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200-201 Practice Question: Which TWO are common indicators of a compromised…
Which TWO are common indicators of a compromised host? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between normal administrative activity (scheduled tasks, daily updates) and true behavioral anomalies (unusual timing, unexpected destinations), so candidates must avoid confusing routine operations with compromise indicators.
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 spikes in outbound network traffic at odd hours.
Unusual spikes in outbound network traffic at odd hours (Option C) are a common indicator of a compromised host because they often signal data exfiltration, command-and-control (C2) beaconing, or botnet activity. Attackers frequently schedule malicious traffic during off-peak hours to evade detection, and the abnormal volume or timing relative to baseline behavior is a key anomaly in security monitoring.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
User logging in during business hours.
Why it's wrong here
Normal behavior.
- ✗
Scheduled tasks running at regular intervals.
Why it's wrong here
Often legitimate; not necessarily malicious.
- ✓
Unusual spikes in outbound network traffic at odd hours.
Why this is correct
May indicate data exfiltration.
- ✓
Unexpected outbound connections to known malicious IPs.
Why this is correct
Common C2 communication indicator.
- ✗
Antivirus updates occurring daily.
Why it's wrong here
Normal behavior.
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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.