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CAS-004 Practice Question: A threat hunter hypothesizes that a sophisticated…

A threat hunter hypothesizes that a sophisticated attacker is using DNS tunneling for command and control. Which data source would most likely confirm this activity?

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

DNS query logs from authoritative/internal DNS servers

DNS logs contain queries and responses; anomalous patterns like large TXT records or high frequency indicate tunneling. Option A is wrong because firewall logs may show traffic but not DNS content. Option C is wrong because antivirus may not detect tunneling. Option D is wrong because web proxy logs show HTTP traffic.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • Network flow data (NetFlow)

    Why it's wrong here

    Flow data shows volumes but not DNS payload details.

  • DNS query logs from authoritative/internal DNS servers

    Why this is correct

    DNS logs contain query names and types; tunneling leaves unusual patterns.

  • Endpoint antivirus alerts

    Why it's wrong here

    Antivirus is unlikely to detect DNS tunneling.

  • Web proxy logs

    Why it's wrong here

    Proxy logs show HTTP traffic, not DNS.

Visual reference

Client Recursive Resolver Root DNS (13 root servers) TLD DNS (.com, .org, …) Authoritative example.com query IP addr answer

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JA

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.