Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect — Information & Free Practice

About Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect

Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect · US

Key exam facts

Provider

Pearson VUE

Format

Closed-book multiple choice examination

Exam questions

Total questions: 67.

Time limit

75 minutes, including 3 minutes to review the examination agreement

Exam fee

$130 USD per exam attempt

Topics covered

• Advanced Threat Intelligence and Analysis (5%)

  • Customized threat intelligence strategy
  • Intelligence lifecycle integration into security operations
  • Intelligence-informed adversary emulation and threat modeling

• Security Data Management (20%)

  • Integration strategy for data-driven security operations
  • Critical cybersecurity and non-security data sources
  • Data source value, signal, noise and use cases
  • Nonstandard and out-of-band instrumentation
  • Data lifecycle management strategy
  • Data normalization for defense programs
  • Security analytics beyond traditional SIEM
  • Scaling cybersecurity data architectures

• Advanced Incident Response and Management (10%)

  • Incident response alignment with IT service processes
  • Large-scale incident coordination and communication
  • Technology and process support for forensics

• Advanced Automation and Orchestration (10%)

  • Technical architecture constraints on orchestration
  • Cross-platform cybersecurity workflow automation
  • Autonomous SOC benefits and development
  • AI and machine learning in detection and response

• Scaling Cybersecurity Defenses and DevSecOps (15%)

  • Agile and DevOps defense scaling strategies
  • Security sensors and controls in DevOps workflows
  • Software bills of materials in cybersecurity defense
  • Continuous integration and deployment of security data solutions
  • Patterns, architecture blueprints and paved roads
  • Application and infrastructure support for defense

• Governance, Risk, and Compliance (10%)

  • Government guidance and defense capability design
  • Privacy regulation, logging, sovereignty and residency
  • Industry frameworks and cyber defense architecture
  • Security control cost and risk offsets
  • Security controls within governance and risk management

• Measuring and Improving Security Program Effectiveness (15%)

  • Definition, measurement and reporting of effectiveness metrics
  • Risk tolerance and program metrics
  • Continuous improvement of metrics-driven programs
  • Continual control testing and gap remediation

• Security Capability Selection, Placement, Configuration (15%)

  • Coverage of prevention, detection, response and recovery
  • Architecture, configuration and process gap mitigation
  • Business-aligned capability priorities and budgets
  • Security technology selection methods
  • Technology implementation strategies
  • Resilient solution selection and deployment

How to prepare

Work through the topics, read the explanation after each answer, and revisit the areas where you miss questions. Use the official outline and reference materials below to guide your study.

These independent practice questions are not actual exam items and do not guarantee a passing result.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources and references

• Current examination track, blueprint adoption

  Preparation, test blueprint hyperlink

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.1, Exam Content controlling statement

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.1, domain 1.0 header and percentage column

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.1, domain 2.0 header and percentage column; objectives continue on p.2

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.2, domain 3.0 header and percentage column

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.2, domain 4.0 header and percentage column

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.2, domain 5.0 header and percentage column; objectives continue on p.3

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.3, domain 6.0 header and percentage column

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.3, domain 7.0 header and percentage column

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.3, domain 8.0 header and percentage column

• Current examination track

  Exam Details, format and duration

• Splunk Certification Candidate Handbook

  printed p.6, Taking the Exam, answer submission for scoring

• Splunk Certification Candidate Handbook

  printed p.7, Exam Results/Score Reporting

• Cybersecurity Defense Architect test blueprint

  p.1, current examination fact boxes and time footnote

• Current examination track

  Exam Details, prerequisites, pricing and delivery

• Upcoming Splunk Certification Changes

  p.1, registration and Splunk ID FAQs

• Upcoming Splunk Certification Changes

  p.2, existing appointments FAQ

• Splunk Certification Candidate Handbook

  printed p.4, Certification Candidate Requirements

• Splunk Certification Candidate Handbook

  printed p.6, Taking the Exam, delivery options

Confirm current exam arrangements with the exam provider.