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Course Length:
4 Days
Course Description:
The Cisco Security Monitoring Analysis and Response System (CS-MARS) is part of the Cisco Security Management Suite which provides security monitoring for network security devices and host application made by Cisco or non-Cisco providers. In addition to event correlation and data reduction features found in SIM products, CS-MARS also provides topology awareness and automatic mitigation features. In knowing the topology of a network, CS-MARS can determine where the attack is originating and apply the appropriate remediation. CS-MARS is a key component in the Cisco Self Defending Network strategy. CS-MARS exchanges information with CS-Manager to provide a unified security management solution. For example, an administrator can view IPS signatures or the Firewall block / permit syslog messages received from sensors or firewalls. CS-MARS will communicate with CS-Manager and display the IPS signature table or firewall rule table. From there the IPS signature or firewall rule can be modified as necessary. Together CS-MARS and CS-Manager provide a unified management solution for monitoring and provisioning.
Who Should Attend:
This course is for engineers who support sales of Cisco security product solutions, Cisco channel partners who sell, implement, and maintain secure networks, and Cisco customers who implement and maintain secure networks.
Benefits of Attendance:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
  • Use CS-MARS to monitor security and host application devices.
  • Know CS-MARS architecture and how CS-MARS process events.
  • Know how to use archive and restore features.
  • Use CS-MARS to run / create / customize reports
  • Use CS-MARS to investigate an incident and mitigate the security threats.
  • Use CS-MARS to do customer parser for unknown devices in CS-MARS.
  • Use CS-MARS to create / customize rules that detects dark net through best practices example.
  • Know how to tune signature / log level on device side and CS-MARS side.
Prerequisites:
Students must be Cisco CCSP certified or have equivalent knowledge. They must also have passed the Securing Cisco IOS Networks (SECUR) exam (642-501), the Securing Networks with Cisco Routers and Switches (SNRS) exam (642-502), or both and have at least six months of practical experience configuring Cisco routers and security products. In addition, students must be familiar with implementing network security policies and networking components and concepts.
Course Outline:
  • Introducing Cisco Security Monitoring, Analysis, and Response System
    1. Effective Security Monitoring and Management
    2. Cisco Self-Defending Network and the Role of Cisco Security MARS
    3. Cisco Security MARS
    4. Cisco Security MARS Terminology
    5. Cisco Security MARS Technologies
    6. Cisco Security MARS User Interface
    7. Cisco Security MARS Product Portfolio
    8. Pre-Lab Activity: Accessing the Remote Lab
  • Understanding the System Architecture
    1. Cisco Security MARS Software Components
    2. Cisco Security MARS Process Flow Details
  • Configuring a Cisco Security MARS Appliance
    1. Initial Cisco Configuration Overview
    2. Scenario: Configuration Tasks
    3. Deployment Planning Guidelines
    4. Lab 3: Accessing the Cisco Security MARS Appliance
  • Adding Reporting and Mitigation Devices
    1. Overview of Reporting and Mitigation Devices
    2. Scenario: Adding a Cisco Reporting Device and Enabling NetFlow
    3. Data-Enabling Features of Cisco Security MARS
    4. Integrating Cisco Security MARS with Third-Party Applications
    5. Lab 4-1: Adding Reporting Devices and Enabling NetFlow
    6. Lab 4-2: Configuring the Syslog Forwarding Feature
  • Viewing the Summary Page
    1. Summary Page Overview
    2. Dashboard
    3. Network Status
    4. My Reports
    5. Scenario: Getting Information from the Summary Page
    6. Lab 5: Generating Summary Reports
  • Managing Rules
    1. Rules Overview
    2. Working with System and User Inspection Rules
    3. Working with Drop Rules
    4. Rule Groups Overview
    5. Lab 6-1: Configuring Cisco Security MARS Event Types
    6. Lab 6-2: Configuring an Inspection Rule
  • Understanding Queries and Reports
    1. Query Page
    2. Scenario: Configuring a Query
    3. Reports Page
    4. Scenario: Configuring a System Report
    5. Lab 7: Performing a Query and Creating a Custom Report
  • Investigating and Mitigating Incidents
    1. Incidents Overview
    2. Incidents
    3. Scenario: Role of Cisco Security MARS in Your Network
    4. False Positives
    5. Case Management
    6. Scenario: Configuring a Case to Track an Incident
    7. Configuring Notifications
    8. Case Study: Preventing the W32 Blaster Worm
    9. Lab 8: Performing Incident Investigation and Mitigation
  • Working with User-Defined Log Parser Templates
    1. Overview of User-Defined Log Parser Templates
    2. Scenario: Configuring a Customer Parser
    3. Lab 9: Configuring the Custom Parser
  • Integrating with Cisco Security Manager
    1. Overview of Cisco Security Manager Policy Table Lookup
    2. Scenario: Invoking Cisco Security Manager Policy Table Lookup from Cisco Security MARS
  • Managing and Administering the System
    1. Lab 10: Performing Cisco Security Manager Policy Lookup
    2. Management Overview
    3. Overview of System Maintenance Tasks
    4. IPS Signature Dynamic Update Settings
    5. Upgrading the Cisco Security MARS Appliance Software
    6. Migrating Data from Cisco Security MARS 4.3.x to 5.3.x
    7. Lab 11-1: Reviewing the CLI and Upgrading the Device Version
    8. Lab 11-2: Configuring IPS Auto Signature Download
    9. Lab 11-3: Configuring AAA RADIUS Authentication and Working with the Account Locking and Session Timeout Menu
    10. Lab 11-4: Retrieving Raw Messages
  • Troubleshooting and Optimizing Cisco Security MARS
    1. Hardware Installation Issues
    2. Device Configuration Issues
    3. Global Controller-to-Local Controller Communications
    4. Sizing Cisco Security MARS Deployment
    5. Tuning Cisco Security MARS
    6. Securing Cisco Security MARS
  • Using the Cisco Security MARS Global Controller
    1. Cisco Security MARS Global Controller Overview
    2. Configuring the Cisco Security MARS Global Controller
    3. Summary Tab
    4. Incidents Tab
    5. Queries and Reports
    6. Rules Tab
    7. Management Tab
    8. System Maintenance Tab
  • Course Review: Cisco Security MARS at Work
    1. Cisco Security MARS At Work
    2. Lab Outline