mediumMultiple Choice
CS0-003 Encoded PowerShell Practice Question
An EDR alert shows powershell.exe launched by winword.exe with an encoded command line and outbound HTTPS shortly after a user opened an email attachment. What is the BEST first analytic pivot that balances containment with evidence preservation?
⚠ Common exam trap
The CS0-004 exam often tests the misconception that HTTPS traffic is inherently safe or that immediate containment (like reimaging) is always the best first step, when in reality the priority is to preserve and analyze volatile evidence before taking irreversible actions.
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
✓
Decode the command and inspect the process tree, parent document, and network destination
The encoded PowerShell command is the most direct artifact of the attacker's intent; decoding it reveals the executed payload, while inspecting the process tree confirms the parent-child relationship (winword.exe spawning powershell.exe), the parent document identifies the phishing vector, and the network destination pinpoints the C2 server. This triage provides the evidence needed for containment without destroying forensic data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Close the alert because HTTPS is expected traffic
Why it's wrong here
HTTPS is normal, but the parent-child process chain is suspicious.
- ✗
Disable the SIEM parser for PowerShell events
Why it's wrong here
Disabling telemetry removes visibility during an active investigation.
- ✓
Decode the command and inspect the process tree, parent document, and network destination
Why this is correct
Encoded PowerShell launched by Office is a high-signal chain; decoding and process-tree review confirms intent and scope.
- ✗
Reimage every workstation in the department
Why it's wrong here
Reimaging without scoping may be excessive and could destroy useful evidence.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Traffic Analysis
Key term
Containment
Containment is the incident response phase where security teams isolate a compromised system or network to prevent the threat from spreading further while preserving evidence.
Key term
Phishing
Phishing is a type of cyber attack where criminals impersonate legitimate organizations or individuals to trick victims into revealing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal data.
About these practice questions
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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.