The correct answer is a compromised administrator account used to establish a command and control channel. This is the most likely incident because the logs reveal the admin account initiating a reverse shell connection to an external IP on a non-standard port, such as 4444 or 8080, which is a classic indicator of a C2 channel. An attacker who has compromised the account uses this outbound connection to maintain persistent remote access, whereas legitimate administrative activity would never involve establishing a reverse shell to an unknown external host. On the CISA exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between normal admin behavior and post-exploitation activity, often appearing in log analysis questions where a trap is to mistake the outbound connection for a benign remote management tool. A useful memory tip is “reverse shell, external IP, non-standard port equals C2 compromise,” helping you quickly flag the anomaly.
CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of protection of information assets. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit:
Extract from a server audit log:
[2024-03-20 08:12:34] User: admin (privileged) executed: cmd.exe /c "taskkill /F /IM svchost.exe"
[2024-03-20 08:12:37] System event: Service 'Windows Update' stopped unexpectedly.
[2024-03-20 08:12:40] System event: Security Center service stopped.
[2024-03-20 08:12:45] Network connection from 10.0.0.50 to 203.0.113.5 on port 4444 (outbound) established.
Refer to the exhibit. A CISA is analyzing these logs. What is the MOST likely security incident?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit:
Extract from a server audit log:
[2024-03-20 08:12:34] User: admin (privileged) executed: cmd.exe /c "taskkill /F /IM svchost.exe"
[2024-03-20 08:12:37] System event: Service 'Windows Update' stopped unexpectedly.
[2024-03-20 08:12:40] System event: Security Center service stopped.
[2024-03-20 08:12:45] Network connection from 10.0.0.50 to 203.0.113.5 on port 4444 (outbound) established.
A
Legitimate system maintenance activity
Why wrong: Killing svchost.exe and connecting to an external IP on port 4444 is not normal maintenance.
B
Brute force attack on the administrator account
Why wrong: No failed login attempts are shown.
C
Unauthorized installation of a critical update
Why wrong: The command kills svchost.exe, not installs updates.
D
Compromised administrator account used to establish a command and control channel
The attacker disabled a key process and set up a backdoor.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Compromised administrator account used to establish a command and control channel
The logs show the administrator account executing a reverse shell connection (e.g., using PowerShell or netcat) to an external IP address on a non-standard port (e.g., 4444 or 8080). This outbound connection initiated by the admin account is a classic indicator of a command and control (C2) channel, where an attacker who has compromised the account uses it to maintain persistent remote access. Legitimate administrative activity would not typically involve establishing a reverse shell to an unknown external host.
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.
✗
Legitimate system maintenance activity
Why it's wrong here
Killing svchost.exe and connecting to an external IP on port 4444 is not normal maintenance.
✗
Brute force attack on the administrator account
Why it's wrong here
No failed login attempts are shown.
✗
Unauthorized installation of a critical update
Why it's wrong here
The command kills svchost.exe, not installs updates.
✓
Compromised administrator account used to establish a command and control channel
Why this is correct
The attacker disabled a key process and set up a backdoor.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may mistake the single successful admin login as a brute force success (option B), but the subsequent reverse shell activity is the definitive indicator of a compromised account used for C2, not just credential guessing.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
No failed login attempts are shown.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A reverse shell works by having the compromised host connect out to an attacker-controlled listener, bypassing firewalls that block inbound connections. Common tools include PowerShell's New-Object System.Net.Sockets.TCPClient or netcat with -e cmd.exe. The use of a non-standard port (e.g., 4444, 1337) is a red flag, as C2 traffic often uses ports not associated with common services to evade detection.
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 practitioner preparing for the CISA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Protection of Information Assets — This question tests Protection of Information Assets — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Compromised administrator account used to establish a command and control channel — The logs show the administrator account executing a reverse shell connection (e.g., using PowerShell or netcat) to an external IP address on a non-standard port (e.g., 4444 or 8080). This outbound connection initiated by the admin account is a classic indicator of a command and control (C2) channel, where an attacker who has compromised the account uses it to maintain persistent remote access. Legitimate administrative activity would not typically involve establishing a reverse shell to an unknown external host.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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