CCOA Securing Assets Practice Question
You notice a surge in outbound traffic from a workstation to a series of random external IP addresses. This suggests a potential botnet infection. What is the most appropriate forensic data to collect first?
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
✓
NetFlow logs from the network perimeter device.
NetFlow or VPC Flow Logs are the best way to capture the patterns of outbound communication to identify command-and-control (C2) behavior.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Full packet capture (pcap) for the last 30 days.
Why it's wrong here
Storing 30 days of pcap is rarely feasible and overkill for identifying C2 patterns.
- ✗
The browser history of the user.
Why it's wrong here
Browser history is unlikely to show automated beaconing behavior.
- ✓
NetFlow logs from the network perimeter device.
Why this is correct
NetFlow provides source, destination, and volume data, which is perfect for identifying C2 pattern anomalies.
- ✗
A full disk image of the workstation.
Why it's wrong here
While necessary for deep forensics, it is not the fastest way to confirm botnet activity.
About these practice questions
This CCOA question is part of Courseiva's 203-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. 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 ISACA exam blueprint
This CCOA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CCOA exam.