- A
Insider threat
Why wrong: No indication that a trusted insider is involved; the traffic is from a workstation, likely compromised.
- B
Data breach
Why wrong: No evidence of data exfiltration yet; the traffic is suspicious but not confirmed as data exfiltration.
- C
Phishing
Why wrong: No evidence of an email-based attack; the incident is about network traffic to a C2 IP.
- D
Malware
C2 communication is a classic indicator of malware infection, such as a botnet or trojan.
Question 733 of 1,000
CS0-003 Incident Response and Management Practice Question
This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of incident response and management. 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 the detection and analysis phase of incident response, a security analyst identifies suspicious outbound traffic from a workstation to an external IP address known for command and control (C2) activity. Which classification should the analyst assign to this incident?
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
✓
Malware
The incident involves communication with a known C2 server, which is characteristic of a malware infection (specifically, a botnet or trojan). This falls under the malware category.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Insider threat
Why it's wrong here
No indication that a trusted insider is involved; the traffic is from a workstation, likely compromised.
- ✗
Data breach
Why it's wrong here
No evidence of data exfiltration yet; the traffic is suspicious but not confirmed as data exfiltration.
- ✗
Phishing
Why it's wrong here
No evidence of an email-based attack; the incident is about network traffic to a C2 IP.
- ✓
Malware
Why this is correct
C2 communication is a classic indicator of malware infection, such as a botnet or trojan.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
| Class | First Octet Range | Default Mask | Networks | Hosts per Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–126 | /8 (255.0.0.0) | 126 | 16,777,214 |
| B | 128–191 | /16 (255.255.0.0) | 16,384 | 65,534 |
| C | 192–223 | /24 (255.255.255.0) | 2,097,152 | 254 |
| D | 224–239 | N/A | Multicast groups | — |
| E | 240–255 | N/A | Reserved / experimental | — |
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which CS0-003 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CS0-003 question test?
Incident Response and Management — This question tests Incident Response and Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Malware — The incident involves communication with a known C2 server, which is characteristic of a malware infection (specifically, a botnet or trojan). This falls under the malware category.
What should I do if I get this CS0-003 question wrong?
Identify which CS0-003 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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