200-201 Network Intrusion Analysis Practice Question
An analyst reviews network logs and sees a large outbound FTP transfer of 500 MB from a workstation to an external IP at 2:00 AM. The workstation regularly sends 10 MB daily. What should the analyst suspect?
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
✓
Data exfiltration
Large outbound data transfers outside normal patterns, especially at odd hours, are typical of data exfiltration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
C2 beaconing
Why it's wrong here
Beaconing is periodic small packets, not large data transfers.
- ✗
Normal backup operation
Why it's wrong here
The size and time are unusual for normal backups.
- ✗
Software update
Why it's wrong here
Software updates typically come from known sources and are scheduled.
- ✓
Data exfiltration
Why this is correct
Anomalous large transfer is suspicious for exfiltration.
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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.