Splunk SPLK-5002 Exam Dumps

Security metrics help organizations assess their security posture and make data-driven decisions.

Primary Purpose of Security Metrics in Splunk:

Measure Security Effectiveness (B)

Tracks incident response times, threat detection rates, and alert accuracy.

Helps SOC teams and leadership evaluate security program performance.

Improve Threat Detection & Incident Response

Identifies gaps in detection logic and false positives.

Helps fine-tune correlation searches and notable events.

Incorrect Answers: A. To enhance data retention policies -- Retention policies focus on data storage, not security performance. C. To identify low-priority alerts for suppression -- While metrics help with prioritization, their primary goal is evaluating security effectiveness. D. To automate case management workflows -- Security metrics inform automation but are not meant for workflow execution.

Splunk Security Metrics Best Practices

How to Measure SOC Performance with Splunk

Audit-ready reports help demonstrate compliance with security policies and regulations (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, NIST).

1. Including Evidence of Compliance with Regulations (A)

Reports must show security controls, access logs, and incident response actions.

Example:

A PCI DSS compliance report tracks privileged user access logs and unauthorized access attempts.

2. Ensuring Reports Are Time-Stamped (C)

Provides chronological accuracy for security incidents and log reviews.

Example:

Incident response logs should include detection, containment, and remediation timestamps.

3. Automating Report Scheduling (D)

Enables automatic generation and distribution of reports to stakeholders.

Example:

A weekly audit report on security logs is auto-emailed to compliance officers.

Incorrect Answers:

B . Excluding all technical metrics Security reports must include event logs, IP details, and correlation results.

E . Using predefined report templates exclusively Reports should be customized for compliance needs.

Additional Resources:

Splunk Compliance Reporting Guide

Automating Security Reports in Splunk

The Splunk Data Pipeline consists of multiple stages that process incoming data from ingestion to visualization.

Main Steps of the Splunk Data Pipeline:

Input Phase (C)

Splunk collects raw data from logs, applications, network traffic, and endpoints.

Supports various data sources like syslog, APIs, cloud services, and agents (e.g., Universal Forwarders).

Parsing (D)

Splunk breaks incoming data into events and extracts metadata fields.

Removes duplicates, formats timestamps, and applies transformations.

Indexing (A)

Stores parsed events into indexes for efficient searching.

Supports data retention policies, compression, and search optimization.

Incorrect Answers: B. Visualization -- Happens later in dashboards, but not part of the data pipeline itself. E. Alerting -- Occurs after the data pipeline processes and analyzes events.

Splunk Data Processing Pipeline Overview

How Splunk Parses and Indexes Data

The GET method in the Splunk REST API is used to retrieve data from a Splunk index. It allows users and automated scripts to fetch logs, alerts, or query results programmatically.

Key Points About GET in Splunk API:

Used for searching and retrieving logs from indexes.

Can be used to get search results, job status, and Splunk configuration details.

Common API endpoints include:

/services/search/jobs/{search_id}/results -- Retrieves results of a completed search.

/services/search/jobs/export -- Exports search results in real-time.

Incorrect Answers: A. POST -- Used for submitting new search jobs or sending data to Splunk. C. PUT -- Used for modifying existing Splunk configurations, not retrieving data. D. DELETE -- Used to remove Splunk objects like reports or alerts, not for retrieval.

Splunk REST API - GET Method

How to Use Splunk API for Search Queries

Splunk SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) playbooks automate security processes, reducing response times.

1. Defined Workflows (A)

A structured flowchart of actions for handling security events.

Ensures that the playbook follows a logical sequence (e.g., detect enrich contain remediate).

Example:

If a phishing email is detected, the workflow includes:

Extract email artifacts (e.g., sender, links).

Check indicators against threat intelligence feeds.

Quarantine the email if it is malicious.

2. Actionable Steps or Tasks (C)

Each playbook contains specific, automated steps that execute responses.

Examples:

Extracting indicators from logs.

Blocking malicious IPs in firewalls.

Isolating compromised endpoints.

3. Integration with External Tools (E)

Playbooks must connect with SIEM, EDR, firewalls, threat intelligence platforms, and ticketing systems.

Uses APIs and connectors to integrate with tools like:

Splunk ES

Palo Alto Networks

Microsoft Defender

ServiceNow

Incorrect Answers:

B . Threat intelligence feeds These enrich playbooks but are not mandatory components of playbook development.

D . Manual approval processes Playbooks are designed for automation, not manual approvals.

Additional Resources:

Splunk SOAR Playbook Documentation

Best Practices for Developing SOAR Playbooks