This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An organization uses Cisco Stealthwatch for network traffic analysis. The analyst observes a sudden increase in traffic from a workstation to multiple external IPs on port 443. The traffic pattern shows consistent packet sizes of 1500 bytes, and the destination IPs are spread across different geographic regions. Which type of activity is most likely indicated?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
VoIP call initiation.
Why wrong: VoIP uses UDP and smaller packets.
Normal web browsing activity.
Why wrong: Web browsing packet sizes vary.
A DDoS attack originating from the workstation.
Why wrong: DDoS typically from many sources.
Data exfiltration via HTTPS.
Consistent large packets and many destinations suggest exfiltration.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Data exfiltration via HTTPS.
The consistent 1500-byte packet size indicates maximum-sized TCP segments, which is atypical for interactive web browsing but common when data is being padded to fill MTU for efficient exfiltration. Cisco Stealthwatch detects this anomalous volumetric pattern to external IPs on HTTPS (port 443) as a sign of data exfiltration, where an internal host sends large, uniform chunks of data to multiple external destinations to evade detection.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
VoIP call initiation.
Why it's wrong here
VoIP uses UDP and smaller packets.
Normal web browsing activity.
Why it's wrong here
Web browsing packet sizes vary.
A DDoS attack originating from the workstation.
Why it's wrong here
DDoS typically from many sources.
Data exfiltration via HTTPS.
Why this is correct
Consistent large packets and many destinations suggest exfiltration.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that any traffic to multiple external IPs on port 443 is normal web browsing, but the trap here is the consistent 1500-byte packet size, which is a key indicator of data exfiltration rather than typical HTTPS activity.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, data exfiltration over HTTPS often uses tools that fragment or pad data to the maximum segment size (MSS) of 1460 bytes (plus TCP/IP headers to reach 1500 bytes) to maximize throughput and blend with bulk transfers. Cisco Stealthwatch uses NetFlow/IPFIX data to analyze flow records, and a sudden increase in flows with identical byte counts and diverse destination IPs triggers an anomaly detection rule for 'data hoarding' or 'exfiltration' behavior. In real-world scenarios, attackers may use encrypted tunnels (e.g., SSH over port 443) to further obscure the exfiltration, but the uniform packet size remains a telltale sign.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security Monitoring — This question tests Security Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Data exfiltration via HTTPS. — The consistent 1500-byte packet size indicates maximum-sized TCP segments, which is atypical for interactive web browsing but common when data is being padded to fill MTU for efficient exfiltration. Cisco Stealthwatch detects this anomalous volumetric pattern to external IPs on HTTPS (port 443) as a sign of data exfiltration, where an internal host sends large, uniform chunks of data to multiple external destinations to evade detection.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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