Question 226 of 507

Security Monitoring →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question

This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 Security Operations Center (SOC) uses Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) with event correlation. Analysts notice that alerts for a specific malware signature have decreased sharply after a new firewall rule was deployed. However, endpoint scans still show infections on several hosts. What is the most likely explanation for the decrease in SIEM alerts?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Read the full NAT/PAT explanation →

A
The firewall rule blocks the malware's C2 traffic, so SIEM no longer receives network alerts, but endpoint infections persist
The SIEM relies on network events for that signature; blocking C2 traffic stops the alerts but does not remediate existing infections.
B
The SIEM correlation rules were accidentally disabled during the firewall update
Why wrong: There is no evidence of SIEM misconfiguration; the firewall rule change explains the drop in network alerts.
C
The SIEM is not receiving logs from the endpoint detection and response (EDR) tool
Why wrong: If EDR logs were missing, alerts would drop for endpoint detections as well, but the scenario only mentions decrease in a specific malware signature, not all alerts.
D
The malware has mutated into a different variant that evades detection
Why wrong: If the malware mutated, endpoint scans would likely not detect it either, but they do detect infections.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

The firewall rule blocks the malware's C2 traffic, so SIEM no longer receives network alerts, but endpoint infections persist

The firewall rule specifically blocks command-and-control (C2) traffic, which is the network communication channel the malware uses to send data or receive instructions. Since the SIEM relies on network-based alerts (e.g., from intrusion detection systems or firewall logs) to detect this traffic, blocking the C2 traffic eliminates those network alerts. However, the malware remains on the endpoints because the firewall does not remove the infection; it only prevents outbound communication, so endpoint scans still detect the malware files or processes.

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.

✓
The firewall rule blocks the malware's C2 traffic, so SIEM no longer receives network alerts, but endpoint infections persist
Why this is correct
The SIEM relies on network events for that signature; blocking C2 traffic stops the alerts but does not remediate existing infections.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The SIEM correlation rules were accidentally disabled during the firewall update
Why it's wrong here
There is no evidence of SIEM misconfiguration; the firewall rule change explains the drop in network alerts.
✗
The SIEM is not receiving logs from the endpoint detection and response (EDR) tool
Why it's wrong here
If EDR logs were missing, alerts would drop for endpoint detections as well, but the scenario only mentions decrease in a specific malware signature, not all alerts.
✗
The malware has mutated into a different variant that evades detection
Why it's wrong here
If the malware mutated, endpoint scans would likely not detect it either, but they do detect infections.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the concept that blocking C2 traffic reduces network alerts but does not remediate endpoint infections, leading candidates to mistakenly think the firewall rule eliminated the malware entirely.

Trap categories for this question

Scenario analysis trap
If EDR logs were missing, alerts would drop for endpoint detections as well, but the scenario only mentions decrease in a specific malware signature, not all alerts.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In a typical SOC, SIEM correlation rules aggregate logs from multiple sources, including network firewalls, IDS/IPS, and endpoint agents. When a firewall rule blocks C2 traffic (e.g., by denying outbound TCP connections to known malicious IPs or domains), the IDS/IPS no longer generates alerts for that traffic, and the SIEM stops receiving those network events. However, the malware's persistence mechanism (e.g., registry run keys, scheduled tasks) remains on the host, so endpoint scans using signature-based detection (e.g., YARA rules or hash matching) still flag the infection. This scenario highlights the difference between network-based detection (which monitors traffic) and endpoint-based detection (which monitors files and processes).

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.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 200-201 question test?

Security Monitoring — This question tests Security Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The firewall rule blocks the malware's C2 traffic, so SIEM no longer receives network alerts, but endpoint infections persist — The firewall rule specifically blocks command-and-control (C2) traffic, which is the network communication channel the malware uses to send data or receive instructions. Since the SIEM relies on network-based alerts (e.g., from intrusion detection systems or firewall logs) to detect this traffic, blocking the C2 traffic eliminates those network alerts. However, the malware remains on the endpoints because the firewall does not remove the infection; it only prevents outbound communication, so endpoint scans still detect the malware files or processes.

What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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