8 provide a powerful mechanism for firewall policy enforcement. The firewall determines which rules to apply to a client’s traffic by looking at the policies associated with the client’s user role, which is assigned during authentication or via a RADIUS VSA like Aruba-User-Role." (Page 50, Role-Based Access Control Section)

When an authentication attempt for a user's Windows domain computer is failing on a WPA3-Enterprise WLAN and the Mobility Controller is receiving Access-Rejects, one place to look for deeper insight is the RADIUS events within the CPPM Event Viewer. ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) logs all RADIUS authentication events, and the Event Viewer would show detailed information about why a particular authentication attempt was rejected. This could include reasons such as incorrect credentials, expired certificates, or policy mismatches. The CPPM Event Viewer is an essential troubleshooting tool within ClearPass to diagnose authentication issues, as indicated in the ClearPass Policy Manager documentation.

A common method for hackers to perform a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack on a wireless network is by ARP poisoning. The attacker connects to the same network as the victim and sends false ARP messages over the network. This causes the victim's device to send traffic to the attacker's machine instead of the legitimate destination, allowing the attacker to intercept the traffic.

A digital chain of custody ensures that evidence (e.g., logs, timestamps) collected from a network can be reliably used in legal or forensic investigations. It requires maintaining the integrity and authenticity of data, including accurate timestamps for events. HPE Aruba Networking devices, such as Instant APs, Mobility Controllers (MCs), and AOS-CX switches, support features to help maintain a digital chain of custody.

Option C, "Ensure that all network infrastructure devices receive a valid clock using authenticated NTP," is correct. Accurate and synchronized time across all network devices is critical for maintaining a digital chain of custody. Timestamps in logs (e.g., authentication events, traffic logs) must be consistent and verifiable. Network Time Protocol (NTP) is used to synchronize device clocks, and authenticated NTP ensures that the time source is trusted and not tampered with (e.g., using MD5 or SHA authentication). This practice ensures that logs from different devices can be correlated accurately during an investigation.

Option A, "Enable packet capturing on Instant AP or Mobility Controller (MC) datapath on an ongoing basis," is incorrect. While packet capturing on the datapath (user traffic) can provide detailed traffic data for analysis, enabling it on an ongoing basis is impractical due to storage and performance constraints. Packet captures are typically used for specific troubleshooting or investigations, not for maintaining a chain of custody.

Option B, "Ensure that all network infrastructure devices use RADIUS rather than TACACS+ to authenticate managers," is incorrect. The choice of RADIUS or TACACS+ for manager authentication does not directly impact the digital chain of custody. Both protocols can log authentication events, but the protocol used does not ensure the integrity of timestamps or evidence.

Option D, "Enable packet capturing on Instant AP or Mobility Controller (MC) controlpath on an ongoing basis," is incorrect for similar reasons as Option A. Control path (control plane) packet captures include management traffic (e.g., between APs and MCs), but enabling them continuously is not practical and does not directly contribute to maintaining a chain of custody. Accurate timestamps in logs are more relevant.

The HPE Aruba Networking Security Guide states:

"Maintaining a digital chain of custody requires ensuring the integrity and authenticity of network logs and events. A critical practice is to ensure that all network infrastructure devices, such as Mobility Controllers and AOS-CX switches, receive a valid and synchronized clock using authenticated NTP. Use the command ntp server key to configure authenticated NTP, ensuring that timestamps in logs are accurate and verifiable for forensic investigations." (Page 85, Digital Chain of Custody Section)

Additionally, the HPE Aruba Networking AOS-8 8.11 User Guide notes:

"Accurate time synchronization is essential for maintaining a digital chain of custody. Configure all devices to use authenticated NTP to synchronize their clocks with a trusted time source. This ensures that event logs, such as authentication and traffic logs, have consistent and reliable timestamps, which can be correlated across devices during an investigation." (Page 380, Time Synchronization Section)

HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) is a network access control (NAC) solution that provides device profiling, authentication, and policy enforcement. In this scenario, the company wants to profile clients to determine their device type and use that information to define access rights. Device profiling in ClearPass involves identifying and categorizing devices based on various attributes, such as DHCP fingerprints, HTTP User-Agent strings, or TCP fingerprinting, to assign them to specific device categories (e.g., Windows, macOS, IoT devices, etc.). These categories can then be used in policy decisions to grant or restrict access.

Option A, "Assigning clients to their device categories," directly aligns with ClearPass’s role in device profiling. ClearPass collects profiling data from network devices (like APs, MCs, or switches) and uses its profiling engine to categorize devices. This categorization is a core function of ClearPass Device Insight, which is integrated into CPPM, and is used to build policies based on device type.

Option B, "Helping to forward profiling information to the component responsible for profiling," is incorrect because ClearPass itself is the component responsible for profiling. It doesn’t forward data to another system for profiling; instead, it collects data (e.g., via DHCP snooping, HTTP headers, or mirrored traffic) and processes it internally.

Option C, "Accepting and enforcing CoA messages," refers to ClearPass’s ability to send Change of Authorization (CoA) messages to network devices to dynamically change a client’s access rights (e.g., reassign a role or disconnect a session). While CoA is part of ClearPass’s enforcement capabilities, it is not directly related to the profiling process or categorizing devices.

Option D, "Enforcing access control decisions," is a broader function of ClearPass. While ClearPass does enforce access control decisions based on profiling data (e.g., by assigning roles or VLANs), the question specifically asks about its role in the profiling process, not the enforcement step that follows.

The HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide states:

"ClearPass Policy Manager provides a mechanism to profile devices that connect to the network. Device profiling collects information about a device during its authentication or through network monitoring (e.g., DHCP, HTTP, or SNMP). The collected data is used to identify and categorize the device into a device category (e.g., Computer, Smartphone, Printer, etc.) and device family (e.g., Windows, Android, etc.). These categories can then be used in policy conditions to enforce access control." (Page 245, Device Profiling Section)

Additionally, the ClearPass Device Insight Data Sheet notes:

"ClearPass Device Insight uses a combination of passive and active profiling techniques to identify and classify devices. It assigns devices to categories based on their attributes, enabling organizations to create granular access policies." (Page 2)

EAP-TLS and PEAP both provide secure authentication methods, but they differ in their requirements for client-side authentication. EAP-TLS requires both the client (supplicant) and the server to authenticate each other with certificates, thereby ensuring a very high level of security. On the other hand, PEAP requires a server-side certificate to create a secure tunnel and allows the client to authenticate using less stringent methods, such as a username and password, which are then protected by the tunnel. This makes PEAP more flexible in environments where client-side certificates are not feasible.