Conducting Forensic Analysis and Incident Response Using Cisco Technologies for Cybersecurity (CBRFIR)

The Cisco 300-215 CBRFIR exam, titled Conducting Forensic Analysis and Incident Response Using Cisco Technologies for Cybersecurity, tests how well a candidate can investigate a security incident and respond to it. It is a 90 minute concentration exam in the CCNP Cybersecurity track, and passing it also earns a standalone Cisco specialist certification. It suits SOC analysts, incident responders, and forensic investigators who already work with logs, endpoints, and network evidence and want Cisco to validate that skill.

Exam overview and purpose

Cisco describes CBRFIR as an exam that certifies knowledge of forensic analysis and incident response fundamentals, techniques, and processes. Passing it earns the Cisco Certified Specialist certification for Cybersecurity Forensic Analysis and Incident Response. It also satisfies the concentration exam requirement for CCNP Cybersecurity.

The exam sits beside the core exam in that track, 350-201 CBRCOR. The core exam covers broad security operations. CBRFIR goes deeper on one question: after something has gone wrong, how do you work out what happened, preserve the evidence, and decide what to do next?

Eligibility requirements

Cisco lists no formal prerequisites for taking this exam. Anyone can register for it. Cisco does set age rules: candidates aged 13 to 17 need a parent or guardian to sign the Cisco Certification and Confidentiality Agreement before scheduling, and children under 13 cannot test.

A prerequisite does apply if your goal is the full CCNP Cybersecurity certification. You must also pass the 350-201 CBRCOR core exam, and CBRFIR is one of the concentration options that counts.

Exam structure and format

CBRFIR runs for 90 minutes and is offered in English. Cisco does not publish the number of questions or the passing score. Cisco states that passing scores are subject to change and may vary from exam to exam, so any exact cut score you see elsewhere is an estimate. Expect a mix of formats, such as multiple choice, multiple response, and drag and drop items.

The current blueprint is version 1.2. Cisco says the topic guidelines may change at any time without notice, and that related topics outside the list can appear on a specific delivery of the exam. Download the latest topics document before you start studying.

Syllabus and domain breakdown

The v1.2 blueprint has five domains. Incident response techniques carries the most weight.

1.0 Fundamentals (20%). This domain covers root cause analysis reports, forensics on infrastructure network devices, and antiforensic tactics. It also covers encoding and obfuscation such as base 64, hex encoding, and polymorphic and metamorphic code. You need basic YARA rules, the role of hex editors, disassemblers and debuggers such as Ghidra, deobfuscation tools, and memory forensics tools. It also includes the problems of gathering evidence from virtualized and major cloud environments.

2.0 Forensics Techniques (20%). Topics include fileless malware methods from the MITRE ATT&CK framework, locating the files that matter on a host, and judging SIEM and malware analysis output to find indicators of compromise. You also identify code types from snippets and write Python, PowerShell, and Bash scripts to parse logs from sources such as Cisco Umbrella, Cisco Secure Endpoint, Cisco Secure Network Analytics, and pxGrid. You should recognize tools such as Volatility, Sysinternals, SIFT tools, and tcp.

3.0 Incident Response Techniques (30%). This is the largest domain. It covers reading SIEM, IDS/IPS, and syslog alerts, deciding which host and network data to correlate for a given incident type, and recommending mitigations and actions after an incident. It also covers responses to zero day exploitation, threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise and indicators of attack, building a threat actor profile, and choosing Cisco security products for detection and prevention.

4.0 Forensics Processes (15%). This domain covers antiforensic techniques such as obfuscation and data destruction, analysis of Apache and NGINX logs, and malicious traffic analysis with NetFlow and Wireshark display filters. It also covers deciding the next step when evaluating files and reading binaries with obj and similar command line tools.

5.0 Incident Response Processes (15%). Topics include the goals of incident response, the elements of a playbook, the relevant parts of a ThreatGrid report, ad hoc scans of endpoints, and threat intelligence in formats such as STIX and TAXII.

Registration process

Cisco exams are scheduled through the Cisco Certification Tracking System, using a Cisco account. Cisco offers both in person testing and online proctored delivery. Pricing is shown on Cisco’s exam page, and you can use Cisco Learning Credits if your organization has them. The exact scheduling steps change from time to time, so follow the current instructions on the Cisco exam page rather than a third party summary.

Career value

CBRFIR is narrower than a general security certification. It signals that you can read an incident from the evidence: logs, memory, binaries, packet captures, and threat intelligence. That matches work in digital forensics and incident response teams, SOC tier two and tier three analysis, and threat hunting. It is also a recognized route into CCNP Cybersecurity for people whose daily work is investigation. Cisco notes the exam can count toward recertification requirements for existing Cisco certifications.

Preparing with practice tests

The blueprint rewards applied judgment. Many topics ask you to pick a next step or interpret an artifact, not recall a definition. Free practice questions on AllExamQuestions.com can help you find weak domains, especially incident response techniques at 30%. Treat them as a way to check your reasoning, and pair them with Cisco’s own training and the official topics list.