200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
A network security analyst is examining a packet capture in Wireshark and notices a series of TCP packets with the PSH, ACK flags set, and a payload containing the string 'cmd.exe /c whoami'. The packets are destined to port 445 on an internal server. Which type of malicious activity is most likely indicated?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on the PSH, ACK flags and assuming it is a generic data transfer, while overlooking the SMB port and the command execution string that point to lateral movement.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SMB lateral movement and command execution
The presence of SMB traffic on port 445 carrying a command shell payload such as 'cmd.exe /c whoami' is a strong indicator of lateral movement and remote command execution. Attackers often use SMB to move between systems and execute commands, making this the most likely malicious activity in the scenario.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DNS tunneling for data exfiltration
Why it's wrong here
DNS tunneling involves DNS queries and responses, often with long subdomains or TXT records. The traffic here is SMB with a command payload, not DNS. There is no indication of DNS protocol usage, so this activity is unrelated to DNS tunneling.
- ✓
SMB lateral movement and command execution
Why this is correct
The combination of SMB port 445 and a command shell payload like 'cmd.exe /c whoami' strongly suggests an attacker using SMB for lateral movement and executing commands on a remote system. This is a common technique in ransomware and APT campaigns, where SMB is used to propagate and run commands.
- ✗
SMTP email-based malware delivery
Why it's wrong here
SMTP traffic uses port 25 or 587 and would contain email headers and attachments. The packets described are on port 445 and include a command shell string, which is not consistent with email delivery. Thus, this is not SMTP-related activity.
- ✗
HTTP command-and-control communication
Why it's wrong here
HTTP C2 typically uses ports 80 or 443 and would show HTTP headers and methods. Here, the traffic is on port 445 (SMB) and contains a direct command execution string, which is not characteristic of HTTP-based C2. The absence of HTTP protocol details rules out this option.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 200-201 question is part of Courseiva's 968-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.