This CISM practice question tests your understanding of incident management. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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.
A security operations center (SOC) analyst receives an alert from the SIEM indicating a potential command and control (C2) communication. The alert is based on a signature that matches known C2 traffic. What is the MOST appropriate next step?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Verify the alert by correlating with other log sources
Verifying the alert by checking other log sources (e.g., firewall, DNS) reduces false positives before escalating. Escalating immediately (A) may waste resources. Blocking the IP (C) could be premature if legitimate. Running a full antivirus scan (D) is a reactive, not investigative step.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Block the destination IP address at the firewall
Why it's wrong here
Blocking without confirmation could disrupt legitimate traffic.
✗
Escalate the alert to the incident response team immediately
Why it's wrong here
Escalation without verification may cause unnecessary work.
✓
Verify the alert by correlating with other log sources
Why this is correct
Correlation with other logs confirms if it's a true positive.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Perform a full antivirus scan on all endpoints
Why it's wrong here
Antivirus scan is a reactive measure, not investigative.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CISM NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Incident Management — This question tests Incident Management — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Verify the alert by correlating with other log sources — Verifying the alert by checking other log sources (e.g., firewall, DNS) reduces false positives before escalating. Escalating immediately (A) may waste resources. Blocking the IP (C) could be premature if legitimate. Running a full antivirus scan (D) is a reactive, not investigative step.
What should I do if I get this CISM question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related CISM NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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