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CV0-004 Practice Question: A cloud administrator is reviewing a security…
A cloud administrator is reviewing a security audit report that shows an instance has been sending outbound traffic to a known malicious IP address. The instance hosts a production application. Which action should the administrator take first?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates choose immediate shutdown (Option B) thinking it is the fastest containment method, but the exam emphasizes preserving forensic evidence and using network-level isolation (security groups) as the correct first step in incident response.
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
✓
Isolate the instance by modifying the security group to deny all traffic.
The first priority in a confirmed security incident is containment. Modifying the security group to deny all traffic immediately stops the outbound communication to the malicious IP, preventing data exfiltration or further compromise while preserving the instance for forensic analysis. This aligns with the incident response process, where isolation precedes investigation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run an antivirus scan on the instance.
Why it's wrong here
An antivirus scan addresses file-based malware but does not stop the live outbound connection to the malicious IP, and signature scanning may miss the implant. It is tempting because scanning is a standard response, and would be correct once the instance is isolated and evidence preserved.
- ✗
Immediately shut down the instance.
Why it's wrong here
Shutting down a production instance destroys volatile memory evidence and causes an outage, yet the malicious traffic may already have exfiltrated data. It is tempting as rapid containment, and would be correct for a non-production host with no forensic or availability requirements.
- ✓
Isolate the instance by modifying the security group to deny all traffic.
Why this is correct
Isolating the instance via its security group immediately halts outbound traffic to the malicious IP, containing potential exfiltration or command-and-control activity while preserving the instance for forensic investigation. This satisfies the stem's requirement to act first on a production host, since termination would destroy evidence.
- ✗
Review the application logs to understand the traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Log review is forensic analysis, not containment; the malicious outbound traffic continues while the administrator reads. It is tempting because logs establish scope and root cause, and would be the right first step after the instance is isolated from the network.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.