CND Practice Question: Incident Detection Response And Threat Prediction
A threat hunter is searching for persistence mechanisms on a Windows system and needs to check Autoruns data. Which registry hive contains user-specific startup application entries?
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
✓
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) contains settings specific to the currently logged-on user, including user-level Run and RunOnce keys.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Why it's wrong here
HKLM contains system-wide settings applicable to all users.
- ✗
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Why it's wrong here
HKCR manages file association and COM object registration.
- ✗
HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA
Why it's wrong here
HKPD provides performance counter information.
- ✓
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Why this is correct
HKCU stores configuration data specific to the active user profile, including user startup persistence keys.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This CND practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 CND exam.