- A
Perform a full system reimage of the workstation to ensure the malware is removed.
Why wrong: Reimaging should be a last resort after evidence collection; you need to confirm compromise first.
- B
Use the EDR to list all DLLs loaded by svchost.exe and look for any suspicious DLLs that are not from Microsoft.
This can detect DLL sideloading or injection, which is a common technique.
- C
Immediately block the outbound connection to 198.51.100.10 at the firewall and isolate the workstation from the network.
Why wrong: Isolation may be needed later, but first you should gather more evidence to confirm compromise.
- D
Verify the digital signature of svchost.exe with Microsoft to ensure it has not been revoked.
Why wrong: The signature is valid and not revoked; but malware can use a legitimate signed file.
Quick Answer
The correct first action is to use the EDR to list all DLLs loaded by svchost.exe and look for any suspicious DLLs that are not from Microsoft. This is because a legitimate svchost.exe with a valid digital signature does not rule out DLL sideloading, a technique where malware places a malicious DLL in a location that the trusted process loads before the legitimate one, allowing code execution within the svchost.exe context to evade detection. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of process hollowing and DLL sideloading as evasion methods, often presented as a trap where a signed parent process seems clean. A common memory tip is "signature doesn't guarantee safety—check the loaded modules," reminding you that attackers abuse trusted processes by injecting or sideloading malicious DLLs, so always inspect the process's loaded libraries first.
200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
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.
You are a security analyst at a medium-sized company. The company uses a SIEM that collects logs from firewalls, IDS/IPS, and endpoint detection and response (EDR) agents. You receive an alert that a user's workstation (IP 10.0.1.25) has been making outbound connections to an IP address (198.51.100.10) on port 4444 (commonly used by malware). The alert includes a SIEM correlation rule that triggered when three or more connections to that IP occurred within 5 minutes. You check the EDR logs and see that the workstation is running a process named 'svchost.exe' that is connecting to that IP. The process path is C:\Windows\system32\svchost.exe, which is legitimate. However, you notice that the process has a digital signature from 'Microsoft Corporation', but the signature date is from 2021. The workstation's operating system is Windows 10 22H2, fully patched as of last month. The user reports that they have been experiencing slow performance and occasional pop-ups. Which action should you take FIRST to investigate this potential compromise?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
Use the EDR to list all DLLs loaded by svchost.exe and look for any suspicious DLLs that are not from Microsoft.
Option B is correct because the presence of a legitimate svchost.exe with a valid Microsoft signature does not rule out DLL sideloading or injection. By listing all DLLs loaded by the process, you can identify suspicious non-Microsoft DLLs that may be executing malicious code within the trusted svchost.exe context, which is a common technique used by malware to evade detection.
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.
- ✗
Perform a full system reimage of the workstation to ensure the malware is removed.
Why it's wrong here
Reimaging should be a last resort after evidence collection; you need to confirm compromise first.
- ✓
Use the EDR to list all DLLs loaded by svchost.exe and look for any suspicious DLLs that are not from Microsoft.
Why this is correct
This can detect DLL sideloading or injection, which is a common technique.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Immediately block the outbound connection to 198.51.100.10 at the firewall and isolate the workstation from the network.
Why it's wrong here
Isolation may be needed later, but first you should gather more evidence to confirm compromise.
- ✗
Verify the digital signature of svchost.exe with Microsoft to ensure it has not been revoked.
Why it's wrong here
The signature is valid and not revoked; but malware can use a legitimate signed file.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that a valid digital signature on a process executable guarantees the process is clean, when in reality attackers frequently use signed Microsoft binaries as hosts for malicious code via injection or sideloading.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DLL sideloading exploits the Windows DLL search order by placing a malicious DLL in a directory that is searched before the legitimate system path, causing svchost.exe to load the attacker's code. The EDR can enumerate loaded modules via the Process Environment Block (PEB) or by querying the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Win32_Process class to list all DLLs, including those with unusual names, paths, or missing digital signatures.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-201 question test?
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: Use the EDR to list all DLLs loaded by svchost.exe and look for any suspicious DLLs that are not from Microsoft. — Option B is correct because the presence of a legitimate svchost.exe with a valid Microsoft signature does not rule out DLL sideloading or injection. By listing all DLLs loaded by the process, you can identify suspicious non-Microsoft DLLs that may be executing malicious code within the trusted svchost.exe context, which is a common technique used by malware to evade detection.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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