CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is investigating a malware sample found on a workstation. The analyst wants to determine the malware's capabilities without executing it. Which type of malware analysis involves examining the binary's strings, headers, and structure?
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
✓
Static analysis
Static analysis involves examining the malware's code and structure without running it. This includes looking at strings (e.g., IP addresses, registry keys), PE headers, and imports/exports to understand functionality.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Static analysis
Why this is correct
Static analysis examines the binary without execution.
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Dynamic analysis
Why it's wrong here
Dynamic analysis executes the malware in a sandbox.
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Reverse engineering
Why it's wrong here
Reverse engineering is a deeper form of static analysis, but the question refers to basic static analysis.
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Memory forensics
Why it's wrong here
Memory forensics analyzes RAM, not the malware file itself.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 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 CAS-005 exam.