Quick Answer
The answer is an unusual volume of TGS requests from a workstation that does not normally administer services. This signal strengthens a Kerberoasting detection alert because attackers, after enumerating service principal names (SPNs), request Ticket-Granting Service tickets in bulk to obtain hashes for offline password cracking. A standard user workstation suddenly generating dozens of TGS requests for multiple SPNs deviates sharply from normal behavior, where only service administrators or specific applications would make such requests. On the CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish between benign service ticket renewals and malicious enumeration; a common trap is mistaking a high volume of failed logins for Kerberoasting, which instead relies on successful TGS requests. Remember the mnemonic “Bulk from a Desk” to recall that bulk TGS requests from a non-admin workstation are the key red flag.
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.
Which signals strengthen an alert for Kerberoasting activity? (Choose two.)
Unusual volume of TGS requests for many service principals
Kerberoasting often generates broad service-ticket requests.
Requests from a workstation that does not normally administer services
Abnormal source context increases suspicion.
A user changing their desktop wallpaper
Why wrong: Wallpaper changes do not indicate Kerberos abuse.
Successful DHCP lease renewal
Why wrong: DHCP renewal is routine and unrelated.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Unusual volume of TGS requests for many service principals
Kerberoasting involves requesting Ticket-Granting Service (TGS) tickets for service principals (SPNs) to crack their passwords offline. An unusual volume of TGS requests for many SPNs is a strong indicator because attackers typically enumerate SPNs and request tickets in bulk, which deviates from normal user behavior.
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.
Unusual volume of TGS requests for many service principals
Why this is correct
Kerberoasting often generates broad service-ticket requests.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Requests from a workstation that does not normally administer services
Why this is correct
Abnormal source context increases suspicion.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A user changing their desktop wallpaper
Why it's wrong here
Wallpaper changes do not indicate Kerberos abuse.
Successful DHCP lease renewal
Why it's wrong here
DHCP renewal is routine and unrelated.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between benign user actions (like wallpaper changes) and actual Kerberos-related attack indicators, trapping candidates who confuse general system changes with authentication-specific anomalies.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Kerberoasting exploits the TGS-REQ/TGS-REP exchange in Kerberos (RFC 4120). Attackers use tools like Impacket's GetUserSPNs.py or Rubeus to request TGS tickets for SPNs with RC4 encryption, then extract the encrypted hash (enc-part) for offline brute-forcing. In real-world scenarios, defenders monitor for spikes in TGS requests from a single source using Windows Event ID 4769 with a non-zero ticket encryption type (0x17 for RC4).
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
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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: Unusual volume of TGS requests for many service principals — Kerberoasting involves requesting Ticket-Granting Service (TGS) tickets for service principals (SPNs) to crack their passwords offline. An unusual volume of TGS requests for many SPNs is a strong indicator because attackers typically enumerate SPNs and request tickets in bulk, which deviates from normal user behavior.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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