CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is investigating a phishing campaign targeting the organization. The threat intelligence team has provided indicators such as email subject lines, sender domains, and attachment hashes. However, the analyst notices that these IOCs change rapidly and are only effective for a short period. Which type of threat intelligence would provide more durable and actionable information for defending against this campaign?
⚠ Common exam trap
CAS-005 often tests the distinction between volatile indicators (hashes, domains, subject lines) and durable behavioral intelligence (TTPs), so candidates who equate 'threat intelligence' with 'IOC feeds' pick the wrong answer.
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
✓
TTP-based threat intelligence
TTP-based threat intelligence focuses on the adversary's tactics, techniques, and procedures — the behavioral patterns behind an attack — rather than volatile artifacts like subject lines or hashes. Because TTPs describe how attackers operate (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK techniques such as spearphishing attachment T1566.001), they remain relevant even when IOCs rotate. This makes them far more durable and actionable for building detections and defenses against an ongoing campaign.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
STIX/TAXII feeds
Why it's wrong here
STIX/TAXII is a format for sharing threat intelligence, not a type of intelligence.
- ✗
IoC-based threat intelligence
Why it's wrong here
IoC-based intelligence is ephemeral and changes quickly, as described.
- ✓
TTP-based threat intelligence
Why this is correct
TTP-based intelligence describes adversary behaviours and tradecraft, which change far more slowly than email subjects, sender domains or attachment hashes. This satisfies the stem's constraint that rapidly shifting IOCs give only short-lived value, providing durable detection for the phishing campaign.
- ✗
Strategic threat intelligence
Why it's wrong here
Strategic intelligence is high-level and for executives, not typically used for immediate defense.
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About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.