ISC2 CC Security Operations Practice Question
A SOC analyst notices a large spike in outbound traffic from a workstation that is not scheduled for any data transfers. Upon checking the SIEM, the analyst sees that the workstation's antivirus was disabled 30 minutes ago. What type of logs should the analyst examine first to understand the sequence of events?
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
✓
System logs
System logs record service start/stop events, including antivirus disabling. Authentication logs may show who logged in, but system logs are more direct for service changes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Application logs
Why it's wrong here
Application logs record application-specific events, not OS services.
- ✗
Firewall logs
Why it's wrong here
Firewall logs show network traffic, not service changes.
- ✓
System logs
Why this is correct
System logs record service starts and stops, such as antivirus disabling.
- ✗
Authentication logs
Why it's wrong here
Authentication logs show login attempts, not service state changes.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Authentication and Authorization Methods
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
Key term
SIEM
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a system that collects and analyzes log data from across an IT environment to detect and respond to security threats in real time.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.