mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CAS-004 Practice Question: Is the MOST effective way to detect unauthorized…
Which of the following is the MOST effective way to detect unauthorized changes to critical files?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse detection (FIM) with prevention (antivirus) or recovery (backups), or mistakenly think an IDS can monitor file integrity when it is designed for network-level anomaly detection.
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
✓
File integrity monitoring
File integrity monitoring (FIM) is the most effective method for detecting unauthorized changes to critical files because it uses cryptographic hashing (e.g., SHA-256) to create a baseline of file states and then periodically re-computes hashes to identify any alterations. Unlike other security controls, FIM specifically focuses on the integrity of file content, metadata, and permissions, providing immediate alerts when a deviation from the baseline occurs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Antivirus software
Why it's wrong here
Antivirus detects malware, not file changes.
- ✗
Intrusion detection system
Why it's wrong here
IDS monitors network traffic, not file integrity.
- ✗
Regular backups
Why it's wrong here
Backups are for recovery, not detection.
- ✓
File integrity monitoring
Why this is correct
FIM specifically monitors file changes.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CAS-005 question is part of Courseiva's 968-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.