A security administrator notices that a user's workstation is sending outbound traffic to a known malicious IP address at regular intervals. The user reports no unusual activity. The technician has already run a full antivirus scan with no detections. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT to investigate the persistent network connection?
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.
Best answer
Run a network packet capture to analyze the traffic content.
Packet capture provides detailed visibility into the actual data being transmitted, helping to identify the nature of the communication (e.g., command and control traffic or data exfiltration). This is the best investigative step.
Distractor review
Disable the network adapter and disconnect the workstation from the network.
Disconnecting the workstation is a containment action, not an investigative step. It stops the traffic but prevents further analysis of the active connection.
Distractor review
Reimage the workstation immediately.
Reimaging destroys forensic evidence and is premature without understanding the root cause. It should only be done after thorough investigation and as a recovery step.
Distractor review
Check the Windows Firewall logs for blocked connections.
Firewall logs show blocked connections, but the traffic to the malicious IP is succeeding (outbound), so logs would not capture it. This would not help investigate the active connection.
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.
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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 user reports intermittent network connectivity on a desktop computer. The technician observes that the Ethernet link light on the NIC turns off for a few seconds and then turns back on. The cable passes a wiremap test, the switch port is verified good with another device, and the NIC driver is updated. The issue occurs more frequently when the computer's case fan runs at high speed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
Question 2
A workstation is unable to connect to the internet. The technician runs the 'ipconfig' command and sees the IPv4 address is 169.254.15.200 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The workstation can ping other devices on the local subnet but cannot ping the default gateway or any external addresses. Which TWO actions should the technician take to resolve this issue? (Select two.)
Question 3
A workstation is connected to a managed switch. It obtains a valid IP address (192.168.10.50) from the DHCP server, but it cannot ping the default gateway (192.168.10.1). The link light on both the workstation NIC and the switch port are solid green. Other workstations on the same switch CAN ping the default gateway successfully. The technician accesses the switch management interface and finds that the workstation's port is configured as an access port on VLAN 10. The default gateway is located on VLAN 20. An inter-VLAN router is configured but not explicitly allowing VLAN 10 access to VLAN 20. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?
Question 4
A company develops a web application that relies on a custom library available only for a specific Linux distribution. They want to deploy the application in the cloud with minimal administrative overhead, but they need full control over the software stack, including the ability to install the custom library and configure the web server. Which cloud service model BEST meets these requirements?
Question 5
A company has a legacy virtual machine running on a deprecated hypervisor (Hyper-V). They want to migrate this VM to a new hypervisor (VMware vSphere) hosted in a private cloud while preserving the VM's configuration, installed applications, and data. The migration must be performed with minimal downtime. Which of the following methods is MOST appropriate?
Question 6
A company hosts a critical database on a virtual machine in a public cloud. The database requires persistent storage that must be retained even if the VM is terminated. The storage must also be accessible from multiple VMs simultaneously for a future high-availability configuration. Which type of cloud storage BEST meets these requirements?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1101 question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Run a network packet capture to analyze the traffic content. — When a workstation is communicating with a known malicious IP and antivirus has not detected anything, the next step is to analyze the network traffic to understand what data is being sent or received. Running a packet capture (e.g., with Wireshark) allows the technician to inspect the payload and determine if the traffic is malicious. Disconnecting the workstation may be a containment step, but it does not help with investigation. Reimaging is too drastic without confirming the threat and losing forensic evidence. Checking firewall logs may show allowed connections but does not capture the content of active traffic.
What should I do if I get this 220-1101 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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