mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-201 Practice Question: An IDS detected the following signature match:…
An IDS detected the following signature match: "ET TROJAN Zeus variant outbound connection to C2 server". The destination IP is flagged as a known malicious host. What should the analyst do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the principle that validation via packet capture must precede any containment or blocking action, trapping candidates who jump to immediate remediation without confirming the alert's accuracy.
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
✓
Open the packet capture associated with the alert
The first step in incident response after an IDS alert is to validate the alert by examining the associated packet capture (PCAP). This allows the analyst to confirm whether the traffic truly matches the Zeus C2 signature, check for false positives, and gather contextual details such as payload content, timing, and protocol behavior. Without this validation, any subsequent action (blocking, isolating) could be premature or based on incomplete information.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Block the destination IP at the firewall
Why it's wrong here
Blocking should be done after confirming the host is infected.
- ✓
Open the packet capture associated with the alert
Why this is correct
Packet analysis confirms the threat and identifies the affected host.
- ✗
Ignore the alert because signatures can produce false positives
Why it's wrong here
Known malicious IPs have low false positive rates.
- ✗
Isolate the source host from the network immediately
Why it's wrong here
Isolation is a response action after confirmation.
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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.