Google Cloud Professional Cloud Security Engineer Practice Exam

How can you inspect IP packet data for invalid or malicious content effectively?

1. Implement firewall rules to block all unwanted traffic

2. Use Packet Mirroring to analyze mirrored traffic with security software

3. Manually review logs for suspicious IP addresses

4. Utilize third-party monitoring tools exclusively

The correct answer is: Use Packet Mirroring to analyze mirrored traffic with security software

Using Packet Mirroring to analyze mirrored traffic with security software is an effective approach to inspect IP packet data for invalid or malicious content. Packet Mirroring captures traffic in real time and allows you to create a duplicate of network packets for further analysis. This duplication is essential because it does not interfere with the original traffic flow, ensuring that both normal operations and analysis can occur simultaneously. By utilizing security software on the mirrored packets, you can apply advanced threat detection techniques, including deep packet inspection (DPI), behavior analysis, and signature-based checks to identify anomalies or known threats. This method provides a comprehensive view of the data traveling through the network, allowing for proactive monitoring and response to any malicious activities. Additionally, while implementing firewall rules can help prevent unwanted traffic, it does not provide insight into the nature of packets that are already passing through or potentially malicious packets that might not meet the criteria for blocking. Manual log reviews and exclusive reliance on third-party monitoring tools may miss real-time threats and often lack the deep analysis that dedicated packet inspection tools offer. Therefore, the ability to analyze mirrored traffic with specialized software is crucial for maintaining a robust security posture.