Master Incident Management with Cortex XDR

Master Incident Management with Cortex XDR

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Components of the Incidents Dashboard 2.1 Data Elements 2.2 Advanced Incident View 2.3 Remediation Suggestions
3. Creating Incidents 3.1 Medium and High Severity Alerts 3.2 Auto-Joining Related Alerts 3.3 Updating Incident Information
4. Viewing Incidents 4.1 Single Pane Mode 4.2 Split Pane Mode
5. Understanding the Incidents Dashboard 5.1 Sorting and Filtering Incidents 5.2 Incident Details 5.3 Overview Section 5.4 Key Assets and Artifacts 5.5 Alerts and Insights 5.6 Timeline 5.7 Executions
6. Taking Action from the Incident Dashboard 6.1 Changing Incident Status and Severity 6.2 Creating Exclusions 6.3 Accessing Remediation Suggestions
7. Exploring Detailed Incident Sections 7.1 The Key Assets and Artifacts Section 7.2 The Alerts and Insights Section 7.3 The Timeline View 7.4 The Executions Section
8. Understanding Causality Chains and Remediation Suggestions 8.1 Investigating Suspicious Causality Process Chains 8.2 Remediation Suggestions 8.3 Performing Actions from Remediation Suggestions
9. Requirements for Remediation Suggestions 9.1 Endpoint Agent Version and Data Collection 9.2 Enhanced Data Collection Capabilities 9.3 Pro Per Endpoint License
10. Conclusion

Exploring the Incidents Dashboard in Cortex XDR

The Incidents Dashboard is an essential component of Cortex XDR, providing users with a comprehensive view of security incidents and allowing them to take appropriate action to protect their environment. In this article, we will dive deep into the Incidents Dashboard, exploring its various components and functionalities.

1. Introduction

Cortex XDR is a powerful security operations platform that offers real-time threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities. The Incidents Dashboard within Cortex XDR provides a centralized view of all incidents generated by the system, allowing security teams to quickly identify and respond to potential threats.

2. Components of the Incidents Dashboard

The Incidents Dashboard consists of several components that help users navigate and understand the incidents in their environment. These components include data elements being displayed, the advanced incident view, and remediation suggestions.

2.1 Data Elements

The data elements being displayed in the Incidents Dashboard provide valuable information about each incident. These elements include the score, severity, key assets, artifacts, and more. By analyzing these data elements, security teams can gain insights into the impact and severity of each incident.

2.2 Advanced Incident View

The advanced incident view in the Incidents Dashboard allows users to access detailed information about each incident. This view is divided into two sections: the single pane mode and the split pane view. The single pane mode provides a table of incidents, while the split pane view enables users to navigate through the list of incidents and view incident details.

2.3 Remediation Suggestions

The Incidents Dashboard also offers remediation suggestions to help security teams mitigate the impact of incidents. These suggestions are dynamically generated Based on real-time analysis of EDR data and causality process chains. By following these suggestions, users can efficiently remediate processes, files, and registry keys on their endpoints.

3. Creating Incidents

Incidents are created when medium or high severity alerts are received that do not correlate to an existing incident. Subsequent alerts related to the same incident are automatically joined, and the incident information is updated accordingly.

4. Viewing Incidents

The Incidents Dashboard provides two different views for viewing incidents: the single pane mode and the split pane mode. The single pane mode presents a table of incidents, while the split pane mode allows users to navigate through the list of incidents and view detailed incident data.

5. Understanding the Incidents Dashboard

To effectively use the Incidents Dashboard, it is essential to understand its different sections and the information they provide. These sections include sorting and filtering incidents, incident details, overview, key assets and artifacts, alerts and insights, timeline, and executions.

5.1 Sorting and Filtering Incidents

Users can sort and filter incidents based on various parameters such as severity, score, assignment, status, and more. This functionality enables security teams to prioritize and focus on incidents that require immediate Attention.

5.2 Incident Details

The incident details section provides a summary of the selected incident, including severity score, incident ID, assignment, status, alert breakdown summary, alert sources, and key asset information. This information helps users understand the nature and impact of the incident.

5.3 Overview Section

The overview section offers a summary of the incident, including attack mapping, last updated date, original creation date, alert breakdown, alert source information, and involved hosts and users. By analyzing this section, security teams can obtain a comprehensive understanding of the incident and its scope.

5.4 Key Assets and Artifacts

The key assets and artifacts section provides information about the files, posts, and users involved in the incident. Users can access details such as file hash, verdict, and a link to the WildFire analysis report. Additionally, the section displays the number of alerts each file is involved in.

5.5 Alerts and Insights

In the alerts and insights section, users can explore the alert table for the incident. Medium and high severity alerts are displayed in this section, while low severity informational alerts are categorized as insights. The table can be customized, sorted, and filtered to facilitate efficient incident analysis.

5.6 Timeline

The timeline view presents the history of the incident, showcasing the most recent activities at the top. Users can track changes related to actions performed by responders, the addition of new alerts and artifacts, and their relevance to the incident.

5.7 Executions

The executions section allows users to view causality chains for process trees related to the incident. By analyzing the causality chains, security teams can determine the responsible processes and activities that led to the alert. This section provides a detailed breakdown of process trees and associated alerts.

6. Taking Action from the Incident Dashboard

The Incident Dashboard empowers users to take actionable steps to mitigate incidents and contain malicious activities. Actions include changing the incident status and severity, creating exclusions, and accessing remediation suggestions.

6.1 Changing Incident Status and Severity

Users can change the status and severity of an incident directly from the Incident Dashboard. This functionality enables immediate response and ensures that the incident is appropriately categorized.

6.2 Creating Exclusions

Creating exclusions from the Incident Dashboard allows security teams to define specific rules or policies to exclude certain actions or entities from further investigation or alerts. Exclusions are especially useful for recurring false positives or known benign activities.

6.3 Accessing Remediation Suggestions

The Incidents Dashboard provides access to remediation suggestions based on the analysis of causality process chains and EDR data. These suggestions offer automated recommendations for remediating processes, files, and registry keys associated with the incident.

7. Exploring Detailed Incident Sections

To gain a comprehensive understanding of incidents, it is crucial to explore the detailed sections of the Incident Dashboard. These sections include the key assets and artifacts section, the alerts and insights section, the timeline view, and the executions section.

7.1 The Key Assets and Artifacts Section

The key assets and artifacts section provides detailed information about files, posts, and users involved in the incident. Users can access information such as file hash, verdict, and data gathered from various sources like VirusTotal and WildFire analysis.

7.2 The Alerts and Insights Section

The alerts and insights section presents an in-depth view of alerts related to the incident. By analyzing medium and high severity alerts, security teams can understand the nature and impact of the incident. Additionally, low severity informational alerts categorized as insights provide valuable Context.

7.3 The Timeline View

The timeline view offers a chronological display of events related to the incident, including changes made by responders, the addition of new alerts and artifacts, and their relevance to the incident. Users can track the progression and history of the incident from this view.

7.4 The Executions Section

The executions section allows users to explore causality chains for process trees associated with the incident. By analyzing these chains, security teams can identify the processes responsible for malicious activities. This section provides detailed information about process names, execution states, alerts, and alert sources.

8. Understanding Causality Chains and Remediation Suggestions

Causality chains and remediation suggestions are essential aspects of the Incidents Dashboard. An understanding of these concepts enables security teams to identify the root cause of incidents and take appropriate remediation actions.

8.1 Investigating Suspicious Causality Process Chains

Cortex XDR investigates suspicious causality process chains within endpoints. By analyzing these chains, security teams can identify potentially malicious activities and determine the scope of an incident. This analysis is crucial for effective incident response.

8.2 Remediation Suggestions

Remediation suggestions provide security teams with actionable recommendations to mitigate the impact of incidents. Cortex XDR dynamically analyzes EDR data and causality process chains to generate these suggestions. Following these suggestions ensures efficient incident response and remediation.

8.3 Performing Actions from Remediation Suggestions

Users can perform actions recommended in the remediation suggestions view to effectively address incidents. These actions range from deleting and restoring files and registry keys to terminating malicious causality chains. Manual remediation options are also available in cases where automated actions are not recommended.

9. Requirements for Remediation Suggestions

To access and utilize the remediation suggestions feature, certain requirements must be met. These requirements include the endpoint agent version, enhanced data collection capabilities, and a pro per endpoint license.

9.1 Endpoint Agent Version and Data Collection

To enable remediation suggestions, endpoints must be running Cortex XDR agent version 7.2 or higher. Additionally, enhanced data collection capabilities must be enabled to ensure the availability of the necessary data for analysis.

9.2 Enhanced Data Collection Capabilities

Enhanced data collection capabilities provide Cortex XDR with the necessary information to perform real-time analysis and generate accurate remediation suggestions. This feature must be enabled to fully utilize the potential of the remediation suggestions feature.

9.3 Pro Per Endpoint License

A pro per endpoint license is the requirement for accessing the enhanced data collection capabilities necessary for generating remediation suggestions. This license ensures a comprehensive investigation of incidents and the availability of all Relevant data.

10. Conclusion

The Incidents Dashboard in Cortex XDR is a vital tool for security teams to effectively monitor, investigate, and respond to incidents. By understanding its components, functionalities, and how to leverage remediation suggestions, security professionals can efficiently protect their environment and mitigate potential threats. Cortex XDR provides a comprehensive solution for incident management, enabling organizations to enhance their cybersecurity posture and stay one step ahead of attackers. Thank You for exploring the Incidents Dashboard with us, and we hope you have a great day.

Highlights:

• The Incidents Dashboard in Cortex XDR provides a centralized view of security incidents and allows users to take appropriate action.
• The dashboard consists of several components, including data elements, advanced incident view, and remediation suggestions.
• Incidents are created when medium or high severity alerts are received, and subsequent alerts related to the same incident are automatically joined.
• The Incidents Dashboard offers two views: single pane mode and split pane mode, allowing users to navigate and view detailed incident data.
• Sorting and filtering options are available to prioritize incidents based on severity, assignment, and other parameters.
• The dashboard provides detailed information about incidents, key assets, artifacts, alerts, and insights.
• Users can access the timeline view to track the history of an incident and view changes made by responders.
• Causality chains and remediation suggestions play a crucial role in investigating and addressing incidents.
• Remediation suggestions are dynamically generated based on EDR data and causality process chains.
• Requirements for accessing remediation suggestions include endpoint agent version, enhanced data collection capabilities, and a pro per endpoint license.

FAQ:

Q: How does the Incidents Dashboard help in incident response? A: The Incidents Dashboard provides a centralized view of security incidents, allowing security teams to quickly identify and respond to potential threats. It provides detailed information about incidents, their severity, and the assets and artifacts involved. Users can take remediation actions from the dashboard and track the history of each incident.

Q: Can I customize the layout of the Incidents Dashboard? A: Yes, the Incidents Dashboard allows users to customize the layout by sorting and filtering incidents based on various parameters. This customization enables security teams to prioritize and focus on incidents that require immediate attention.

Q: What are remediation suggestions, and how are they generated? A: Remediation suggestions are actionable recommendations provided by Cortex XDR to mitigate the impact of incidents. These suggestions are generated by analyzing EDR data and causality process chains in real time. By following these suggestions, users can efficiently remediate processes, files, and registry keys on their endpoints.

Q: What are the requirements for accessing remediation suggestions? A: To access and utilize the remediation suggestions feature, endpoints must be running Cortex XDR agent version 7.2 or higher. Additionally, enhanced data collection capabilities must be enabled, and a pro per endpoint license is required.

Q: How does Cortex XDR investigate causality process chains? A: Cortex XDR analyzes causality process chains within endpoints to identify potentially malicious activities. By investigating these chains, security teams can determine the root cause of incidents and take appropriate remediation actions.

Q: Can I perform manual remediation actions from the Incidents Dashboard? A: Yes, manual remediation options are available in cases where automated actions are not recommended. Users can access these options to address incidents that require manual intervention.

Q: What is the significance of the key assets and artifacts section in the Incidents Dashboard? A: The key assets and artifacts section provides detailed information about files, posts, and users involved in the incident. By analyzing this section, security teams can gain insights into the impact and severity of the incident. Users can also access additional information such as file hash, verdict, and any relevant analysis reports.

Q: How does the Incidents Dashboard help in incident investigation? A: The Incidents Dashboard allows users to view detailed incident data, including alerts, insights, and timeline information. By exploring these sections, security teams can investigate the nature and history of each incident, track changes, and identify the responsible processes and activities.

Q: Can I Create exclusions from the Incidents Dashboard? A: Yes, the Incidents Dashboard provides the functionality to create exclusions. This allows security teams to define specific rules or policies to exclude certain actions or entities from further investigation or alerts.

Q: What licenses are required for accessing enhanced data collection capabilities? A: To access enhanced data collection capabilities, a pro per endpoint license is required. This license enables comprehensive investigation of incidents and ensures the availability of all relevant data for analysis.