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.
During a forensic investigation, an analyst finds a suspicious registry key that runs a program at startup. What is the best way to determine if the program is malicious?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Search the startup folder for the file
Why wrong: The file may not be there; registry is the location.
Compute the hash of the executable and query threat intelligence
Hash check indicates known malicious status.
Execute the program in a sandbox and observe behavior
Why wrong: Risky; could still be dangerous.
Check the file's last modified timestamp
Why wrong: Timestamp alone doesn't indicate maliciousness.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Compute the hash of the executable and query threat intelligence
Computing the hash of the executable and querying threat intelligence (e.g., VirusTotal, AlienVault OTX) provides a definitive, objective indicator of known maliciousness by comparing the file's cryptographic fingerprint against global threat databases. This is the fastest and most reliable method to determine if the program is malicious without risking execution or relying on circumstantial evidence.
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.
Search the startup folder for the file
Why it's wrong here
The file may not be there; registry is the location.
Compute the hash of the executable and query threat intelligence
Why this is correct
Hash check indicates known malicious status.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Execute the program in a sandbox and observe behavior
Why it's wrong here
Risky; could still be dangerous.
Check the file's last modified timestamp
Why it's wrong here
Timestamp alone doesn't indicate maliciousness.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'best first step' and 'thorough analysis'—candidates mistakenly choose sandbox execution (Option C) because it seems more comprehensive, but the exam prioritizes speed and safety via hash-based threat intelligence queries.
Detailed technical explanation
Hash-based threat intelligence queries rely on algorithms like SHA-256 to produce a unique fingerprint; even a single bit change in the file yields a completely different hash. Real-world malware often uses polymorphic code to change its hash on each infection, so while a hash match confirms known malware, a non-match does not guarantee safety—this is why sandboxing (Option C) is a secondary step. Cisco emphasizes that hash lookup is the fastest triage method in incident response playbooks.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
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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: Compute the hash of the executable and query threat intelligence — Computing the hash of the executable and querying threat intelligence (e.g., VirusTotal, AlienVault OTX) provides a definitive, objective indicator of known maliciousness by comparing the file's cryptographic fingerprint against global threat databases. This is the fastest and most reliable method to determine if the program is malicious without risking execution or relying on circumstantial evidence.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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