- A
Disable the software updater immediately to prevent further registry modifications.
Why wrong: Disabling the software updater might prevent future legitimate updates and does not address the possibility that the updater is being exploited. The analyst should first confirm whether the activity is malicious.
- B
Create an exception rule in the EDR to suppress future alerts for this process.
Why wrong: Creating an exception without thorough investigation risks allowing an attacker to hide malicious activity behind a trusted process name. This is a common but dangerous shortcut.
- C
Investigate the user's recent activity and check for signs of process hollowing or DLL injection.
This is the correct next step. The analyst should examine the process's behavior in depth, including checking for anomalies such as unexpected command-line arguments, suspicious parent processes, or indicators of code injection, before concluding whether the alert is a false positive.
- D
Isolate the workstation from the network and reimage the system immediately.
Why wrong: Isolation and reimaging are extreme measures that should be reserved for confirmed compromises. Without evidence that the workstation is truly infected, this action would be premature and disruptive.
Quick Answer
The correct choice is to investigate the user’s recent activity and check for signs of process hollowing or DLL injection. This is because a legitimate process modifying a persistence registry key like the Run key is a classic red flag for process hollowing, where an attacker replaces the memory of a trusted executable with malicious code, or for DLL injection, which forces a legitimate process to load a harmful library. Even when the file hash matches a known good software updater, the process itself may be compromised, making the EDR alert valid. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of defense evasion techniques and the principle that a trusted binary does not guarantee a trusted process. A common trap is to assume a clean hash means the alert is a false positive, but the exam emphasizes verifying the process’s runtime behavior. Memory tip: “Hash is past, behavior is present”—always look beyond the file signature to what the process is actually doing.
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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.
A SOC analyst receives an alert from the EDR system indicating that the process 'C:\Program Files\Vendor\Updater.exe' attempted to modify the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run registry key on a user's workstation. The analyst checks the file hash and finds it matches a known legitimate software updater. Which of the following actions is most appropriate for the analyst to take?
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
Investigate the user's recent activity and check for signs of process hollowing or DLL injection.
Option C is correct because the EDR alert indicates a legitimate process (Updater.exe) modifying a critical persistence registry key (Run). Even with a known good hash, the process could be compromised via process hollowing or DLL injection, where malicious code runs under the guise of a trusted executable. Investigating user activity and checking for these attack techniques is the appropriate next step to confirm whether the behavior is benign or indicative of a threat.
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.
- ✗
Disable the software updater immediately to prevent further registry modifications.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the software updater might prevent future legitimate updates and does not address the possibility that the updater is being exploited. The analyst should first confirm whether the activity is malicious.
- ✗
Create an exception rule in the EDR to suppress future alerts for this process.
Why it's wrong here
Creating an exception without thorough investigation risks allowing an attacker to hide malicious activity behind a trusted process name. This is a common but dangerous shortcut.
- ✓
Investigate the user's recent activity and check for signs of process hollowing or DLL injection.
Why this is correct
This is the correct next step. The analyst should examine the process's behavior in depth, including checking for anomalies such as unexpected command-line arguments, suspicious parent processes, or indicators of code injection, before concluding whether the alert is a false positive.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Isolate the workstation from the network and reimage the system immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Isolation and reimaging are extreme measures that should be reserved for confirmed compromises. Without evidence that the workstation is truly infected, this action would be premature and disruptive.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a matching file hash guarantees the process is safe, overlooking that attackers can subvert a legitimate process at runtime through memory-based attacks that do not alter the file on disk.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Process hollowing involves creating a legitimate process in a suspended state, unmapping its original code, and injecting malicious code into the process memory, while DLL injection forces a legitimate process to load a malicious DLL. Both techniques allow an attacker to bypass hash-based whitelisting because the file on disk remains unchanged. The EDR alert on registry modification is a behavioral indicator that warrants deeper investigation, such as checking process memory for anomalies or reviewing parent-child process relationships.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Investigate the user's recent activity and check for signs of process hollowing or DLL injection. — Option C is correct because the EDR alert indicates a legitimate process (Updater.exe) modifying a critical persistence registry key (Run). Even with a known good hash, the process could be compromised via process hollowing or DLL injection, where malicious code runs under the guise of a trusted executable. Investigating user activity and checking for these attack techniques is the appropriate next step to confirm whether the behavior is benign or indicative of a threat.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
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