This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An analyst runs a command to check active network connections on a Linux host and sees many ESTABLISHED connections to an external IP on port 443. Which command was most likely used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
netstat -anp
netstat shows active connections.
ipconfig /all
Why wrong: ipconfig is a Windows command for network configuration.
nmap -sT
Why wrong: nmap is used for port scanning, not real-time connections.
tcpdump -i eth0
Why wrong: tcpdump captures packets, not a list of connections.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
netstat -anp
The `netstat -anp` command displays all active network connections (`-a`), shows numeric addresses and port numbers (`-n`), and includes the process ID and program name (`-p`). This makes it the correct tool for an analyst to quickly identify established TCP connections to an external IP on port 443, as it directly lists the state (ESTABLISHED), remote address, and associated process.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
netstat -anp
Why this is correct
netstat shows active connections.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "most likely", "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
ipconfig /all
Why it's wrong here
ipconfig is a Windows command for network configuration.
nmap -sT
Why it's wrong here
nmap is used for port scanning, not real-time connections.
tcpdump -i eth0
Why it's wrong here
tcpdump captures packets, not a list of connections.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between commands that *show* current connections (like `netstat`) versus commands that *probe* or *capture* network traffic (like `nmap` or `tcpdump`), leading candidates to confuse scanning tools with monitoring tools.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
ipconfig is a Windows command for network configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
The `netstat` command reads connection information from the `/proc/net/tcp` and `/proc/net/tcp6` virtual files, which contain kernel-level socket state data. The ESTABLISHED state corresponds to TCP state 0x01 in the kernel, and `netstat` maps this to the human-readable string. In a real-world incident response scenario, an analyst might use `netstat -anp` to quickly spot a beaconing implant maintaining persistent HTTPS connections to a command-and-control server, as the `-p` flag reveals the malicious process name.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: netstat -anp — The `netstat -anp` command displays all active network connections (`-a`), shows numeric addresses and port numbers (`-n`), and includes the process ID and program name (`-p`). This makes it the correct tool for an analyst to quickly identify established TCP connections to an external IP on port 443, as it directly lists the state (ESTABLISHED), remote address, and associated process.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely", "which command". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This CS0-003 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 CS0-003 exam.
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