212-89 Malware Incidents Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are considered 'behavioral' indicators of a malware infection?
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
✓
Unexplained outbound network connections to unknown IP addresses
Behavioral indicators involve the actions the malware takes, such as modifying system files, changing network configurations, or unexpected outbound connections.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Unexplained outbound network connections to unknown IP addresses
Why this is correct
This indicates beaconing or exfiltration behavior.
- ✗
A valid digital signature on a system file
Why it's wrong here
Digital signatures are intended for verification, not a sign of infection.
- ✓
High CPU utilization by an unknown background process
Why this is correct
This is common in cryptomining or botnet activity.
- ✓
Frequent modifications to system-protected files
Why this is correct
This is often indicative of rootkit or patching behavior.
- ✗
Presence of a file with a .txt extension
Why it's wrong here
Text files are benign and not inherently malicious.
About these practice questions
One of 206 original 212-89 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 212-89 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 212-89 exam.