The correct next step is to escalate to the incident response team for further investigation. This is because outbound traffic to a malicious IP with no malware signatures often indicates a stealthy, fileless threat or a compromised credential being used for command-and-control communication, which signature-based scans cannot detect. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the incident response process and the limits of automated tools—specifically, that the absence of malware does not mean the absence of a threat. A common trap is to immediately block the IP or disconnect the workstation, but doing so can destroy volatile evidence like memory-resident processes or network sessions. Instead, escalation ensures a thorough forensic analysis by a specialized team. Memory tip: “No malware, no problem? Wrong—escalate along.”
200-201 Security Policies and Procedures Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security policies and procedures. 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.
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise notices that an employee's workstation has been sending outbound traffic to a known malicious IP address at irregular intervals. The analyst runs a scan and finds no malware signatures. What should the analyst do next?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Escalate to the incident response team for further investigation.
Option C is correct because the situation suggests a potential advanced threat that requires specialized team. Disconnecting prematurely might destroy evidence. Blocking IP alone does not address the root cause. Reviewing history is part of investigation but escalation is the best next step.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 malicious IP at the firewall and continue monitoring.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the IP alone does not address the underlying issue and may miss other indicators.
✓
Escalate to the incident response team for further investigation.
Why this is correct
Escalation ensures proper handling of a potential advanced threat that may require specialized skills.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Review the employee's recent web browsing history and email attachments.
Why it's wrong here
This is a valid step but delaying escalation could allow further malicious activity.
✗
Immediately disconnect the workstation from the network and reimage it.
Why it's wrong here
This action may destroy forensic evidence and is not the first step without confirming a compromise.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 200-201 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Security Policies and Procedures — This question tests Security Policies and Procedures — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Escalate to the incident response team for further investigation. — Option C is correct because the situation suggests a potential advanced threat that requires specialized team. Disconnecting prematurely might destroy evidence. Blocking IP alone does not address the root cause. Reviewing history is part of investigation but escalation is the best next step.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 200-201 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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