Question 78 of 1,000
hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped

220-1102 Practice Question: A security auditor finds that a user's…

This 220-1102 practice question tests your understanding of a security auditor finds that a user's…. 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.

A security auditor finds that a user's workstation has a scheduled task that runs a PowerShell script every hour. The script connects to an external IP address and downloads a file. The user claims no knowledge of the task. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →

A security auditor finds that a user's workstation has a scheduled task that runs a PowerShell script every hour. The script connects to an external IP address and downloads a file. The user claims no knowledge of the task. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Best answer

The workstation is infected with malware that persists via scheduled tasks

Malware commonly creates scheduled tasks to survive reboots and perform remote actions without user consent.

B

Distractor review

The user installed a legitimate application that creates scheduled tasks

While some legitimate apps create scheduled tasks, the user's denial and the connection to an external IP make malware more likely.

C

Distractor review

A remote administrator configured the task for maintenance

Remote administration tasks are typically documented and would not involve downloading unknown files from external IPs.

D

Distractor review

The task was created by Windows Update

Windows Update may create scheduled tasks, but they do not connect to arbitrary external IPs to download files.

Answer analysis

Why the other options are wrong

Understanding why incorrect options are tempting is as important as knowing the correct answer.

  • The user installed a legitimate application that creates scheduled tasks

    While some legitimate apps create scheduled tasks, the user's denial and the connection to an external IP make malware more likely.

  • A remote administrator configured the task for maintenance

    Remote administration tasks are typically documented and would not involve downloading unknown files from external IPs.

  • The task was created by Windows Update

    Windows Update may create scheduled tasks, but they do not connect to arbitrary external IPs to download files.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.

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.
  • Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.

TExam Day Tips

  • Underline the problem statement mentally.
  • 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.

Related practice questions

Related 220-1102 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

Question 1

A change advisory board (CAB) approved a standard change to update antivirus definitions on all servers. The technician completes the update on a file server and verifies the server is functioning normally. According to change management best practices, what documentation should the technician complete?

Question 2

A company's change management policy requires all server changes to be approved by the Change Advisory Board (CAB). A technician discovers that a critical database server's operating system needs a security patch to comply with a new regulatory requirement that takes effect in one week. The patch has a known risk of causing service downtime. The next scheduled CAB meeting is in two weeks. What should the technician do FIRST?

Question 3

A company is implementing a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy and needs to ensure that corporate data on employee mobile devices is protected. Which of the following is the MOST important technical control to implement?

Question 4

A company requires employees to present both a smart card and a PIN to log into their workstations. Which authentication principle is being implemented?

Question 5

A company requires all Windows 10 workstations to be able to join an Active Directory domain. Which edition of Windows 10 must be installed on these workstations?

Question 6

A company wants to allow employees to securely access internal resources from home via the internet. Which method provides the highest level of security for remote desktop connections?

Practice this exam

Start a free 220-1102 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 220-1102 question test?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The workstation is infected with malware that persists via scheduled tasks — Malware often uses scheduled tasks to achieve persistence and perform malicious activities such as downloading additional payloads. While legitimate applications can create scheduled tasks, the user's lack of knowledge and the suspicious behavior (contacting an external IP) strongly indicate infection. Remote administration would be documented, and Windows Update does not create such tasks.

What should I do if I get this 220-1102 question wrong?

Identify which 220-1102 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.

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 →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

More 220-1102 practice questions

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.

Loading comments…

Sign in to join the discussion.

This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 220-1102 exam.