Cisco 300-720 Exam Dumps & Practice Test Questions

Question 1:

Which SMTP extension, supported by Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA), is specifically designed to secure the transmission of email messages?

A. ETRN
B. UTF8SMTP
C. PIPELINING
D. STARTTLS

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

When it comes to securing email communications, one of the most vital tools used is the STARTTLS extension. This is a security enhancement for the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), and it is fully supported by Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) to enable encrypted email transmission.

STARTTLS functions by allowing an SMTP session that initially begins as a plain-text communication to be upgraded to an encrypted session using TLS (Transport Layer Security). This upgrade mechanism helps protect the confidentiality and integrity of email messages in transit by preventing data interception, spoofing, or tampering. It’s particularly critical in business environments where emails often carry sensitive, proprietary, or regulatory-compliant content.

Let’s review why the other options are incorrect:

• ETRN (Extended Turn) is a legacy SMTP command used to request email delivery from an intermediate server. It is mostly used in older dial-up or store-and-forward environments and does not contribute to modern encryption or security protocols.

• UTF8SMTP is an SMTP extension that allows support for international character sets in email addresses and headers, using UTF-8 encoding. While this improves email compatibility globally, it does not add security to the communication.

• PIPELINING is a performance-oriented SMTP extension that allows a client to send multiple commands without waiting for a response to each. While it enhances efficiency by reducing network latency, it offers no encryption or protective features.

Among these choices, STARTTLS is the only option directly associated with enhancing the security of email traffic. By encrypting the email channel, it ensures that the content remains confidential and is not modified in transit. Cisco ESA integrates STARTTLS to help enforce secure email routing policies across organizations, protecting users and infrastructure from surveillance and tampering during message delivery.

Therefore, the correct answer is D. STARTTLS, as it plays a fundamental role in email security by encrypting SMTP communications between mail servers.

Question 2:

Which Cisco ESA feature uses Talos threat intelligence to evaluate and block email servers based on their reputation before accepting email delivery?

A. SenderBase Reputation Filtering
B. Connection Reputation Filtering
C. Talos Reputation Filtering
D. SpamCop Reputation Filtering

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) is designed with multiple layers of protection, one of which involves reputation-based filtering to proactively block email threats before they even reach a user’s inbox. Among these mechanisms, Connection Reputation Filtering is a standout feature, as it specifically relies on Talos Intelligence—Cisco’s comprehensive threat intelligence network—to assess the trustworthiness of incoming email servers.

Connection Reputation Filtering works by examining the source IP address of any incoming SMTP connection. It leverages real-time data from Talos, which gathers and analyzes information from millions of sensors and data sources worldwide. This data includes spam history, malware reports, email volume patterns, and known botnet activity. Based on this intelligence, each connecting server is assigned a reputation score.

If the score falls below a configured threshold, Cisco ESA can take automated actions such as dropping the connection, applying throttling, or marking the message as suspicious. This stops malicious content before any email body is even received, saving bandwidth and processing time while offering a powerful pre-delivery defense.

Let’s break down the alternatives:

• SenderBase Reputation Filtering was an earlier branding of Cisco’s reputation system, but Talos has since replaced and expanded it. It now encompasses broader metrics and deeper integration.

• Talos Reputation Filtering is not an independent ESA feature but rather the underlying intelligence that powers ESA’s filters, including Connection Reputation Filtering. It's part of the backend, not a configuration option.

• SpamCop Reputation Filtering is a community-based blacklist used for identifying spam sources. While it may be referenced in some contexts, it’s not the primary method for ESA’s real-time reputation analysis.

Therefore, Connection Reputation Filtering is the correct answer, as it directly utilizes Talos Intelligence to evaluate SMTP connections and block high-risk email servers based on their behavior and global reputation data. This proactive approach helps reduce the attack surface and improves the overall security posture of an organization’s email infrastructure.

Question 3:

Which configuration option enables LDAP-based user authentication when logging into the Cisco ESA’s End-User Spam Quarantine interface?

A. Enabling End-User Safelist/Blocklist feature
B. Spam Quarantine External Authentication Query
C. Spam Quarantine End-User Authentication Query
D. Spam Quarantine Alias Consolidation Query

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

In the context of Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA), the Spam Quarantine feature allows users to review and manage emails flagged as spam. To ensure secure access, LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is commonly integrated to authenticate end-users when they attempt to log into the End-User Quarantine interface.

The correct configuration that enables LDAP validation for this login process is the Spam Quarantine End-User Authentication Query.

This specific query is designed to authenticate users by checking their credentials against an LDAP directory, such as Microsoft Active Directory. When a user enters their username and password into the quarantine portal, the ESA sends a query to the LDAP server to validate those credentials. If the query returns a successful match, the user gains access to their quarantined emails.

Let’s examine the incorrect options:

• Option A (End-User Safelist/Blocklist feature) allows users to maintain personal lists of trusted or blocked senders. While useful for individual control over email filtering, it has no role in validating user credentials during login.

• Option B (Spam Quarantine External Authentication Query) might sound similar, but it's a more generic configuration for external sources and is not dedicated to LDAP-based end-user authentication in the spam quarantine context.

• Option D (Spam Quarantine Alias Consolidation Query) helps link multiple email aliases to a single user account for ease of management. However, it does not perform authentication tasks; it’s used only to consolidate identities after authentication.

The Spam Quarantine End-User Authentication Query is the only option explicitly designed to connect to an LDAP server and validate user login credentials, ensuring secure access to the quarantine portal. Without this query, users wouldn’t be able to use their directory credentials to log in.

In conclusion, the correct approach for integrating LDAP-based user login with the Cisco ESA’s quarantine interface is to configure the Spam Quarantine End-User Authentication Query. This setup enhances security and ensures that only verified users can manage their quarantined messages.

Question 4:

What is the main benefit of enabling the External Spam Quarantine feature on a Cisco Secure Mail Appliance (SMA)?

A. It enables data backup for spam quarantine across multiple ESAs from one location
B. It allows users to release, duplicate, or delete spam emails via a quarantine portal
C. It enhances message filtering by applying two spam detection engines
D. It centralizes spam quarantine data from various Cisco ESA appliances into one interface

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

The Cisco Secure Mail Appliance (SMA) provides centralized management for multiple Cisco Email Security Appliances (ESAs). When the External Spam Quarantine feature is enabled on the SMA, it allows organizations to aggregate and manage spam quarantine data from multiple ESAs in one unified console.

This centralized approach is the primary benefit of the feature. Rather than having separate quarantine interfaces and storage on each ESA unit, all quarantined emails are redirected and stored in a central repository managed by the SMA. This drastically improves operational efficiency and provides uniform visibility across the organization’s email security infrastructure.

Let’s evaluate the other choices:

• Option A mentions data backup, which is not the primary objective of external quarantine. While the SMA does store and centralize quarantine messages, the focus is not on data redundancy or backup but rather on management and access.

• Option B describes standard quarantine portal functionality—actions like releasing or deleting emails. While useful, these features are available in both local and external quarantine systems and don’t specifically highlight the benefit of the external quarantine feature.

• Option C refers to dual-engine message scanning, which may be part of the anti-spam or anti-virus feature set in some environments, but this is unrelated to the purpose of quarantine centralization.

Why centralization matters:

With multiple ESA units possibly deployed across different geographic locations or departments, having individual quarantine portals can lead to inconsistent user experience and increased administrative overhead. By consolidating the quarantine data on a single SMA:

• End-users access one portal to manage quarantined messages.

• Administrators streamline policy management and user support.

• Reporting and auditing become easier due to unified logs.

This improves scalability, user convenience, and policy enforcement across the enterprise. For these reasons, Option D correctly identifies the core value of enabling the External Spam Quarantine feature on Cisco SMA.

Question 5:

When setting up email authentication on a Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA), which two key types should be included in the signing profile? (Select two.)

A. DKIM
B. Public Keys
C. Domain Keys
D. Symmetric Keys
E. Private Keys

Correct Answers: A and E

Explanation:

Email authentication is a fundamental component of a secure mail infrastructure, as it helps prevent spoofing and phishing attacks. In Cisco ESA, one of the most widely used mechanisms for authenticating email is DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM). Configuring DKIM involves cryptographic key pairs—specifically, a private key for signing and a public key for verification.

Option A (DKIM) is correct because DKIM is the primary method supported by Cisco ESA for email signing. It enables a domain to associate its identity with a message by affixing a digital signature to the email header. This signature is created using a private key stored on the Cisco ESA. The corresponding public key is published in the sender’s DNS records so that recipient mail servers can validate the message integrity. DKIM is considered a modern, trusted method for ensuring that messages are authentic and unaltered.

Option E (Private Keys) is also correct. A private key is required to generate the DKIM signature on the outgoing message. This key remains secure within the Cisco ESA and is never shared externally. Its role is to digitally sign the message, which the recipient can then validate using the public key. Without this private key, the DKIM process cannot function.

Let’s evaluate the incorrect choices:

• Option B (Public Keys): While crucial for verifying DKIM signatures, public keys are not part of the signing profile on Cisco ESA. Instead, they are published via DNS so that recipient servers can use them to validate the message signature.

• Option C (Domain Keys): DomainKeys was an earlier email authentication protocol. It has been deprecated in favor of DKIM, which is more robust and supported by Cisco ESA.

• Option D (Symmetric Keys): DKIM uses asymmetric cryptography, involving a public-private key pair. Symmetric encryption (where the same key encrypts and decrypts) is not applicable here.

In summary, configuring email authentication with Cisco ESA requires DKIM as the signing method and the private key to generate the DKIM signature, making A and E the valid selections. This setup helps organizations maintain trust in their email communications and protect recipients from email spoofing.

Question 6:

In the Cisco ESA (Email Security Appliance) message processing pipeline, which two stages are recognized as part of the official email pipeline? (Select two.)

A. Reject
B. Workqueue
C. Action
D. Delivery
E. Quarantine

Correct Answers: B and D

Explanation:

The Cisco ESA email pipeline is a sequence of processing stages that each email passes through from the point of receipt to its final disposition. Understanding these stages is essential for configuring, troubleshooting, and optimizing secure email delivery.

Option B (Workqueue) is correct. The Workqueue stage is one of the initial stages after an email is accepted by the ESA. At this point, the message is placed into a queue for further processing. This includes applying content filters, spam detection, virus scanning, and policy enforcement. The workqueue allows messages to be processed asynchronously and efficiently, ensuring system scalability and orderly throughput.

Option D (Delivery) is also correct. The Delivery phase represents the final stage in the message processing pipeline, where the email—if it passes all scans and policies—is forwarded to the recipient’s mail server or inbox. Delivery confirms that the message has completed its journey through ESA’s security mechanisms and is considered clean and permitted for transmission.

Now let’s review the incorrect options:

• Option A (Reject): While rejection is a potential action that can be taken at certain stages (such as during the SMTP conversation or filtering), it is not considered a standalone pipeline phase. It’s an outcome based on rule violations or threat detection.

• Option C (Action): Like "Reject," this is a result of various filtering decisions (e.g., deliver, drop, quarantine). It’s not a formal stage in the pipeline but rather a classification of what happens to the email.

• Option E (Quarantine): Quarantining is also an action taken based on filtering results. While it plays a critical role in isolating suspicious or spam messages, it does not constitute a distinct phase in the processing pipeline.

In summary, the official phases in the Cisco ESA pipeline include Workqueue, where deep analysis and filtering happen, and Delivery, where clean messages are sent to the final destination. These phases form the core of Cisco ESA’s message processing model, making B and D the correct answers.

Question 7:

Which two classifications best describe the types of actions that Cisco ESA message filters can perform? (Choose two.)

A. Non-final actions
B. Filter actions
C. Discard actions
D. Final actions
E. Quarantine actions

Correct Answers: A and D

Explanation:

Cisco’s Email Security Appliance (ESA) leverages a robust message filtering system to enforce email security policies and manage the flow of incoming and outgoing mail. These message filters are designed to assess emails based on various criteria and take specific actions to either allow or block their delivery. Among the many operations the ESA can perform, the actions taken by filters fall into two main categories: non-final actions and final actions.

• Non-final actions (A):
  These are intermediate actions taken during message evaluation that do not determine the final fate of an email. Instead, they influence how the email is treated further along the processing pipeline. For example, a non-final action might flag an email as spam, add a custom header, or reroute the message for additional scanning. These actions can accumulate or modify metadata for further processing, but they do not cause the message to be delivered, dropped, or quarantined directly.

• Final actions (D):
  These actions conclude the message's journey through the ESA. Once a final action is executed, no further processing occurs on that message. Final actions include operations such as accepting the email for delivery, dropping the message, or sending it to quarantine. They are decisive and used to enforce strict policies when a message clearly meets certain risk or compliance criteria.

Now, consider the other answer choices:

• Filter actions (B):
  This is a generic term that refers to the set of rules defined within message filters. It doesn’t represent a specific type of action and is therefore not a valid classification.

• Discard actions (C):
  While discarding a message is a legitimate final outcome, it falls under final actions and is not a standalone category.

• Quarantine actions (E):
  Quarantining is also considered a final action because it halts the message from reaching the recipient. However, it is not categorized independently as a distinct type like "non-final" or "final."

In summary, Cisco ESA message filters perform two distinct types of actions: non-final actions, which allow further processing, and final actions, which determine the ultimate fate of the email. These classifications are vital for defining clear and effective mail-handling policies.

Question 8:

Which configuration setting determines how aggressive Cisco ESA is when classifying emails as spam?

A. Protection level
B. Spam threshold
C. Spam timeout
D. Maximum depth of recursion scan

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

Cisco ESA's spam detection engine uses a variety of parameters to analyze and score incoming emails. Among these, the Spam Threshold setting plays a pivotal role in defining how aggressively the system flags emails as spam.

• Spam threshold (B):
  This setting defines the numerical score at which an email is classified as spam. Each email is evaluated against a series of rules, content patterns, header anomalies, and other indicators. The result is a spam score. The lower the threshold, the more aggressive the system becomes—flagging borderline emails as spam. Conversely, a higher threshold makes the detection more lenient, allowing emails with moderate risk scores to pass through. Adjusting the spam threshold is a critical tuning mechanism: it helps balance false positives (legitimate emails marked as spam) and false negatives (spam emails that go undetected).

Now, examining the other options:

• Protection level (A):
  Although this controls the general posture of ESA’s email security, it does not fine-tune spam detection sensitivity. It may influence multiple subsystems (like virus scanning or URL filtering), but not specifically the aggressiveness of spam classification.

• Spam timeout (C):
  This setting refers to how long ESA waits during external lookups or scoring processes related to spam detection. While important for performance tuning, it has no effect on the scoring aggressiveness or classification threshold.

• Maximum depth of recursion scan (D):
  This setting controls how deeply ESA scans nested content, such as multiple levels of attachments. Though critical for uncovering hidden threats, it affects scanning depth, not spam scoring behavior.

To conclude, if you’re seeking to increase or decrease the strictness of spam detection in Cisco ESA, the most effective setting to adjust is the Spam Threshold. It provides direct control over how cautiously the system flags potential spam and helps tailor the filtering experience to your organization’s risk tolerance.

Question 9:

When multilayer antivirus scanning is enabled on Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA), what is the correct order in which antivirus engines perform the scanning?

A. The default engine initiates the scan, followed by the McAfee engine.
B. The Sophos engine scans first, followed by the McAfee engine.
C. The McAfee engine scans initially, and then the default engine scans the message.
D. The McAfee engine scans first, followed by the Sophos engine.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

In a Cisco Email Security Appliance (ESA) environment, multilayer antivirus scanning is a powerful method used to bolster email security. This approach involves using more than one antivirus engine to analyze and filter emails for malware, ensuring a broader and more robust threat detection capability. The sequence of scanning is particularly important to understand because it determines how threats are detected and managed.

When multilayer scanning is configured, Cisco ESA typically uses the McAfee antivirus engine as the first layer of defense. This engine is highly regarded for its updated signature database and heuristic analysis capabilities. It quickly inspects incoming messages to detect and block known malware, viruses, or malicious attachments.

Following the initial scan by McAfee, the message is then passed to the default antivirus engine—which could be another engine such as Sophos, depending on the deployment—for a second layer of inspection. The reason for this secondary scan is to identify any threats that might have been missed by the first engine. By applying different detection heuristics and signature databases, Cisco ESA significantly reduces the risk of false negatives—malware that goes undetected by one engine might be caught by the other.

Option C is correct because it reflects this scanning sequence: McAfee first, followed by the default engine. The multilayer configuration helps in detecting polymorphic or zero-day threats more effectively than a single engine could.

Other options, such as A, B, and D, are incorrect because they either list the wrong order or reference the Sophos engine scanning first, which is not the default setup in Cisco ESA. Unless explicitly reconfigured, McAfee is typically prioritized.

This dual-engine methodology improves the overall email threat detection rate, making it harder for malware to slip through undetected and providing administrators with peace of mind that critical messages are thoroughly scanned.

Question 10:

Which Cisco ESA antispam feature allows end users to ensure emails marked as spam are still delivered directly to their inboxes?

A. End user allow list
B. End user spam quarantine access
C. End user passthrough list
D. End user safelist

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

In the Cisco ESA (Email Security Appliance) environment, email filtering and spam detection are primarily automated based on predefined rules, signatures, and heuristics. However, false positives—legitimate emails wrongly marked as spam—can disrupt user productivity. To address this, Cisco offers features that empower end users to influence spam filtering decisions. One such feature is the end user safelist.

The end user safelist (Option D) gives users the ability to override spam verdicts set by Cisco ESA’s scanning engines. This list allows a user to designate specific email addresses or domains as “trusted.” Once a sender is added to the safelist, future messages from that sender bypass the spam filter altogether and are delivered directly to the inbox, regardless of their content or spam score. This provides a reliable mechanism to prevent important emails from being quarantined or blocked mistakenly.

Let’s clarify the other options:

• Option A (End user allow list): This term is sometimes used interchangeably with safelist, but in the Cisco ESA context, “allow list” is more of an administrative control rather than something users can manage individually. It also doesn’t necessarily override verdicts the same way safelisting does.

• Option B (End user spam quarantine access): This allows users to review and release emails that have been quarantined as spam. While helpful for managing misclassified emails, this feature does not override future verdicts or allow automatic inbox delivery.

• Option C (End user passthrough list): This is typically configured at the administrator level to allow mail from certain sources to pass through without scanning. However, it’s not intended for user-specific control and doesn’t empower users to change how spam is handled.

Therefore, the end user safelist is the most appropriate and effective feature that lets individuals take control over spam classification, ensuring important messages are not mistakenly flagged in the future. It’s a user-friendly solution to fine-tune the balance between strong spam filtering and uninterrupted email communication.