200-201 Host-Based Analysis Practice Question
An analyst is analyzing a suspicious PE file. The file's entropy is high (close to 8.0), and the section names appear random. What does this likely indicate?
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 file is likely packed or encrypted.
High entropy suggests the file is packed or encrypted. Normal executables have lower entropy. Packed malware uses compression/encryption to obfuscate code.
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 file is likely packed or encrypted.
Why this is correct
High entropy is characteristic of packing or encryption.
- ✗
The file is a script compiled to an executable.
Why it's wrong here
Compiled scripts may not necessarily have high entropy.
- ✗
The file is a legitimate Windows system file.
Why it's wrong here
Legitimate files usually have standard sections and lower entropy.
- ✗
The file has been digitally signed.
Why it's wrong here
Digital signing does not significantly affect entropy.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.