PCNSA · Question #22
An administrator notices that protection is needed for traffic within the network due to malicious lateral movement activity. Based on the image shown, which traffic would the administrator need to…
The correct answer is D. east-west traffic. To mitigate malicious lateral movement activity, an administrator must monitor and block east-west traffic, which refers to communication between devices within the same network segment or data center.
Question
An administrator notices that protection is needed for traffic within the network due to malicious lateral movement activity. Based on the image shown, which traffic would the administrator need to monitor and block to mitigate the malicious activity?
Exhibit
Options
- Abranch office traffic
- Bnorth-south traffic
- Cperimeter traffic
- Deast-west traffic
How the community answered
(43 responses)- A7% (3)
- B2% (1)
- C2% (1)
- D88% (38)
Why each option
To mitigate malicious lateral movement activity, an administrator must monitor and block east-west traffic, which refers to communication between devices within the same network segment or data center.
Branch office traffic refers to communication between a main office and its branch locations, which is typically considered north-south or perimeter traffic from the perspective of the central network.
North-south traffic refers to communication entering or leaving the data center or network perimeter, primarily associated with external access, not lateral movement within the network.
Perimeter traffic is traffic crossing the network boundary, which is typically monitored to prevent initial breaches but not specifically for lateral movement *inside* the network.
East-west traffic encompasses communication between servers, virtual machines, or endpoints *within* a data center or local network, and it is the primary pathway for lateral movement by attackers after initial network penetration, requiring internal segmentation and monitoring.
Concept tested: East-west traffic and lateral movement
Source: https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/best-practices/10-2/segmentation-best-practices/segmentation-best-practices/how-it-works
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