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.
Which THREE of the following are common indicators of compromise (IOCs) that a security monitoring system might trigger on?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Unusual outbound network connections to unfamiliar IP addresses.
Unusual outbound network connections to unfamiliar IP addresses are a common indicator of compromise (IOC) because they often signal command-and-control (C2) communication, data exfiltration, or malware beaconing. Security monitoring systems analyze netflow or firewall logs to detect connections to IP addresses not in the organization's baseline or known threat intelligence feeds. This behavior deviates from normal traffic patterns and is a key trigger for alerts in SIEM or IDS/IPS systems.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Unusual outbound network connections to unfamiliar IP addresses.
Why this is correct
Common C2 indicator.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Packets with destination IP addresses from a threat intelligence feed.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
High CPU usage on a server.
Why it's wrong here
Can be legitimate or malicious; not a definitive IOC.
✗
Successful logon from a domain administrator account.
Why it's wrong here
Normal activity unless anomalous.
✓
Changes to critical system files or registry keys.
Why this is correct
May indicate malware installation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between performance metrics (like CPU usage) and true security indicators, so candidates mistakenly select high CPU usage as an IOC when it is actually a symptom that requires further investigation, not a direct compromise indicator.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, security monitoring systems like SIEMs (e.g., Splunk, ELK) correlate outbound connections against threat intelligence feeds (e.g., AlienVault OTX, MISP) using IP reputation scores or known malicious domains. For example, a beaconing malware might generate periodic HTTPS connections to a C2 server every 60 seconds, which can be detected via time-based pattern analysis. Similarly, changes to critical system files (e.g., Windows registry keys under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services) are monitored by file integrity monitoring (FIM) tools like Tripwire or Windows Audit Policy, as they often indicate rootkit installation or persistence mechanisms.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Monitoring — This question tests Security Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Unusual outbound network connections to unfamiliar IP addresses. — Unusual outbound network connections to unfamiliar IP addresses are a common indicator of compromise (IOC) because they often signal command-and-control (C2) communication, data exfiltration, or malware beaconing. Security monitoring systems analyze netflow or firewall logs to detect connections to IP addresses not in the organization's baseline or known threat intelligence feeds. This behavior deviates from normal traffic patterns and is a key trigger for alerts in SIEM or IDS/IPS systems.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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