200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
During an incident response, an analyst extracts a file from network traffic using Zeek's file analysis feature. The file has a SHA-256 hash that matches a known malware indicator. Which type of IoC is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is assuming that because the file was extracted from network traffic, the IoC must be 'network-based' — but the IoC type is determined by the indicator's nature (a file hash), not the collection method.
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
✓
File-based IoC
A file-based IoC is an indicator derived from a file artifact — such as a hash (MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256), filename, or file path — that identifies malicious content. Since the analyst extracted a file and matched its SHA-256 hash against a known malware indicator, this is a file-based IoC, regardless of the fact that the file was captured from network traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Behavioral IoC
Why it's wrong here
Behavioral IoCs describe actions, not static attributes.
- ✗
Network-based IoC
Why it's wrong here
The SHA-256 hash was extracted from network traffic, but a file hash identifies the file itself, not its transmission. Network-based IoCs are artefacts such as IP addresses, domains, URLs or JA3 fingerprints observed in traffic. The hash is a file-based indicator.
- ✗
Host-based IoC
Why it's wrong here
A hash is a file-based indicator; host-based IoCs are artefacts found on an endpoint, such as registry keys, file paths or process names. The hash was extracted from network traffic via Zeek, so it is not host-based. Host-based fits endpoint forensic artefacts.
- ✓
File-based IoC
Why this is correct
A SHA-256 hash is a cryptographic file fingerprint, so matching it to a known indicator identifies the artefact itself rather than network behaviour or infrastructure. This satisfies the stem's constraint: the IoC derives from the extracted file's content, making it file-based rather than network- or host-based.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 968 original 200-201 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.