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 valid techniques to detect a compromised host using network monitoring?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Identifying periodic outbound connections to an unknown IP at regular intervals (beaconing).
Option A is correct because beaconing is a classic indicator of a compromised host establishing a command-and-control (C2) channel. The host periodically sends outbound connections to an unknown IP at regular intervals, which is a behavior that network monitoring tools can detect as anomalous traffic patterns, often used by malware to maintain persistence and receive instructions.
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.
✓
Identifying periodic outbound connections to an unknown IP at regular intervals (beaconing).
Why this is correct
Beaconing is a common C2 technique.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Watching for ICMP echo requests from internal hosts to external hosts.
Why it's wrong here
ICMP is common and not a reliable compromise indicator.
✓
Observing DNS queries for domains that are known to be malicious from threat intelligence.
Why this is correct
DNS queries to malicious domains indicate compromise.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Detecting a host that is sending SMTP traffic to a server not authorized as a mail relay.
Why this is correct
Spambot activity is a sign of compromise.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Monitoring for high volumes of HTTP traffic to a known CDN.
Why it's wrong here
CDN traffic is normal and expected.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between normal network behavior (like ICMP pings or CDN traffic) and actual malicious indicators, so candidates may mistake common but benign traffic for signs of compromise.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Beaconing traffic often uses a fixed interval (e.g., every 60 seconds) and can be detected by analyzing NetFlow or packet captures for periodic connections to external IPs. Threat intelligence feeds provide DNS query logs that match known malicious domains, enabling detection of hosts resolving C2 domains even if the traffic is encrypted. SMTP traffic to an unauthorized mail relay is a sign of a host being used as a spam bot or for data exfiltration, as legitimate mail servers are typically configured to relay only for authorized clients.
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: Identifying periodic outbound connections to an unknown IP at regular intervals (beaconing). — Option A is correct because beaconing is a classic indicator of a compromised host establishing a command-and-control (C2) channel. The host periodically sends outbound connections to an unknown IP at regular intervals, which is a behavior that network monitoring tools can detect as anomalous traffic patterns, often used by malware to maintain persistence and receive instructions.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.