CS0-003 Security Operations Practice Question
A threat hunter is creating a hypothesis based on the MITRE ATT&CK framework. The hunter wants to detect adversaries using PowerShell to download files from remote servers. Which ATT&CK technique should the hunter focus on?
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
✓
T1059.001 (PowerShell)
T1059.001 is PowerShell, which is commonly used for file downloads. The hunter should create detection rules for PowerShell download cradles.
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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T1078 (Valid Accounts)
Why it's wrong here
While adversaries frequently abuse legitimate credentials (T1078) to gain initial access or escalate privileges within an environment, this technique does not describe the execution of commands or scripts to download external payloads. A threat hunter looking specifically at a PowerShell-based download mechanism would focus on execution techniques rather than identity-based access vectors.
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T1053.005 (Scheduled Task)
Why it's wrong here
Scheduled Tasks (T1053.005) are primarily utilized by threat actors to establish persistence or execute code at specific times or system events. Although a scheduled task can be configured to run a malicious script, the task itself is a scheduling mechanism rather than the specific execution environment or utility used to retrieve files from the internet.
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T1047 (WMI)
Why it's wrong here
Windows Management Instrumentation (T1047) is a powerful administrative framework used for system management, querying device information, and executing remote processes. While WMI can trigger execution on remote hosts, it is not the primary mechanism used to initiate web requests or download payloads directly from external command-and-control servers.
- ✓
T1059.001 (PowerShell)
Why this is correct
PowerShell (T1059.001) is a sub-technique under Command and Scripting Interpreter that allows adversaries to execute commands, run scripts, and interact directly with the operating system. Threat hunters look for PowerShell commands utilizing cmdlets like 'Invoke-WebRequest' or 'Start-BitsTransfer' because they are commonly abused to download and execute malicious payloads directly into memory.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) and STIX/TAXII
Key term
Threat
A threat is any potential danger that could harm a computer system, network, or data, whether from a malicious hacker, a natural disaster, or an accidental mistake.
Key term
MITRE ATT&CK
MITRE ATT&CK is a globally accessible knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques based on real-world observations, used by security professionals to understand and defend against cyber threats.
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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.