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CCNA Incident Detection Response And Threat Prediction Questions

47 questions · Incident Detection Response And Threat Prediction · All types, answers revealed

1
MCQmedium

An organization is developing a threat hunting hypothesis based on MITRE ATT&CK technique T1078 (Valid Accounts). Which hunting query methodology best aligns with detecting this technique?

A.Scanning internal subnets for unpatched EternalBlue vulnerabilities
B.Querying authentication logs for service accounts logging in interactively via remote desktop
C.Searching endpoint logs for known ransomware string signatures
D.Checking firewall rules for outbound traffic on port 443
AnswerB

Service accounts logging in interactively represents an anomaly indicative of valid account misuse.

Why this answer

Detecting valid accounts abuse involves hunting for anomalous login locations, impossible travel, or unusual privilege escalations.

2
Multi-Selecteasy

An organization is updating its incident response policy based on NIST SP 800-61. Which TWO phases are part of the post-incident activity stage? (Choose TWO)

Select 2 answers
A.Containment
B.Vulnerability Assessment
C.Evidence Retention and Reporting
D.System Eradication
E.Lessons Learned
AnswersC, E

Retaining evidence and submitting final regulatory/management reports occur in the post-incident stage.

Why this answer

According to NIST SP 800-61, the post-incident phase encompasses learning lessons from the incident and retaining evidence/reporting.

3
Multi-Selecthard

A security architect is designing an enterprise threat hunting program. Which TWO activities are considered core, proactive components of a mature threat hunting methodology rather than standard automated alerting? (Choose two)

Select 2 answers
A.Formulating a threat hypothesis based on recent adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)
B.Relying entirely on out-of-the-box SIEM correlation alerts for immediate notification
C.Configuring automated firewall rule drops for known malicious IP feeds
D.Conducting iterative, hypothesis-driven data queries and artifact analysis to uncover undetected threats
E.Executing routine scheduled vulnerability scans against external perimeter assets
AnswersA, D

Formulating hypotheses based on TTPs is a foundational, proactive step in initiating a threat hunt.

Why this answer

Threat hunting is a proactive human-led investigation approach. Standard automated SIEM alerts and automated firewall blocks are reactive defenses. Proactive threat hunting involves formulating hypotheses based on the MITRE ATT&CK framework, utilizing baseline analysis to uncover hidden anomalies, and performing forensic sweeps across endpoints.

4
MCQhard

A network security analyst is investigating an intrusion where an attacker used living-off-the-land binaries (LotLBeins). The analyst needs to inspect Windows PowerShell script block logging events. Which Windows Event Log channel and Event ID contain the full text of executed script blocks?

A.Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational, Event ID 4104
B.Security log, Event ID 4688
C.System log, Event ID 7045
D.Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational, Event ID 4103
AnswerA

Event ID 4104 in the PowerShell Operational log records detailed script block execution text.

Why this answer

PowerShell Script Block Logging writes to Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational with Event ID 4104.

5
Multi-Selectmedium

During the preparation and detection phases of incident response, a CND analyst must gather and analyze multiple sources of telemetry to identify the root cause of a suspected breach. Which THREE data sources are typically classified as network-based telemetry rather than host-based telemetry? (Choose three)

Select 3 answers
A.NetFlow and IPFIX traffic flow records
B.Master File Table ($MFT) filesystem journals
C.Full Packet Capture (PCAP) files from network taps
D.DNS query and response logs collected at the recursive resolver
E.Windows Security Event Logs (Event ID 4624)
AnswersA, C, D

NetFlow and IPFIX capture metadata about network traffic flows across routers and switches, making them network-based.

Why this answer

Network-based telemetry captures data traversing network links and perimeter devices, whereas host-based telemetry comes directly from operating system logs, registry entries, and local storage. NetFlow/IPFIX, Full Packet Capture (PCAP), and DNS query logs captured at the resolver level are network-based. Windows Security Event logs and local filesystem journals are host-based.

6
MCQhard

An intelligence-driven security team is utilizing the Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis to track a sophisticated campaign. The team has identified the specific infrastructure used by the adversary to host malicious payloads. In the context of the Diamond Model, how is 'Infrastructure' classified?

A.As a core feature directly connected to Adversary and Victim
B.As a confidence value assigned to the intelligence report
C.As an external social-political requirement
D.As a meta-feature used exclusively for tracking timestamps
AnswerA

Infrastructure is one of the four core vertices (Adversary, Capability, Infrastructure, Victim) of the Diamond Model.

Why this answer

In the Diamond Model, Infrastructure and Capability are core meta-features that describe how the Adversary and Victim are connected.

7
MCQmedium

A security analyst is investigating a suspected lateral movement attempt using Pass-the-Hash. Which Windows Security Event Log ID should the analyst examine to detect authentication via NTLM hash rather than plaintext password?

A.Event ID 1102
B.Event ID 4698
C.Event ID 4624
D.Event ID 4720
AnswerC

Event ID 4624 captures successful logon events, indicating the authentication package used (e.g., NTLM).

Why this answer

Event ID 4624 logs successful logons, and the 'Authentication Package' field specifies NTLM (or Negotiate falling back to NTLM).

8
MCQeasy

An incident responder in a Security Operations Center notices recurring failed login attempts followed by a successful root login on an SSH server. The administrator needs to identify the first phase of the incident response lifecycle according to NIST SP 800-61. Which action should be performed first?

A.Analyze the log files to verify if an unauthorized breach has occurred
B.Contain the compromised host to prevent lateral movement
C.Perform post-incident lessons learned activities
D.Eradicate the malware from the impacted SSH server
AnswerA

Detection and Analysis is the initial operational phase where alerts are triaged and incidents are validated.

Why this answer

According to NIST SP 800-61, Preparation is the first phase, but when actively handling an event, the first operational phase of the incident response lifecycle is Detection and Analysis.

9
MCQmedium

A network defender is analyzing threat intelligence feeds to understand the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of an adversary. The intelligence provides detailed campaign histories and adversary motivations. Which level of threat intelligence does this represent?

A.Strategic threat intelligence
B.Operational threat intelligence
C.Tactical threat intelligence
D.Technical threat intelligence
AnswerA

Strategic intelligence addresses high-level trends, motivations, and broad adversary campaigns.

Why this answer

Strategic threat intelligence provides high-level information regarding campaigns, adversary motivations, and trends for executive decision-makers.

10
MCQeasy

An incident handler receives an alert from Snort regarding a potential SQL injection attack against a web application. The alert shows a signature matching 'SELECT * FROM users WHERE'. Which type of detection methodology is Snort primarily utilizing in this scenario?

A.Heuristic detection
B.Behavioral analytics detection
C.Signature-based detection
D.Anomaly-based detection
AnswerC

Signature-based detection compares network payloads against a database of known malicious rules.

Why this answer

Snort uses signature-based detection (pattern matching) to identify known attack patterns in network traffic.

11
Multi-Selectmedium

An enterprise Security Operations Center is integrating a Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platform. Which THREE tasks are primary use cases for SOAR in incident response? (Choose THREE)

Select 3 answers
A.Designing corporate marketing websites
B.Replacing physical data center firewalls with robotic hardware arms
C.Executing automated containment playbooks (e.g., isolating a host upon high-fidelity alert)
D.Automated enrichment of IOCs via external threat intelligence APIs
E.Streamlining incident case management and ticket generation in platforms like Jira or ServiceNow
AnswersC, D, E

SOAR orchestrates response actions across EDR and firewalls automatically.

Why this answer

SOAR platforms automate threat enrichment, orchestrate multi-tool containment playbooks, and streamline alert triage.

12
MCQmedium

An incident response team is performing eradication after a ransomware outbreak. The team has removed the persistent malware service and patched the entry-point vulnerability. What is the next immediate phase in the NIST SP 800-61 lifecycle?

A.Detection and Analysis
B.Preparation
C.Post-Incident Activity
D.Recovery
AnswerD

Recovery is the phase following eradication where systems are brought back online safely and monitored.

Why this answer

Following Eradication comes the Recovery phase, where systems are restored to normal operation and validated.

13
Multi-Selecteasy

A network security administrator is configuring intrusion detection systems. Which TWO operational benefits does anomaly-based detection offer compared to signature-based detection? (Choose TWO)

Select 2 answers
A.Instantaneous identification of exact malware families by name without analysis
B.Ability to detect previously unknown (zero-day) attacks based on baseline deviations
C.Zero computational resource overhead
D.Complete absence of false positive alerts in any network environment
E.Tailored baseline profiling specific to the organization's unique network traffic patterns
AnswersB, E

Anomaly detection spots unusual behavior even if a signature has not yet been written.

Why this answer

Anomaly detection can identify zero-day attacks and novel techniques without requiring prior known signatures.

14
Multi-Selecthard

An organization is establishing forensic readiness to ensure that digital evidence can be legally and technically sound during an investigation. Which THREE practices directly contribute to organizational forensic readiness? (Choose three)

Select 3 answers
A.Disabling audit logging on workstations to preserve local system storage space
B.Relying exclusively on volatile RAM analysis without retaining disk images or backups
C.Enforcing strict chain of custody documentation procedures for all acquired evidence
D.Implementing synchronized Network Time Protocol (NTP) across all network devices and hosts
E.Ensuring centralized, tamper-evident log archiving policies are actively maintained
AnswersC, D, E

Chain of custody documents every transfer, handling, and analysis of evidence, ensuring legal admissibility in court.

Why this answer

Forensic readiness involves maximizing an organization's ability to collect credible digital evidence while minimizing investigation costs. Maintaining secure, synchronized time servers (NTP) ensures accurate log correlation; establishing and enforcing a strict chain of custody preserves evidence admissibility; and enabling comprehensive, centralized logging ensures necessary artifacts are retained.

15
Multi-Selecteasy

A threat intelligence team is gathering data from open and closed sources. Which TWO options represent sources of open-source intelligence (OSINT) commonly used by network defenders? (Choose TWO)

Select 2 answers
A.AlienVault Open Threat Exchange (OTX)
B.Internal employee performance reviews
C.Proprietary zero-day broker feeds requiring signed NDA and high subscription fees
D.Classified military signals intelligence intercepts
E.National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
AnswersA, E

AlienVault OTX is an open, community-driven threat intelligence platform sharing public IOCs.

Why this answer

OSINT sources include publicly accessible threat feeds, vulnerability databases, and security blogs.

16
MCQhard

A network defender is analyzing a suspicious packet capture (PCAP) in Wireshark. The attacker is executing a covert channel over ICMP. Which Wireshark display filter isolates ICMP packets whose payload data exceeds the standard 32-byte echo request size?

A.icmp.type == 8
B.udp.length > 32
C.icmp && data.len > 32
D.ip.proto == 6 && tcp.len > 32
AnswerC

The filter 'icmp && data.len > 32' isolates ICMP packets with payload data larger than standard ping payloads.

Why this answer

ICMP data length can be filtered in Wireshark using the 'data.len' or 'icmp.data_len' property.

17
MCQhard

An organization's Threat Intelligence platform ingests STIX/TAXII feeds to track Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups. An analyst needs to query indicators of compromise using the TAXII 2.1 protocol. Which HTTP method and endpoint structure is standard for retrieving collections in TAXII 2.1?

A.GET /taxii2/collections/
B.PUT /taxii2/objects/
C.POST /taxii2/collections/
D.DELETE /taxii2/status/
AnswerA

GET /taxii2/collections/ is the standard TAXII 2.1 endpoint to retrieve the list of collections.

Why this answer

TAXII 2.1 REST API uses the GET method on the /collections/ endpoint to retrieve available collections of threat data.

18
MCQmedium

During containment of a worm outbreak, an incident response team decides to isolate an infected subnet from the rest of the corporate network. Which containment strategy does this represent?

A.Host-level containment
B.Network-level containment
C.Full enterprise quarantine
D.Application-level containment
AnswerB

Network-level containment involves altering routing tables, VLANs, or firewall rules to isolate entire network segments.

Why this answer

Isolating a subnet or segment of the network to prevent propagation while maintaining internal analysis capabilities is a form of network segmentation and physical/logical isolation.

19
MCQmedium

A network defender is configuring an enterprise SIEM using Splunk to alert on abnormal outbound data volumes. Which Splunk processing command should be used to aggregate total outbound bytes grouped by destination IP address?

A.stats sum(bytes) by dest_ip
B.rex field=bytes max_match=1
C.table dest_ip, bytes
D.eval bytes_sum = sum(bytes)
AnswerA

The stats command correctly aggregates the sum of bytes grouped by the dest_ip field.

Why this answer

The 'stats' command in Splunk is used for statistical aggregation, such as summing total bytes per destination IP.

20
MCQeasy

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?

A.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
B.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
C.HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA
D.HKEY_CURRENT_USER
AnswerD

HKCU stores configuration data specific to the active user profile, including user startup persistence keys.

Why this answer

HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) contains settings specific to the currently logged-on user, including user-level Run and RunOnce keys.

21
MCQhard

An incident response team is performing disk forensics on an NTFS-formatted hard drive. The analyst needs to recover deleted files that were too large to fit in the Recycle Bin. Which internal NTFS metadata structure contains file record attributes including timestamps, permissions, and resident/non-resident data locations?

A.File Allocation Table (FAT)
B.Master File Table (MFT)
C.Superblock
D.Inode table
AnswerB

The MFT contains file metadata records (File Records) describing every file and folder on an NTFS volume.

Why this answer

The Master File Table (MFT) stores metadata for every file and directory on an NTFS volume in 1,024-byte records called file records.

22
MCQeasy

An incident responder identifies a compromised workstation and determines that isolating the machine from the network is necessary. Which tool native to Windows allows an administrator to block all inbound and outbound network traffic except for pre-configured exceptions?

A.Disk Management
B.Device Manager
C.Windows Defender Firewall
D.Task Manager
AnswerC

Windows Defender Firewall can be configured to block network traffic and enforce host-level isolation.

Why this answer

Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security allows administrators to configure firewall rules to isolate or restrict traffic.

23
Multi-Selecthard

An incident responder is investigating a suspected malware infection on a Windows machine. The malware is suspected of injecting code into a legitimate running process (Process Hollowing). Which THREE techniques or forensic artifacts should the analyst investigate to detect process injection? (Choose THREE)

Select 3 answers
A.Memory regions containing executable code that do not back to any file on disk (unbacked memory)
B.Standard file creation timestamps in the $MFT
C.Default Windows system wallpaper configuration settings
D.Thread start addresses pointing outside of the expected module image bounds
E.Memory regions with PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE (RWX) permissions allocated in non-system processes
AnswersA, D, E

Injected code often resides in memory without a corresponding file path on disk.

Why this answer

Process injection leaves artifacts such as memory permission changes (PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE), unbacked memory regions, and mismatched thread start addresses.

24
MCQmedium

An incident responder is reviewing syslog data from a Linux web server and notices repeated failed SSH login attempts from an external IP address followed by a successful login. The responder decides to implement a threat hunting hypothesis using MITRE ATT&CK to categorize this behavior. Which specific technique ID best describes the adversary's initial access mechanism?

A.T1078 - Valid Accounts
B.T1110 - Brute Force
C.T1021 - Remote Services
D.T1595 - Active Scanning
AnswerB

T1110 describes adversaries using brute force techniques, such as repeated login attempts over SSH, to compromise accounts.

Why this answer

Brute force attacks targeting valid accounts over network services fall under MITRE ATT&CK Technique T1110 (Brute Force), specifically sub-techniques like Password Guessing (T1110.001) used to achieve Initial Access or Lateral Movement.

25
Multi-Selecthard

An incident responder is investigating a suspected data exfiltration incident over encrypted channels. Which THREE network artifacts or telemetry sources should the analyst inspect to identify malicious TLS traffic anomalies? (Choose THREE)

Select 3 answers
A.Plaintext passwords extracted from HTTPS payload bodies
B.Raw ICMP echo payload strings
C.Server Name Indication (SNI) fields in the TLS Client Hello message
D.JA3 and JA3S TLS cryptographic handshaking fingerprints
E.X.509 digital certificate metadata (issuer, validity dates, self-signed status)
AnswersC, D, E

The SNI field is sent in plaintext during the TLS handshake, revealing the target domain name.

Why this answer

Analyzing TLS traffic involves inspecting certificate validity, JA3/JA3S client fingerprints, and SNI fields.

26
MCQhard

A security engineer is performing threat hunting on Linux servers to detect hidden rootkits modifying system call tables. Which tool is specifically designed to check for Linux kernel module tampering and hidden processes by comparing user-space output with kernel-space data structures?

A.Autopsy
B.Cisco Firepower
C.Volatility
D.Rkhunter (Rootkit Hunter)
AnswerD

Rkhunter scans Linux systems for rootkits, backdoors, and local exploits by checking hidden files and modified binaries.

Why this answer

Chkrootkit and Rootkit Hunter (Rkhunter) are standard tools used on Linux to scan for rootkits, backdoors, and local exploits.

27
MCQhard

An incident response investigator is analyzing a Linux server compromised via a web shell. To determine when the web shell file was last accessed or modified, the investigator examines file timestamps. Which Linux command displays the complete file status including access, modification, and change (mtime, atime, ctime) times?

A.find / -name '*.php'
B.ls -la
C.stat
D.cat
AnswerC

The stat command provides granular details on access time (atime), modification time (mtime), and inode change time (ctime).

Why this answer

The 'stat' command in Linux displays detailed file status, including inode information, permissions, and all three timestamps (access, modify, change).

28
MCQeasy

An organization experiences a data breach involving personal identifiable information (PII). Regulatory compliance mandates notifying authorities within 72 hours. Which phase of the incident response process includes fulfilling external reporting and stakeholder communication requirements?

A.Eradication
B.Preparation
C.Post-Incident Activity
D.Containment
AnswerC

Post-incident reporting and regulatory notification are part of the post-incident review and administrative closure.

Why this answer

Post-incident activities include reporting to regulatory bodies, management briefings, and lessons learned.

29
MCQeasy

An incident handler needs to preserve the evidentiary integrity of a hard drive seized from a compromised web server. Which initial step must be performed immediately upon physical removal of the drive to ensure chain of custody?

A.Calculate an MD5 or SHA-256 cryptographic hash of the raw drive
B.Defragment the partition to speed up future forensic analysis
C.Document the make, model, serial number, and sign an evidence custody form
D.Boot the drive in a live environment to check for rootkits
AnswerC

Establishing chain of custody begins with accurate physical documentation and secure logging of the evidence transfer.

Why this answer

Documenting all serial numbers, model details, and completing a proper evidence custody form is vital for maintaining the legal chain of custody.

30
MCQhard

An enterprise threat intelligence team is consuming a new threat feed formatted in STIX 2.1 to ingest indicators of compromise (IoCs) into their TIP (Threat Intelligence Platform). Which core STIX 2.1 domain object is specifically designed to encapsulate observable data such as file hashes, IP addresses, and domain names?

A.Attack Pattern Object
B.Campaign Object
C.Threat Actor Object
D.Cyber Observable Object (SCO)
AnswerD

Cyber Observable Objects (SCOs) in STIX 2.1 represent telemetry and artifacts such as files, IP addresses, and registry keys.

Why this answer

In STIX 2.1, the Indicator object defines a pattern that evaluates observables, but the actual atomic observable data (like IPs, file hashes, and URIs) is encapsulated within the STIX Observable object (formerly Indicators in STIX 1.x, but represented via Cyber Observable Objects or SCOs in STIX 2.x). Indicators point to observables to provide context.

31
MCQeasy

A security analyst is reviewing alerts generated by an Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agent. The agent flags a process spawning cmd.exe with encoded arguments. Which phase of incident response involves triaging this alert to determine if it is a true positive?

A.Eradication
B.Recovery
C.Preparation
D.Detection and Analysis
AnswerD

Triage and alert validation fall squarely under Detection and Analysis.

Why this answer

Triaging and reviewing alerts to confirm an incident takes place during the Detection and Analysis phase.

32
MCQhard

A CND analyst is configuring Snort IDS to detect a specific payload pattern within HTTP traffic where an attacker attempts to exploit a directory traversal vulnerability using the string '../'. Which Snort rule header and option configuration correctly detects this pattern within the URI component of HTTP requests?

A.pass tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 443 (msg:"Traversal"; content:"../"; http_client_body; sid:100001; rev:1;)
B.alert tcp any any -> $HOME_NET 80 (msg:"Directory Traversal Attempt"; content:"../"; http_uri; sid:100001; rev:1;)
C.alert ip any any -> any any (msg:"Directory Traversal"; uricontent:"../"; sid:100001; rev:1;)
D.log udp any any -> $HOME_NET 80 (msg:"Directory Traversal"; content:"../"; depth:2; sid:100001; rev:1;)
AnswerB

This rule correctly targets HTTP traffic on port 80, applies the http_uri modifier to the content match for '../', and includes a unique SID.

Why this answer

To inspect HTTP URIs specifically, Snort provides the 'uricontent' or modern 'http_uri' modifier within rule options. The rule must use tcp protocol, specify external/any networks targeting internal web servers, and use the 'http_uri' sticky buffer or modifier to inspect the URI payload for '../'.

33
MCQhard

An enterprise security architect is integrating the Cyber Kill Chain model into their SIEM alerting logic. An alert fires when an attacker attempts to establish command and control (C2) over DNS tunneling. According to Lockheed Martin's Cyber Kill Chain, which phase does this represent?

A.Exploitation
B.Command and Control
C.Actions on Objectives
D.Delivery
AnswerB

Command and Control represents the phase where the attacker opens a remote management channel to control the victim.

Why this answer

Establishing command and control channels after successful exploitation is classified under the Command and Control phase of the Cyber Kill Chain.

34
Multi-Selectmedium

A security analyst is hardening an enterprise network to support robust forensic readiness. Which THREE administrative or technical controls should be implemented to ensure successful post-incident investigations? (Choose THREE)

Select 3 answers
A.Disabling all system auditing to maximize storage capacity for business applications
B.Implementing centralized and write-once-read-many (WORM) log storage repositories
C.Allowing users local administrative privileges to troubleshoot their own workstations
D.Deploying Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers with synchronized timestamps across all devices
E.Establishing predefined procedures and tooling for volatile memory and disk acquisition
AnswersB, D, E

Centralized WORM storage protects logs from tampering by attackers and preserves evidence.

Why this answer

Forensic readiness requires continuous log collection, synchronization of time sources (NTP), and establishing secure, tamper-evident storage repositories.

35
Multi-Selecthard

An incident responder is investigating a Windows system compromise where an attacker established persistence. Which THREE Windows registry locations are frequently abused by adversaries for establishing auto-run persistence? (Choose THREE)

Select 3 answers
A.HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt\DefaultIcon
B.HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA\CurrentPerformance
C.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
D.HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
E.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
AnswersC, D, E

The HKLM Run key executes specified programs automatically for all users upon system startup.

Why this answer

Windows Run/RunOnce keys in HKLM and HKCU, along with Winlogon registry entries, are classic persistence vectors.

36
MCQhard

An incident responder is analyzing a memory dump using Volatility 3. To list all active network sockets and connections present in the captured memory image, which Volatility plugin should the analyst execute?

A.windows.netstat
B.windows.dlllist
C.windows.pslist
D.windows.registry.printkey
AnswerA

windows.netstat is the correct Volatility 3 plugin for extracting network connection artifacts.

Why this answer

In Volatility 3, the 'windows.netstat' plugin is used to scan kernel memory structures for active network connections and sockets.

37
Multi-Selecteasy

During an incident triage meeting, a network defender needs to determine the appropriate containment actions for a compromised web server. Which TWO factors should be evaluated when selecting a containment strategy? (Choose TWO)

Select 2 answers
A.Potential operational downtime and business impact
B.The color of the Ethernet cables connected to the rack
C.The office desk location of the IT director
D.Need for evidence preservation (e.g., maintaining RAM state)
E.The brand name of the server manufacturer
AnswersA, D

The cost and disruption of taking a system offline must be balanced against ongoing security risks.

Why this answer

Containment strategy decisions depend on potential business disruption, service availability requirements, and evidence preservation needs.

38
Multi-Selectmedium

An organization is setting up a threat hunting program. Which TWO characteristics differentiate proactive threat hunting from traditional reactive Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring? (Choose TWO)

Select 2 answers
A.It is hypothesis-driven, focusing on assumptions that adversaries are already inside the network
B.It is performed only after a major ransomware encryption event completes
C.It involves human-led, iterative searches through endpoint and network telemetry
D.It replaces network firewalls and endpoint protection agents completely
E.It relies exclusively on automated SIEM alerts to trigger response actions
AnswersA, C

Threat hunting begins with forming hypotheses based on attacker TTPs.

Why this answer

Threat hunting is a proactive, hypothesis-driven pursuit of adversaries rather than waiting for automated alerts to trigger.

39
MCQeasy

During a threat hunting exercise, an analyst uses Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to query device process creation events. Which Kusto Query Language (KQL) operator filters a table to include only rows where the file name matches 'cmd.exe'?

A.extend
B.project
C.summarize
D.where
AnswerD

The 'where' operator filters the dataset based on specified conditions.

Why this answer

The KQL 'where' operator is used to filter records based on a boolean expression.

40
MCQeasy

A security analyst is reviewing indicators of compromise (IoCs) shared by an ISAC. The indicators include file hashes and IP addresses. Which open-source framework is specifically designed to structure, store, and share threat intelligence in a machine-readable format?

A.Nmap
B.MISP
C.Autopsy
D.Wireshark
AnswerB

MISP is widely used for storing, sharing, and correlating threat intelligence and IOCs.

Why this answer

MISP (Malware Information Sharing Platform) is an open-source threat intelligence platform designed for sharing IOCs and threat data.

41
MCQeasy

During a post-incident forensic investigation, an analyst needs to establish cryptographic proof that an acquired disk image has not been altered or tampered with since collection. Which tool and command parameter combination is standard for generating a cryptographically secure hash of the evidence file?

A.dd if=/dev/sdb of=/evidence.raw --hash=md5
B.ftk_imager --verify --md5 evidence.raw
C.volatility -f evidence.raw --hash
D.sha256sum evidence.raw
AnswerD

The sha256sum utility correctly computes a 256-bit cryptographic checksum of the specified evidence file to ensure integrity.

Why this answer

To verify evidence integrity, cryptographic hashing algorithms such as SHA-256 or MD5 are used. On Linux systems, the 'sha256sum' utility is standard for generating hashes to verify file integrity.

42
MCQmedium

A CND analyst is deploying a centralized Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution. To enable proactive threat hunting and rapid incident detection across distributed network segments, what is the primary function of deploying forwarders or agents on endpoints?

A.To locally compress, encrypt, and forward normalized log telemetry to the central SIEM collector
B.To act as a stateful firewall blocking unauthorized inbound and outbound network packets on the host
C.To perform full disk encryption key escrow and manage endpoint certificate lifecycles
D.To automatically execute remediation scripts and isolate compromised endpoints without human intervention
AnswerA

SIEM agents collect, parse, and securely stream telemetry and logs from the host operating system to the central SIEM engine.

Why this answer

SIEM forwarders or agents installed on endpoints collect local event logs (such as Windows Security logs or Linux auditd logs), normalize them, and securely transmit them to the central SIEM collector for correlation, analysis, and alerting without requiring direct remote administrative shares.

43
MCQmedium

An incident responder needs to capture a forensically sound image of a Windows workstation's disk. Which command-line tool can create a bit-stream disk image while calculating a cryptographic hash simultaneously?

A.diskpart clean
B.dc3dd
C.chkdsk /f /r
D.sfc /scannow
AnswerB

dc3dd is a patched version of dd that includes hashing (MD5/SHA) on-the-fly during acquisition for digital forensics.

Why this answer

The 'dc3dd' or 'dd' command (or specialized tools like FTK Imager) can image disks and generate hashes, but dc3dd is specifically enhanced for digital forensics with hash verification.

44
MCQmedium

A security analyst needs to configure Snort to generate an alert whenever an inbound packet matches a specific rule condition, without blocking the traffic. Which rule action keyword should be used in the Snort configuration file?

A.sdrop
B.reject
C.drop
D.alert
AnswerD

Alert generates a notice and logs the packet while permitting traffic to flow.

Why this answer

The 'alert' action tells Snort to generate an alert and log the packet, allowing traffic to pass.

45
MCQmedium

An organization is establishing forensic readiness for critical database servers. Which technical control directly supports forensic readiness by ensuring volatile RAM contents can be preserved during a suspected live kernel attack?

A.Ensuring kernel crash dumps are enabled and a trusted memory acquisition utility like LiME is pre-staged
B.Configuring automatic disk encryption using BitLocker with a TPM chip
C.Deploying a Host-Based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) for file integrity monitoring
D.Enabling centralized syslog forwarding over encrypted TLS channels
AnswerA

Pre-staging memory acquisition ensures volatile system state can be captured forensically.

Why this answer

Pre-installed memory acquisition tools or kernel crash dump configurations enable capturing volatile RAM before a reboot.

46
MCQmedium

A security analyst is investigating a suspected malware outbreak on a domain controller. To ensure forensic integrity and maintain a proper chain of custody before powering down the machine, what is the correct sequence of volatility when acquiring volatile evidence using live response tools such as FTK Imager or LiME?

A.Running processes, hard disk storage, system memory (RAM), CPU registers
B.CPU registers and cache, routing tables and network connections, system memory (RAM), hard disk storage
C.Hard disk image, system memory (RAM), network connections, running processes
D.System memory (RAM), hard disk storage, running processes, CPU registers
AnswerB

CPU registers and cache are the most volatile, followed by network connections/routing tables, system memory, and finally non-volatile hard disk storage.

Why this answer

When collecting volatile digital evidence, Order of Volatility dictates that analysts must capture data from the most volatile storage locations to the least volatile. RAM and CPU registers disappear upon power down, whereas disk storage persists. Therefore, network connections and running processes must be captured before system memory dumps, and physical disk storage is collected last.

47
MCQeasy

An organization's Security Operations Center (SOC) receives an alert regarding an unusual outbound connection to a known command-and-control (C2) IP address. According to the NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 incident response lifecycle, which phase immediately follows the Containment, Eradication, and Recovery phase?

A.Preparation
B.Detection and Analysis
C.Post-Incident Activity
D.Threat Hunting
AnswerC

Post-Incident Activity (Lessons Learned) is the final phase, occurring after containment, eradication, and recovery to evaluate the response and improve future security.

Why this answer

According to NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2, the incident response lifecycle consists of four main phases: 1. Preparation, 2. Detection and Analysis, 3.

Containment, Eradication, and Recovery, and 4. Post-Incident Activity (Lessons Learned). Therefore, the phase immediately following Containment, Eradication, and Recovery is Post-Incident Activity.

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