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200-201 Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are indicators that…
Which THREE of the following are indicators that a network may be compromised by a botnet?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between generic attack symptoms (like high ICMP volume) and specific botnet indicators (like C2 communication and beaconing), so candidates mistakenly select Option C because they associate any unusual traffic with botnets without considering the precise behavioral patterns.
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
✓
Unusual outbound traffic to known command-and-control servers.
Botnet-infected systems typically communicate with command-and-control (C2) servers to receive instructions or exfiltrate data. Unusual outbound traffic to known C2 IPs or domains is a strong indicator of botnet activity, as legitimate traffic rarely targets these addresses. Security monitoring tools often use threat intelligence feeds to flag such connections.
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 traffic to known command-and-control servers.
Why this is correct
C&C communication is a hallmark of botnet activity.
- ✓
Multiple systems communicating with the same external IP at regular intervals.
Why this is correct
Coordinated communication may indicate botnet nodes reporting to a C&C.
- ✗
High volume of ICMP echo requests.
Why it's wrong here
ICMP echo requests can be normal network troubleshooting and not specific to botnets.
- ✓
Endpoint alerts of known malware signatures.
Why this is correct
Malware alerts directly indicate infection, often associated with botnets.
- ✗
Increase in legitimate business traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Legitimate traffic increase is not an indicator of compromise.
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JA
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.