- A
Increase the alert threshold to reduce noise and continue monitoring
Why wrong: Raising the threshold would suppress potentially critical alerts and delay response.
- B
Disable the printer service on the server and monitor for recurrence
Why wrong: Disabling the service may not remove the underlying malware; the scanner and HTTPS behavior suggest a compromise.
- C
Dismiss the alerts as false positives because print servers often perform network discovery
Why wrong: Print servers do not typically perform nmap scans and make outbound HTTPS connections; this is anomalous.
- D
Isolate the print server from the network and conduct a forensic investigation
Isolation prevents further malicious activity, and forensic analysis can confirm compromise and identify the attack vector.
Quick Answer
The answer is to isolate the print server from the network and conduct a forensic investigation. This is the correct course of action because the print server at 10.0.0.50 is exhibiting classic signs of a compromised host performing network reconnaissance: the IDS is detecting internal Nmap SYN scans (ET SCAN NMAP -sS) from a device that should never scan, and the firewall logs show abnormal outbound HTTPS traffic to external IPs, which is a common indicator of command-and-control communication or data exfiltration. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to correlate multiple low-priority alerts into a high-fidelity incident, distinguishing between a false positive and a true compromise. A common trap is to dismiss the alerts as benign because the user reports no issues, but the behavioral anomalies—especially the outbound HTTPS from a print server—override that report. Remember the memory tip: "Scan + Call Home = Isolate and Forensically Roam."
200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 senior analyst in a SOC that monitors a large financial institution. The SIEM correlates events from firewalls, IDS, endpoints, and database servers. Over the past week, you have noticed multiple low-priority alerts from the IDS indicating 'ET SCAN NMAP -sS' scans from internal IP 10.0.0.50, which is a print server. The alerts occur at random times during business hours. The number of alerts has increased from 5 per day to 20 per day. The print server runs a standard OS and printer management software. No other alerts are triggered from that host. The firewall logs show outbound connections from the print server to IPs on the internet on port 443, which is abnormal for a print server. You check the printer management software and see no recent updates. The user of the print server, the IT administrator, reports no issues. What is your best course of action?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Isolate the print server from the network and conduct a forensic investigation
The print server at 10.0.0.50 is exhibiting multiple indicators of compromise: it is performing NMAP SYN scans (ET SCAN NMAP -sS) from an internal IP, and firewall logs show abnormal outbound HTTPS connections to internet IPs on port 443. These behaviors are inconsistent with a standard print server's role and suggest the host may be compromised, possibly acting as a pivot point for reconnaissance or command-and-control communication. Isolating the host and conducting a forensic investigation is the appropriate incident response step to contain the threat and determine the root cause before it can cause further damage.
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.
- ✗
Increase the alert threshold to reduce noise and continue monitoring
Why it's wrong here
Raising the threshold would suppress potentially critical alerts and delay response.
- ✗
Disable the printer service on the server and monitor for recurrence
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the service may not remove the underlying malware; the scanner and HTTPS behavior suggest a compromise.
- ✗
Dismiss the alerts as false positives because print servers often perform network discovery
Why it's wrong here
Print servers do not typically perform nmap scans and make outbound HTTPS connections; this is anomalous.
- ✓
Isolate the print server from the network and conduct a forensic investigation
Why this is correct
Isolation prevents further malicious activity, and forensic analysis can confirm compromise and identify the attack vector.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
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 candidate's ability to recognize that a combination of seemingly low-severity alerts (NMAP scans) and abnormal outbound traffic on a non-web server indicates a compromise, rather than dismissing them as false positives or tuning them out.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NMAP -sS (SYN scan) sends TCP SYN packets to target ports and analyzes responses to determine port states; this is a stealthy scan that does not complete the TCP three-way handshake. The combination of internal reconnaissance and outbound HTTPS traffic (port 443) is a classic pattern for a compromised host acting as a C2 client, often using encrypted channels to blend in with normal web traffic. In a SOC environment, such behavioral anomalies should trigger immediate containment per the NIST incident response framework, as they indicate a potential breach that could lead to lateral movement or data exfiltration.
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 practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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: Isolate the print server from the network and conduct a forensic investigation — The print server at 10.0.0.50 is exhibiting multiple indicators of compromise: it is performing NMAP SYN scans (ET SCAN NMAP -sS) from an internal IP, and firewall logs show abnormal outbound HTTPS connections to internet IPs on port 443. These behaviors are inconsistent with a standard print server's role and suggest the host may be compromised, possibly acting as a pivot point for reconnaissance or command-and-control communication. Isolating the host and conducting a forensic investigation is the appropriate incident response step to contain the threat and determine the root cause before it can cause further damage.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on 200-201
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A security analyst for a medium-sized enterprise is monitoring the network using Cisco Stealthwatch. They notice a sudden spike in traffic originating from an internal host (IP 10.10.10.50) communicating with multiple external IP addresses on port 445 (SMB). The host is a Windows server that typically serves web applications on ports 80 and 443. The analyst checks the host's firewall logs and finds that Windows Firewall is disabled. The host's antivirus is up to date and no alerts were triggered. The traffic pattern shows multiple connection attempts to /24 subnets across the internet, each with a single packet per destination. Based on this behavior, what is the most likely issue?
hard- ✓ A.The host is infected with malware that is performing network reconnaissance.
- B.The host is part of a distributed vulnerability scanning initiative.
- C.The host is being used for a DDoS amplification attack.
- D.The host is legitimately scanning the internet for outdated SMB shares.
Why A: The traffic pattern—multiple connection attempts to /24 subnets across the internet, each with a single packet per destination—is classic behavior for network reconnaissance, specifically scanning for open SMB ports. The host's Windows Firewall being disabled and the lack of antivirus alerts indicate that the host is likely compromised and running malware that is performing this reconnaissance, as legitimate scanning or DDoS amplification would not exhibit this single-packet-per-destination pattern.
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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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