CS0-003 Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is reviewing an alert from a CASB that shows a user downloading a large volume of sensitive data from a cloud storage application to a personal device outside of business hours. The user's behavior is atypical. Which of the following is the most likely interpretation?
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
✓
Indicates a compromised account being used for data exfiltration
Atypical data download from a cloud service to a personal device outside business hours is a strong indicator of data exfiltration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Indicates a compromised account being used for data exfiltration
Why this is correct
This alert strongly indicates a compromised account because the combination of an unmanaged personal device, anomalous off-hours access, and high-volume data downloads aligns perfectly with a classic data exfiltration pattern. Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) utilize User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to detect these deviations from established baselines, signaling that an unauthorized actor is likely draining corporate data storehouses.
- ✗
True positive - but only if the user has been phished
Why it's wrong here
While phishing is a highly common initial access vector, a compromised account can stem from various other attack vectors such as credential stuffing, session hijacking, malware, or brute-force attacks. Restricting the definition of a true positive solely to phishing incidents overlooks these alternative threat vectors, which would still trigger a valid CASB alert.
- ✗
False positive - the user is working overtime
Why it's wrong here
Although legitimate employees sometimes work late, dismissing this alert as a false positive due to overtime ignores critical risk indicators like the use of an unmanaged personal device and massive download volumes. Security analysts must treat this behavior as highly suspicious until verified, as attackers frequently exploit off-hours to bypass active monitoring and exfiltrate sensitive intellectual property.
- ✗
Indicates a misconfigured CASB policy
Why it's wrong here
This alert is triggered by dynamic behavioral anomalies and heuristic analysis rather than a static, misconfigured policy rule. CASBs are designed to baseline normal user activity and flag significant deviations, meaning the alert is functioning exactly as intended to highlight high-risk behavior rather than indicating a system error or rule misconfiguration.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
API Security Testing and Analysis
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
Key term
Alert
An alert is a notification that something unusual or potentially harmful has happened in a computer system or network.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CS0-004 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 CS0-004 exam.