200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
An analyst is investigating a potential compromise using Indicators of Compromise (IoCs). Which TWO of the following are valid types of IoCs?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between an IoC (a specific, observable artifact of compromise) and contextual or behavioral data (like usernames or geographic locations) that may be useful in an investigation but are not valid IoCs themselves.
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
✓
IP address
IP addresses are a fundamental type of Indicator of Compromise (IoC) because they directly identify the network location of a malicious host, such as a command-and-control (C2) server or a source of an attack. Security analysts use IP addresses in threat intelligence feeds and SIEM queries to correlate logs and detect inbound or outbound connections to known malicious hosts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
User name
Why it's wrong here
User names are not typically used as IoCs.
- ✓
IP address
Why this is correct
IP addresses of C2 servers are common IoCs.
- ✗
Geographic location
Why it's wrong here
Location is not an IoC.
- ✓
File hash (MD5)
Why this is correct
File hashes are used to identify malware.
- ✗
Protocol name
Why it's wrong here
Protocol names are too generic to be IoCs.
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JA
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.