CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
During a threat hunting exercise, a security analyst hypothesizes that adversaries may be using PowerShell to execute commands in memory. Which threat hunting methodology is being employed?
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
✓
Hypothesis-driven hunting
Hypothesis-driven hunting starts with a hypothesis about potential adversary behavior, then searches for evidence. IoC-driven uses indicators of compromise, and TTP-driven focuses on tactics, techniques, and procedures.
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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Signature-based hunting
Why it's wrong here
Signature-based hunting relies on pre-written detection signatures matching known malicious patterns, whereas the analyst is proactively hypothesising about in-memory PowerShell behaviour with no signature defined. It would be correct when mature signatures exist for a specific tool or malware family.
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TTP-driven hunting
Why it's wrong here
TTP-driven hunting starts from known adversary tactics, techniques and procedures, matching the hypothesis about PowerShell in-memory execution. This option is the correct methodology here, so selecting it as the answer to a different option's question is misplaced.
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Hypothesis-driven hunting
Why this is correct
Hypothesis-driven hunting begins with a formulated proposition — here, that adversaries execute PowerShell in memory — then tests it against telemetry. It differs from intelligence-driven hunting, which starts from known indicators, and from situational-awareness hunting, which explores anomalies without a stated premise.
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IoC-driven hunting
Why it's wrong here
Hunting from known indicators (hashes, IPs, domains) requires artefacts already observed; the stem describes a hypothesis about adversary behaviour, not a concrete indicator. IoC-driven hunting would be correct when threat intelligence supplies specific observables to sweep for across the estate.
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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.