This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of network intrusion analysis. 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 Cisco Firepower appliance generates an intrusion specific event with the message 'MALWARE-CNC generic command and control traffic detected'. The analyst needs to determine if the alert is a true positive. Which additional data source would provide the most corroborating evidence?
Application control logs
Why wrong: Application logs are less useful for CnC detection.
URL filtering logs
Why wrong: URL logs may show the requested URL but not the initial DNS query.
NetFlow records
Why wrong: NetFlow shows traffic patterns but not DNS resolution details.
DNS query logs
DNS logs can confirm if the destination is a known CnC domain.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
DNS query logs
DNS query logs are the most corroborating evidence because malware command-and-control (C2) traffic often relies on DNS to resolve the IP address of the C2 server. A sudden spike in NXDOMAIN responses, queries to algorithmically generated domains (DGA), or requests to known malicious domains in the DNS logs would directly confirm the C2 activity. This aligns with the 'MALWARE-CNC' signature, which specifically targets C2 communication patterns.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Application control logs
Why it's wrong here
Application logs are less useful for CnC detection.
URL filtering logs
Why it's wrong here
URL logs may show the requested URL but not the initial DNS query.
NetFlow records
Why it's wrong here
NetFlow shows traffic patterns but not DNS resolution details.
DNS query logs
Why this is correct
DNS logs can confirm if the destination is a known CnC domain.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that NetFlow or URL filtering logs are sufficient for C2 detection, but the key is that DNS logs reveal the domain resolution step that is almost always part of C2 communication, making them the most direct corroborating source.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
URL logs may show the requested URL but not the initial DNS query.
Detailed technical explanation
DNS query logs capture the full DNS transaction, including the queried domain, response code (e.g., NXDOMAIN for failed lookups), and response IP. Malware using DGA will generate numerous failed DNS queries for non-existent domains, a pattern easily spotted in DNS logs. In contrast, NetFlow would only show the source/destination IPs and ports, missing the critical domain-level indicator that confirms C2 behavior.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Network Intrusion Analysis — This question tests Network Intrusion Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: DNS query logs — DNS query logs are the most corroborating evidence because malware command-and-control (C2) traffic often relies on DNS to resolve the IP address of the C2 server. A sudden spike in NXDOMAIN responses, queries to algorithmically generated domains (DGA), or requests to known malicious domains in the DNS logs would directly confirm the C2 activity. This aligns with the 'MALWARE-CNC' signature, which specifically targets C2 communication patterns.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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