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Exam Information
Official specifications published by Aruba
Exam Format
90 min
60
63%
Associate
Registration
$260 USD
Pearson VUE or online proctoring
Validity
3 years
Pass the current version of the HPE6-A78 exam; Earn the next-level ACP-NS certification (HPE6-A83); Earn the expert-level ACE-NS certification
HPE6-A78 Exam Topics and Domains
HPE6-A78 is organized into 3 weighted domains. Expect to work with Aruba Gateways, ClearPass Device Insight, ClearPass enforcement profiles, DHCP snooping, and more.
1
Protect and Defend
70%
Describe common security threats and identify the difference between a threat and a vulnerability
Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacksDistributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacksSpoofing attacksZero-day vulnerabilities and exploitsMalware and virusesPhishing and spear phishingDistinguishing threats from vulnerabilities
- Describe common security threats including MitM, DDoS, spoofing, zero-day, malware, and phishing
- Identify the difference between a threat and a vulnerability
- Understand attack vectors and threat landscapes
Explain common security protocols and their use cases
Transport Layer Security (TLS)Secure Shell (SSH)HTTPS for secure web managementIPsec for VPN and encrypted tunnelingRADIUS and TACACS+ for AAA802.1X port-based network access controlEAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) methodsSymmetric and asymmetric encryption
- Explain the role and use cases of TLS, SSH, HTTPS, IPsec, RADIUS, TACACS+, 802.1X, and EAP
- Describe symmetric and asymmetric encryption concepts
- Understand hash-based authentication mechanisms
Describe PKI components
Certificate Authorities (CA)Digital certificates (X.509)Certificate lifecycle managementPublic and private key pairs
- Describe the components of a Public Key Infrastructure
- Explain the role of Certificate Authorities, digital certificates, and key pairs
- Understand certificate lifecycle including CSR, CRL, and OCSP
Describe firewall (PEF), dynamic segmentation, RBAC, AppRF
HPE Aruba Policy Enforcement Firewall (PEF)Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)Dynamic segmentationApplication Recognition and Filtering (AppRF)
- Describe the Policy Enforcement Firewall and its role in Aruba security
- Explain Role-Based Access Control principles
- Describe dynamic segmentation concepts and deployment models
- Explain Application Recognition and Filtering capabilities
Describe user roles and policy enforcement
User role definitions and assignmentsPolicy enforcement mechanismsGuest roles and captive portal
- Describe how user roles are defined, derived, and assigned
- Explain policy enforcement mechanisms in Aruba infrastructure
- Understand guest access and captive portal workflows
Explain the purpose and methods of a packet capture
Packet capture purpose and use casesCapture methods and tools
- Explain why packet captures are used for troubleshooting and forensics
- Describe methods for capturing traffic on Aruba infrastructure
Explain social engineering and defense
Social engineering attack typesDefense against social engineering
- Identify types of social engineering attacks
- Explain defense strategies combining technical and human controls
Disable insecure protocols and implement secure management protocols
Disabling insecure protocolsImplementing secure management protocolsControl Plane Security (CPsec)
- Identify insecure protocols and their secure replacements
- Implement SSH, HTTPS, authenticated NTP, and CPsec
- Follow best practices for secure management protocol deployment
Describe best practices to protect network infrastructure devices
Password and access managementPhysical securityOut-of-band (OOB) managementDevice hardening best practices
- Describe best practices for protecting network infrastructure devices
- Explain password management, physical security, and OOB management
- Apply device hardening techniques to Aruba infrastructure
Use external authentication for network managers
RADIUS-based administrator authenticationTACACS+ for administrative access controlLocal fallback and privilege levels
- Configure RADIUS-based authentication for network administrators
- Implement TACACS+ for command authorization and accounting
- Set up local fallback authentication and privilege levels
Compare and contrast wireless LAN methodologies
Open vs PSK vs Enterprise authenticationWPA2 vs WPA3 security standardsOpportunistic Wireless Encryption (OWE) and Enhanced Open
- Compare Open, PSK, and Enterprise wireless authentication methods
- Contrast WPA2 and WPA3 security features
- Explain OWE and Enhanced Open for encrypted open networks
Deploy basic WLAN security
SSID security configurationWPA2/WPA3-Enterprise with RADIUS deploymentPSK wireless network configuration
- Deploy WLAN security using WPA2/WPA3
- Configure enterprise and PSK wireless authentication
- Apply SSID security best practices
Describe and deploy basic user roles for wireless users
Wireless user role definitionsWireless role-based policies
- Define and assign user roles for wireless clients
- Deploy role-based firewall policies for wireless users
- Configure guest wireless access with captive portal
Compare and contrast wired LAN methodologies
802.1X on wired networksMAC authentication on wired portsWired network segmentation
- Compare 802.1X and MAC authentication on wired networks
- Contrast static and dynamic VLAN assignment methods
- Understand wired network segmentation approaches
Define and deploy basic user roles for wired users
Wired user role configurationDynamic segmentation on wired networks
- Define and deploy user roles for wired clients on AOS-CX switches
- Implement dynamic segmentation for wired networks
- Configure role-based policies for wired access
Compare endpoint classification methods
DHCP fingerprintingClearPass Device ProfilerClearPass Device InsightMAC OUI-based classification
- Compare DHCP fingerprinting, ClearPass Device Profiler, ClearPass Device Insight, and MAC OUI classification
- Understand active vs passive profiling methods
- Explain how endpoint classification drives policy enforcement
2
Analyze
24%
View and acknowledge WIPS and WIDS alarms
WIPS and WIDS conceptsAlarm management
- Describe WIPS and WIDS capabilities in Aruba infrastructure
- View, acknowledge, and respond to wireless security alarms
- Understand rogue AP detection and wireless attack identification
Explain attack stages and kill chain
Cyber Kill Chain framework
- Describe the Cyber Kill Chain framework and its seven stages
- Map security events to appropriate kill chain stages
- Identify defensive measures to disrupt attacks at each stage
Collect logs
Syslog configuration and collectionCentralized log management
- Configure syslog collection on Aruba infrastructure
- Implement centralized log management
- Correlate events from multiple log sources
Troubleshoot with access tracker
ClearPass Access Tracker
- Use ClearPass Access Tracker to view and analyze authentication sessions
- Diagnose common authentication and authorization issues
- Interpret RADIUS session data for troubleshooting
Collect and monitor historical network pattern data
Network baselining and anomaly detectionMonitoring and alerting
- Establish baseline network traffic patterns
- Monitor and detect anomalies through historical comparison
- Use network monitoring tools for trend analysis and alerting
Identify and evaluate discovered endpoints
Endpoint discovery and evaluationEndpoint profiling data analysis
- Identify and evaluate endpoints discovered on the network
- Assess endpoint posture and categorize by risk level
- Interpret device profiling data for access decisions
3
Investigate
6%
Collect logs (for investigation purposes)
Evidence preservation through logs
- Collect and preserve logs as evidence for security investigations
- Ensure log integrity through proper timestamping and secure storage
Identify chain of custody
Chain of custody in digital forensics
- Define chain of custody and its importance in digital forensics
- Document evidence handling procedures to maintain integrity
- Understand legal requirements for chain of custody
Initiate an investigation
Investigation procedures
- Describe the steps to initiate a security investigation
- Assess incident scope and severity
- Apply containment, preservation, and escalation procedures
How do I earn this certification?
Passing HPE6-A78 earns the HPE Aruba Networking Certified Associate - Network Security (ACA-NS) certification. It sits in the Network Security track.
Next Level Options
- HPE6-A83 - HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Network Security
- HPE7-A02 - HPE Aruba Networking Certified Expert - Network Security (Written)
Alternative Paths
- HPE6-A86 - HPE Aruba Networking Certified Associate - Campus AccessComplementary networking fundamentals for campus LAN/WLAN without the security focus
- HPE6-A82 - HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Campus Access Advanced campus networking skills that complement network security knowledge
- HPE2-W09 - HPE Aruba Networking Selling and Positioning Wireless Solutions For professionals involved in selling HPE Aruba Networking solutions
Practice with Precision
The PlanetCert Simulator mirrors the real exam environment with authentic questions and timed pressure.
How to study for this exam?
The most effective way to prepare for HPE6-A78 is by using the PlanetCert Simulator to practice questions and review detailed explanations.
What's changed on this exam?
Current Status
- ACTIVE
- Last content update: 2024-10-15
- Announcement date: 2024-10-15
Updates
- HPE Aruba Networking Central Aruba Central is increasingly relevant for monitoring, alerting, and centralized management topics covered in Domain 2 (Analyze)
- WPA3 and Enhanced Open (OWE) WPA3-Personal (SAE), WPA3-Enterprise, and OWE/Enhanced Open are explicitly tested in Domain 1 objectives 1.11 and 1.12
- Dynamic Segmentation with User-Based Tunneling (UBT) Core concept tested in Domain 1 objectives 1.4 and 1.15 covering PEF, RBAC, and wired user roles
- ClearPass Device Insight Tested in Domain 1 objective 1.16 and Domain 2 objective 2.6 for endpoint classification and evaluation
- HPE Aruba Networking Unified SASE Covered in ANSF Module 10 (Branch Security) as part of the broader Aruba security strategy
Who should take this exam?
- 6-12 months of networking experience with both wired and wireless knowledge
- Basic understanding of networking and security concepts
Related practice tests
- HPE7-A01Aruba Campus Access Professional (Written)
- HPE6-A88HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass
- ACMP_6.4Aruba Certified Mobility Professional 6.4
- HPE7-A02HPE Aruba Networking Certified Network Security Professional
- HPE4-A51HPE Campus Access Mobility Expert Practical Exam