CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
During a threat hunting exercise, a security analyst hypothesizes that an adversary is using PowerShell to execute malicious scripts. Which approach is the analyst employing?
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 specific assumption about adversary behavior, unlike IoC-driven (based on known indicators) or TTP-driven (focused on tactics, techniques, 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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TTP-driven hunting
Why it's wrong here
TTP-driven hunting focuses on adversary methods, but this scenario starts with a specific hypothesis.
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Machine learning-driven hunting
Why it's wrong here
Machine learning-driven hunting mines baselines for statistical anomalies without a stated hypothesis, so it cannot express the analyst's PowerShell premise. It is tempting because ML surfaces unknown threats, and it would be correct when hunting for deviations from normal behaviour rather than testing a specific technique.
- ✗
IoC-driven hunting
Why it's wrong here
IoC-driven hunting searches for known artefacts such as hashes, domains or IP addresses, whereas the analyst has only a behavioural hypothesis about PowerShell execution. It is tempting because IoCs give fast, high-fidelity matches, and it would be correct when indicators from threat intelligence are available to sweep for.
- ✓
Hypothesis-driven hunting
Why this is correct
The analyst forms a specific proposition about adversary behaviour, PowerShell execution, then hunts for evidence supporting or refuting it. This structured, hypothesis-first method is hypothesis-driven hunting, matching the stem's constraint of starting from a stated theory rather than an indicator or alert.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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