200-201 Network Intrusion Analysis Practice Question
An intrusion detection system alerts on traffic that appears to be a command and control (C2) beacon. Which of the following characteristics is most typical of beaconing traffic?
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
✓
Periodic connections at regular intervals to an external IP
Beaconing is characterized by regular, periodic connections to a C2 server at consistent intervals.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Large data transfers to a known cloud provider
Why it's wrong here
That could be exfiltration, not beaconing.
- ✗
ICMP echo requests to multiple hosts
Why it's wrong here
That is ping sweep, not beaconing.
- ✗
Random intervals with varying packet sizes
Why it's wrong here
Beaconing typically uses fixed intervals, not random.
- ✓
Periodic connections at regular intervals to an external IP
Why this is correct
Regular intervals are a hallmark of beaconing for C2.
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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.