The correct answer is Exploit Prevention and Malware Analytics. Exploit Prevention protects against zero-day exploits by using behavioral monitoring and exploit-specific signatures to block common attack techniques like heap spray, ROP, and SEH overwrite, without needing a known malware signature. Malware Analytics complements this by detonating suspicious files in a sandboxed environment to analyze their behavior, catching previously unknown threats before signatures are available. On the Cisco SCOR 350-701 exam, this question tests your understanding of how Cisco Secure Endpoint’s zero-day protection features differ from traditional signature-based detection; a common trap is choosing “File Reputation” or “AMP for Endpoints Connector,” which rely on known signatures and thus fail against novel exploits. Remember the memory tip: “Exploit stops the technique, Analytics catches the unknown”—if the attack is a new method, Exploit Prevention blocks it; if it’s a new file, Malware Analytics sandboxes it.
350-701 Endpoint Protection and Detection Practice Question
This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of endpoint protection and detection. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is deploying Cisco Secure Endpoint and wants to ensure that endpoints are protected against zero-day exploits. Which two features should be enabled to provide this protection? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Exploit Prevention
Exploit Prevention (B) is correct because it uses exploit-specific signatures and behavioral monitoring to block common exploitation techniques (e.g., heap spray, ROP, SEH overwrite) without relying on known malware signatures, making it effective against zero-day exploits. Malware Analytics (C) is correct because it detonates suspicious files in a sandboxed environment to analyze behavior and detect previously unknown threats, providing protection against zero-day malware before signatures are available.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
File Reputation
Why it's wrong here
File Reputation uses known signatures, not effective against zero-day.
✓
Exploit Prevention
Why this is correct
Exploit Prevention protects against exploit techniques used by zero-day attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Malware Analytics (sandboxing)
Why this is correct
Sandboxing analyzes unknown files for malicious behavior.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Application Control
Why it's wrong here
Application Control is for managing allowed applications, not zero-day protection.
✗
Device Control
Why it's wrong here
Device Control manages peripheral devices, not zero-day protection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between signature-based detection (File Reputation) and behavior-based detection (Exploit Prevention and Malware Analytics), leading candidates to mistakenly choose File Reputation because they assume it covers all unknown threats.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Exploit Prevention works by hooking into system APIs (e.g., NtCreateThread, VirtualAlloc) and monitoring for suspicious patterns like return-oriented programming (ROP) gadgets or stack pivoting, which are common in zero-day exploits. Malware Analytics (sandboxing) executes files in a virtualized environment with behavioral analysis engines (e.g., network traffic, registry changes, process injection) to identify malicious intent, even if the file is not in any threat intelligence feed. In a real-world scenario, a zero-day exploit using a previously unknown vulnerability in a browser plugin would be blocked by Exploit Prevention's generic exploit detection, while the payload would be analyzed by Malware Analytics to prevent lateral movement.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Endpoint Protection and Detection — This question tests Endpoint Protection and Detection — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Exploit Prevention — Exploit Prevention (B) is correct because it uses exploit-specific signatures and behavioral monitoring to block common exploitation techniques (e.g., heap spray, ROP, SEH overwrite) without relying on known malware signatures, making it effective against zero-day exploits. Malware Analytics (C) is correct because it detonates suspicious files in a sandboxed environment to analyze behavior and detect previously unknown threats, providing protection against zero-day malware before signatures are available.
What should I do if I get this 350-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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