CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) practice questions

1. Question 1 of 25

   A recent zero-day vulnerability is being actively exploited, requires no user interaction or privilege escalation, and has a significant impact to confidentiality and integrity but not to availability. Which of the following CVE metrics would be most accurate for this zero-day threat?

   • ACVSS:31/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:K/A:L
   • BCVSS:31/AV:K/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L
   • CCVSS:31/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:H/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
   • DCVSS:31/AV:L/AC:L/PR:R/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:H

   Show answer

   Correct answer: A

   How others answered

   • A94%

   Explanation

   Going for A here, reasons being following (Put ** around the secrtions in the text): Vector - Network (Not Asked about) Complexity - Low (Not Asked about) Privileges Required - None (A recent zero-day vulnerability is being actively exploited, requires no user interaction or **privilege escalation**) User interaction - None (A recent zero-day vulnerability is being actively exploited, **requires no user interaction** or privilege escalation) Scope -Unchanged (Not Asked about) Confidentiality - High (has a significant impact to **confidentiality** and integrity but not to availability) Integrity - K ? - Typo Perhaps? Availability - Low (has a significant impact to confidentiality and integrity but not to **availability**)

   Adapted from community discussion by Mr_TooTs · 2024-09-21 · 10 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 1 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. M

      Mr_TooTs

      2024-09-21

      Selected A10 upvotes

      Going for A here, reasons being following (Put ** around the secrtions in the text): Vector - Network (Not Asked about) Complexity - Low (Not Asked about) Privileges Required - None (A recent zero-day vulnerability is being actively exploited, requires no user interaction or **privilege escalation**) User interaction - None (A recent zero-day vulnerability is being actively exploited, **requires no user interaction** or privilege escalation) Scope -Unchanged (Not Asked about) Confidentiality - High (has a significant impact to **confidentiality** and integrity but not to availability) Integrity - K ? - Typo Perhaps? Availability - Low (has a significant impact to confidentiality and integrity but not to **availability**)

   2. S

      Stablished

      2024-11-14

      Selected A8 upvotes

      I took my exam today and passed with a score of 821! Many of the questions here appeared on the exam exactly as they were. There were 69 questions in total, including 3 PBQs. One PBQ involved ping and nmap commands, while the other PBQs were new but straightforward to understand and answer.

   3. M

      maggie22

      2024-10-29

      Selected A7 upvotes

      I just cleared my exam yesterday and I should say that only 30% from this dump came out. I had 5 PBQs and only the Cyber Kill chain from this dump was on the PBQ section. I had 71 Questions and the first 40 questions are new. Btw I passed with 797 score.

   4. U

      ussliberty

      2023-12-28

      6 upvotes

      K is not a possilbe value, yet it appears in A and B H is not a possible value for UI, yet it appears in C R is not a possible value for PR, yet it appears in D So every statement contains invalid outputs. The statement tells us the following are true. Therefore, A is the most correct answer. PR=N UI=N C=H I=H A=/=H

2. Question 2 of 25

   An end-of-life date was announced for a widely used OS. A business-critical function is performed by some machinery that is controlled by a PC, which is utilizing the OS that is approaching the end-of-life date. Which of the following best describes a security analyst’s concern?

   • AAny discovered vulnerabilities will not be remediated.
   • BAn outage of machinery would cost the organization money.
   • CSupport will not be available for the critical machinery.
   • DThere are no compensating controls in place for the OS.

   Show answer

   Correct answer: A

   How others answered

   • A92%

   Explanation

   A) vulnerabilities will not be remediated. From the Sybex 003 study guide: /// End-of- Life or Outdated Components /// Software vendors eventually discontinue support for every product they make. This is true for operating systems as well as applications. Once they announce the final end of support for a product, organizations that continue running the outdated software put themselves at a significant risk of attack. The vendor simply will not investigate or correct security flaws that arise in the product after that date. Organizations continuing to run the unsupported product are on their own from a security perspective, and unless you happen to maintain a team of operating system developers, that’s not a good situation to find yourself in.

   Adapted from community discussion by [Removed] · 2024-05-27 · 6 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 2 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. [

      [Removed]

      2024-05-27

      Selected A6 upvotes

      A) vulnerabilities will not be remediated. From the Sybex 003 study guide: /// End-of- Life or Outdated Components /// Software vendors eventually discontinue support for every product they make. This is true for operating systems as well as applications. Once they announce the final end of support for a product, organizations that continue running the outdated software put themselves at a significant risk of attack. The vendor simply will not investigate or correct security flaws that arise in the product after that date. Organizations continuing to run the unsupported product are on their own from a security perspective, and unless you happen to maintain a team of operating system developers, that’s not a good situation to find yourself in.

   2. G

      glenndexter

      2024-10-23

      5 upvotes

      The best description of a security analyst's concern in this scenario is: A. Any discovered vulnerabilities will not be remediated. As an operating system reaches its end-of-life date, the vendor typically stops providing security updates and patches for known vulnerabilities. This leaves systems running on the outdated OS exposed to potential security risks. Without the ability to receive patches, any vulnerabilities discovered in the OS after the end-of-life date will remain unaddressed, increasing the risk of exploitation by malicious actors. This concern highlights the importance of migrating critical systems to supported and up-to-date platforms to mitigate security risks. While options B, C, and D may also be concerns for the organization, the primary focus of a security analyst is typically on mitigating security risks, making option A the best choice.

   3. K

      kmordalv

      2024-02-29

      Selected A2 upvotes

      Correct As the OS that controls the business-critical machinery is approaching its end-of-life date, it means that the OS will no longer receive updates and security patches from the vendor. This leaves the OS and the machinery susceptible to potential security breaches and attacks that could exploit these unpatched vulnerabilities.

   4. S

      Susan4041

      2025-03-22

      1 upvote

      Although the lack of support could be an issue (for instance, in troubleshooting), the main concern is the lack of security updates rather than general support. Critical systems will still continue to function, but they will be at risk from unpatched vulnerabilities.

3. Question 3 of 25

   Which of the following describes the best reason for conducting a root cause analysis?

   • AThe root cause analysis ensures that proper timelines were documented.
   • BThe root cause analysis allows the incident to be properly documented for reporting.
   • CThe root cause analysis develops recommendations to improve the process.
   • DThe root cause analysis identifies the contributing items that facilitated the event.

   Show answer

   Correct answer: D

   How others answered

   • D82%
   • C18%

   Explanation

   Correct Answer: D. The root cause analysis identifies the contributing items that facilitated the event. Analysis: The main goal of conducting a root cause analysis (RCA) is to identify the underlying factors or causes of an incident. Understanding what contributed to the event helps in preventing its recurrence by addressing the root issues, rather than just the symptoms. Explanation of Other Options: A. The root cause analysis ensures that proper timelines were documented: While documenting timelines is important, it is not the primary purpose of an RCA. B. The root cause analysis allows the incident to be properly documented for reporting: Proper documentation is a part of the RCA process, but the key focus is on understanding and addressing the root causes. C. The root cause analysis develops recommendations to improve the process: This is a secondary outcome of an RCA. The primary purpose is to identify the causes first, then recommendations are developed based on those findings.

   Adapted from community discussion by luiiizsoares · 2024-11-24 · 3 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 3 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. K

      kmordalv

      2023-09-14

      Selected D7 upvotes

      Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for identifying the root causes of faults or problems.

   2. L

      luiiizsoares

      2024-11-24

      Selected D3 upvotes

      Correct Answer: D. The root cause analysis identifies the contributing items that facilitated the event. Analysis: The main goal of conducting a root cause analysis (RCA) is to identify the underlying factors or causes of an incident. Understanding what contributed to the event helps in preventing its recurrence by addressing the root issues, rather than just the symptoms. Explanation of Other Options: A. The root cause analysis ensures that proper timelines were documented: While documenting timelines is important, it is not the primary purpose of an RCA. B. The root cause analysis allows the incident to be properly documented for reporting: Proper documentation is a part of the RCA process, but the key focus is on understanding and addressing the root causes. C. The root cause analysis develops recommendations to improve the process: This is a secondary outcome of an RCA. The primary purpose is to identify the causes first, then recommendations are developed based on those findings.

   3. B

      braveheart22

      2025-02-08

      Selected D2 upvotes

      The root cause analysis identifies the contributing items that facilitated the event. A root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic process used to identify the underlying causes of an incident, problem, or error. It aims to delve deeper than just the surface-level symptoms to discover the root factors that contributed to the event. By understanding these root causes, organizations can develop targeted solutions to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. Option D accurately describes this core purpose of RCA. It highlights the identification of the contributing factors that led to the event, which is essential for making effective improvements.

   4. B

      Bogus1488

      2024-04-11

      Selected D2 upvotes

      "During the eradication and recovery effort, cybersecurity analyst should develop a clear understanding of the incident's root cause. This is critical to implementing a secure recovery that corrects control deficiencies that led to the original attack." Mike Chapple's bool p.497

4. Question 4 of 25

   A SOC analyst recommends adding a layer of defense for all endpoints that will better protect against external threats regardless of the device’s operating system. Which of the following best meets this requirement?

   • ASIEM
   • BCASB
   • CSOAR
   • DEDR

   Show answer

   Correct answer: D

   How others answered

   • D100%

   Explanation

   To add a layer of defense for all endpoints, regardless of the device's operating system, the best option is: D. EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) EDR solutions are specifically designed to provide advanced threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities on endpoints. They can monitor and analyze endpoint activity in real-time, detect suspicious behavior or indicators of compromise, and respond to threats autonomously or with human intervention. EDR solutions typically work across various operating systems, making them suitable for protecting endpoints regardless of the device's OS. While options A, B, and C (SIEM, CASB, and SOAR) are valuable security technologies, they may not directly provide endpoint protection capabilities like EDR does.

   Adapted from community discussion by glenndexter · 2024-04-23 · 4 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 4 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. G

      glenndexter

      2024-04-23

      Selected D4 upvotes

      To add a layer of defense for all endpoints, regardless of the device's operating system, the best option is: D. EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) EDR solutions are specifically designed to provide advanced threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities on endpoints. They can monitor and analyze endpoint activity in real-time, detect suspicious behavior or indicators of compromise, and respond to threats autonomously or with human intervention. EDR solutions typically work across various operating systems, making them suitable for protecting endpoints regardless of the device's OS. While options A, B, and C (SIEM, CASB, and SOAR) are valuable security technologies, they may not directly provide endpoint protection capabilities like EDR does.

   2. S

      Serac

      2024-10-10

      Selected D4 upvotes

      If you know the acronyms, EDR is the only one that makes any sense here.

   3. K

      kmordalv

      2023-08-30

      Selected D3 upvotes

      Correct EDR solutions are designed to provide advanced threat detection and response capabilities at the endpoint level. They monitor and analyze endpoint activities in real-time, detect suspicious or malicious behavior, and provide the necessary tools to respond to and mitigate threats.

   4. F

      FoeMarc

      2023-10-27

      2 upvotes

      CASB solutions provide a security layer that helps protect endpoints by controlling and securing access to cloud-based services and applications. CASBs are platform-agnostic, meaning they can work across various operating systems and devices, making them suitable for heterogeneous environments. CASBs offer features like data loss prevention (DLP), threat detection, access control, and visibility into cloud usage. They are designed to enhance security and compliance when accessing cloud services, regardless of the endpoint's operating system, and can help mitigate external threats that may target cloud-based resources.

5. Question 5 of 25

   A security analyst is reviewing the findings of the latest vulnerability report for a company’s web application. The web application accepts files for a Bash script to be processed if the files match a given hash. The analyst is able to submit files to the system due to a hash collision. Which of the following should the analyst suggest to mitigate the vulnerability with the fewest changes to the current script and infrastructure?

   • ADeploy a WAF to the front of the application.
   • BReplace the current MD5 with SHA-256.
   • CDeploy an antivirus application on the hosting system.
   • DReplace the MD5 with digital signatures.

   Show answer

   Correct answer: B

   How others answered

   • B100%

   Explanation

   Replacing MD5 with digital signatures is a significant change that involves implementing a different authentication mechanism, but with SHA-256 is more straightforward and effective solution to mitigate the vulnerability while minimizing disruption to the current system.

   Adapted from community discussion by johnabayot · 2024-04-10 · 7 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 5 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. J

      johnabayot

      2024-04-10

      Selected B7 upvotes

      Replacing MD5 with digital signatures is a significant change that involves implementing a different authentication mechanism, but with SHA-256 is more straightforward and effective solution to mitigate the vulnerability while minimizing disruption to the current system.

   2. K

      kmordalv

      2023-08-30

      Selected B4 upvotes

      Seems correct This option involves changing the hash algorithm from the vulnerable MD5 to the more secure SHA-256. It addresses the hash collision vulnerability directly and doesn't require major changes to the existing infrastructure or script logic.

   3. B

      braveheart22

      2025-02-08

      Selected B2 upvotes

      B is the right answer Explanation A hash collision occurs when two different inputs produce the same hash output. MD5 (Message Digest Algorithm 5) is known to be vulnerable to collisions, meaning attackers can create different files that result in the same MD5 hash. This can lead to security risks, as the system may wrongly accept a malicious file if it has the same hash as a legitimate one. To mitigate this vulnerability, replacing the MD5 hash algorithm with a stronger hash function, like SHA-256 (part of the SHA-2 family), is an effective solution. SHA-256 is much more resistant to collisions, making it harder for an attacker to forge a file that matches the hash of a legitimate one.

   4. F

      FoeMarc

      2023-10-27

      3 upvotes

      D. Replace the MD5 with digital signatures. Here's why: MD5 to Digital Signatures: Replacing MD5 with digital signatures is a more secure approach to verify the authenticity and integrity of files. Digital signatures provide a higher level of security and are less prone to collision attacks compared to hash functions like MD5. This change can be made within the script itself without major infrastructure changes. Few Changes: This option minimizes changes to the current script and infrastructure. It involves replacing the hashing mechanism within the script while keeping the overall architecture intact.

6. Question 6 of 25

   An incident response team receives an alert to start an investigation of an internet outage. The outage is preventing all users in multiple locations from accessing external SaaS resources. The team determines the organization was impacted by a DDoS attack. Which of the following logs should the team review first?

   • ACDN
   • BVulnerability scanner
   • CDNS
   • DWeb server

   Show answer

   Correct answer: C

   How others answered

   • C82%

   Explanation

   In the case of an internet outage caused by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that is preventing users from accessing external SaaS resources, the incident response team should review the DNS (Domain Name System) logs first. C. DNS Explanation: DNS Logs: DDoS attacks often involve overwhelming the DNS infrastructure to disrupt normal internet services. By reviewing DNS logs, the incident response team can identify abnormal traffic patterns, unusual queries, and potential signs of a DDoS attack targeting the organization's DNS servers. Analyzing DNS logs can help pinpoint the attack source, the type of attack, and the affected domains.

   Adapted from community discussion by nmap_king_22 · 2023-09-05 · 14 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 6 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. N

      nmap_king_22

      2023-09-05

      Selected C14 upvotes

      In the case of an internet outage caused by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that is preventing users from accessing external SaaS resources, the incident response team should review the DNS (Domain Name System) logs first. C. DNS Explanation: DNS Logs: DDoS attacks often involve overwhelming the DNS infrastructure to disrupt normal internet services. By reviewing DNS logs, the incident response team can identify abnormal traffic patterns, unusual queries, and potential signs of a DDoS attack targeting the organization's DNS servers. Analyzing DNS logs can help pinpoint the attack source, the type of attack, and the affected domains.

   2. V

      VVV4WIN

      2023-11-30

      Selected C7 upvotes

      Really tricky one, think it just clicked for me. Let me explain how I see it. Problem is with external SaaS resources (example O365) that your users cannot access from anywhere in the world (multiple locations). The organization affected was not your own, but Microsoft in this example. It will not be your Web Server, CDN or Vulnerability scanner that will show anything as this was not on your network and you were not the target. Then also take not that many DDoS attacks bring targets down by stopping DNS replication of their services. Your DNS servers will thus show they were not able to find any related DNS records for the O365 resources and thus not able to provide any DNS query responses to the client devices. (This all after the DNS record TTL expired and the records needed to be updated). So in my opinion, DNS is the only place that will reflect any of this.

   3. W

      WaaHassan

      2024-01-04

      Selected C3 upvotes

      If I set all the devices on my network to use my internal DNS server, I will be able to access my local resources by name, as well as the internet. However, if my internal DNS server goes down (Dd DDos attack), my devices will not be able to resolve any domain names, neither local nor external. This means that I will not be able to access any websites or services by name, only by IP address.

   4. E

      eacunha

      2023-09-01

      Selected C2 upvotes

      3. **Verificador de Vulnerabilidade e Servidor Web**: Embora esses elementos sejam importantes em uma investigação de incidente de segurança, eles normalmente não fornecerão informações imediatas sobre um ataque DDoS em andamento. O verificador de vulnerabilidades e o servidor web podem ser relevantes para determinar se o ataque DDoS causou outras vulnerabilidades ou danos, mas não são a primeira linha de investigação para identificar e mitigar um ataque DDoS. Portanto, a revisão dos registros DNS é a melhor opção inicial para entender e lidar com um ataque DDoS que está afetando o acesso aos recursos SaaS externos da organização.

7. Question 7 of 25

   A security analyst needs to mitigate a known, exploited vulnerability related to an attack vector that embeds software through the USB interface. Which of the following should the analyst do first?

   • AConduct security awareness training on the risks of using unknown and unencrypted USBs.
   • BWrite a removable media policy that explains that USBs cannot be connected to a company asset.
   • CCheck configurations to determine whether USB ports are enabled on company assets.
   • DReview logs to see whether this exploitable vulnerability has already impacted the company.

   Show answer

   Correct answer: C

   How others answered

   • C81%

   Explanation

   C) check configurations I agree with ITManager below. Can't find a needle that doesn't exist. Plus, the question says the analyst needs to mitigate (or reduce the risk) of the vulnerability. Checking to see if it has already been exploited (D) doesn't do anything to reduce the risk. It still exists whether the logs show it or not. To reduce the risk, you need to be proactive. C is the best option as it would allow you to disable USB ports if need be.

   Adapted from community discussion by [Removed] · 2023-11-23 · 4 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 7 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. [

      [Removed]

      2023-11-18

      Selected C12 upvotes

      I would check C before looking for D. No point in looking for that needle in a haystack if there is no haystack.

   2. [

      [Removed]

      2023-11-23

      Selected C4 upvotes

      C) check configurations I agree with ITManager below. Can't find a needle that doesn't exist. Plus, the question says the analyst needs to mitigate (or reduce the risk) of the vulnerability. Checking to see if it has already been exploited (D) doesn't do anything to reduce the risk. It still exists whether the logs show it or not. To reduce the risk, you need to be proactive. C is the best option as it would allow you to disable USB ports if need be.

   3. S

      sujon_london

      2024-03-26

      5 upvotes

      My apology after careful consideration of Urgency: Addressing a known and exploited vulnerability requires immediate action to prevent further compromise.So, I have changed my mind to choose answer C instead of D.

   4. B

      BanesTech

      2024-04-29

      Selected C3 upvotes

      Option D, is incorrect. Reviewing logs to see whether the vulnerability has already been exploited is important for understanding the scope of potential impact, but it doesn't address the immediate need to mitigate the vulnerability itself. Therefore, option C is the most appropriate initial step to take in response to the identified vulnerability.

8. Question 8 of 25

   A security analyst is validating a particular finding that was reported in a web application vulnerability scan to make sure it is not a false positive. The security analyst uses the snippet below:

   

   Which of the following vulnerability types is the security analyst validating?

   • ADirectory traversal
   • BXSS
   • CXXE
   • DSSRF

   Show answer

   Correct answer: C

   How others answered

   • C96%

   Explanation

   XML external entity injection (also known as XXE) is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to interfere with an application's processing of XML data. It often allows an attacker to view files on the application server filesystem, and to interact with any back-end or external systems that the application itself can access. In some situations, an attacker can escalate an XXE attack to compromise the underlying server or other back-end infrastructure, by leveraging the XXE vulnerability to perform server-side request forgery (SSRF) attacks.

   Adapted from community discussion by kmordalv · 2023-09-14 · 15 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 8 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. K

      kmordalv

      2023-09-14

      Selected C15 upvotes

      XML external entity injection (also known as XXE) is a web security vulnerability that allows an attacker to interfere with an application's processing of XML data. It often allows an attacker to view files on the application server filesystem, and to interact with any back-end or external systems that the application itself can access. In some situations, an attacker can escalate an XXE attack to compromise the underlying server or other back-end infrastructure, by leveraging the XXE vulnerability to perform server-side request forgery (SSRF) attacks.

   2. D

      dido80

      2023-12-01

      Selected C6 upvotes

      The presence of XML entities ( ) is commonly associated with XXE vulnerabilities. So answer is C.

   3. W

      Wole_excel

      2024-08-13

      2 upvotes

      The security analyst is validating for XML External Entity (XXE) Injection vulnerability. In this scenario, the XML snippet includes an external entity ( ) that references a file on the server. If the web application improperly processes XML input, it could potentially resolve this entity and include the contents of the /etc/shadow file in the XML response, which could expose sensitive information. XXE vulnerabilities can lead to various attacks, including data exfiltration, denial of service, and server-side request forgery (SSRF).

   4. V

      VVV4WIN

      2023-11-30

      3 upvotes

      I am quite possibly wrong, with my response below after doing even further research. Apologies everyone.

9. Question 9 of 25

   Which of the following is the most important factor to ensure accurate incident response reporting?

   • AA well-defined timeline of the events
   • BA guideline for regulatory reporting
   • CLogs from the impacted system
   • DA well-developed executive summary

   Show answer

   Correct answer: A

   How others answered

   • A100%

   Explanation

   Correct Although all of the options presented are important factors in ensuring accurate incident response reporting, but option A, is generally considered the most important factor. Having a detailed timeline of events allows incident responders to understand the sequence of actions, the duration of the incident, and the relationships between different actions. This helps in identifying the root cause of the incident, understanding its scope, and crafting an effective response strategy.

   Adapted from community discussion by kmordalv · 2024-08-30 · 7 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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   Question 9 discussion

   These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

   1. K

      kmordalv

      2024-08-30

      Selected A7 upvotes

      Correct Although all of the options presented are important factors in ensuring accurate incident response reporting, but option A, is generally considered the most important factor. Having a detailed timeline of events allows incident responders to understand the sequence of actions, the duration of the incident, and the relationships between different actions. This helps in identifying the root cause of the incident, understanding its scope, and crafting an effective response strategy.

   2. [

      [Removed]

      2024-11-23

      Selected A3 upvotes

      A) timeline of events B is wrong since if your timeline details are wrong, then your report to regulators will be wrong. D is wrong for the same reason. Executives would get incorrect details. C is a viable option, but it is not more important than getting the timeline of events correct. Logs would be useful for the evidence collection, but not for the reporting aspect of it, which is what the question is asking. A) is the best option.

   3. F

      FoeMarc

      2024-10-27

      3 upvotes

      A. A well-defined timeline of the events Here's why: Timeline of Events: A well-defined timeline is crucial for incident response reporting because it provides a chronological account of what happened during the incident. This timeline helps in understanding the sequence of events, how the incident unfolded, and what actions were taken in response. It serves as a foundation for accurate reporting.

   4. C

      chaddman

      2024-10-30

      2 upvotes

      A well-defined timeline of the events (A): An accurate and well-defined timeline provides the basis for understanding the sequence of events that led to the incident and the actions taken during the response. This is crucial for accurate reporting and for learning from the incident to prevent future occurrences.

10. Question 10 of 25

    A security analyst is trying to detect connections to a suspicious IP address by collecting the packet captures from the gateway. Which of the following commands should the security analyst consider running?

    • Agrep [IP address] packets.pcap
    • Bcat packets.pcap | grep [IP Address]
    • Ctcpdump -n -r packets.pcap host [IP address]
    • Dstrings packets.pcap | grep [IP Address]

    Show answer

    Correct answer: C

    How others answered

    • C100%

    Explanation

    The command tcpdump -n -r packets.pcap host [IP address] is used to read packets from a packet capture file (packets.pcap) and display only those packets that involve the specified IP address. Here's a breakdown of the command options: tcpdump: The command itself, which is used to capture and analyze network traffic. -n: This option instructs tcpdump to display IP addresses numerically (in dotted-decimal notation) rather than resolving them to hostnames. -r packets.pcap: Specifies the input file (packets.pcap) from which to read packets. host [IP address]: Specifies a filter expression to display packets involving the specified IP address.

    Adapted from community discussion by glenndexter · 2024-10-23 · 5 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

    View community discussion4

    Candidate context

    Question 10 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. K

       kmordalv

       2024-02-29

       Selected C7 upvotes

       Correct The -n flag ensures that numeric IP addresses are not resolved to hostnames, and the -r flag specifies the input pcap file. The host [IP address] expression filters packets that involve the specified IP address, helping the security analyst detect connections to the suspicious IP address.

    2. G

       glenndexter

       2024-10-23

       Selected C5 upvotes

       The command tcpdump -n -r packets.pcap host [IP address] is used to read packets from a packet capture file (packets.pcap) and display only those packets that involve the specified IP address. Here's a breakdown of the command options: tcpdump: The command itself, which is used to capture and analyze network traffic. -n: This option instructs tcpdump to display IP addresses numerically (in dotted-decimal notation) rather than resolving them to hostnames. -r packets.pcap: Specifies the input file (packets.pcap) from which to read packets. host [IP address]: Specifies a filter expression to display packets involving the specified IP address.

    3. C

       chaddman

       2024-04-30

       3 upvotes

       C. tcpdump -n -r packets.pcap host [IP address]: This command uses tcpdump to read from the packets.pcap file (-r packets.pcap) and filters traffic to and from the specified host (host [IP address]). The -n flag prevents DNS name resolution, making the output easier to read. This is the most suitable option for this specific task.

    4. [

       [Removed]

       2024-05-23

       Selected C3 upvotes

       C) tcpdump TCPdump is used to collect packets, which is the tool the security analyst would be used.

11. Question 11 of 25

    Select 2

    A security analyst must review a suspicious email to determine its legitimacy. Which of the following should be performed? (Choose two.)

    • AEvaluate scoring fields, such as Spam Confidence Level and Bulk Complaint Level
    • BReview the headers from the forwarded email
    • CExamine the recipient address field
    • DReview the Content-Type header
    • EEvaluate the HELO or EHLO string of the connecting email server
    • FExamine the SPF, DKIM, and DMARC fields from the original email

    Show answer

    Correct answer: A, F

    How others answered

    • AF52%
    • BF44%

    Only 52% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    I think B is a bit of a trick as reviewing the "forwarded" email headers would not provide accurate details of the original path. (unless it is forwarded as an attachment with the original email)

    Adapted from community discussion by greatsparta · 2023-12-13 · 16 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Candidate context

    Question 11 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. G

       greatsparta

       2023-12-13

       Selected A, F16 upvotes

       I think B is a bit of a trick as reviewing the "forwarded" email headers would not provide accurate details of the original path. (unless it is forwarded as an attachment with the original email)

    2. T

       TurboMor

       2024-09-03

       9 upvotes

       ChatGPT is going to make you fail hehe... if you review the headers of the "forwarded" email, you are going to look at the details of the forwarded email, not the malicious email.

    3. [

       [Removed]

       2023-11-23

       Selected A, F7 upvotes

       A and F F for sure. SPF (Sender Protection Framework), DKIM, and DMARC are your best ways to determine if an email is genuine or not. Hardest to spoof. That leaves A and B as the other viable option. I choose A since headers can be modified, especially when forwarding.

    4. T

       throughthefray

       2023-12-13

       Selected A, F7 upvotes

       Tough one I really really liked B except for the fact that forwarded emails no longer contain the headers of the original sender. The headers are replaced with the forwarders info. gonna have to go AF for this one.

12. Question 12 of 25

    A vulnerability analyst received a list of system vulnerabilities and needs to evaluate the relevant impact of the exploits on the business. Given the constraints of the current sprint, only three can be remediated. Which of the following represents the least impactful risk, given the CVSS3.1 base scores?

    • AAV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L - Base Score 6.0
    • BAV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:L - Base Score 7.2
    • CAV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Base Score 6.4
    • DAV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L - Base Score 6.5

    Show answer

    Correct answer: D

    How others answered

    • D74%
    • A26%

    Only 74% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    The answer is D. A. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.56 + 0.56 + 0.22 = 1.34 B. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.56 + 0.56 + 0.22 = 1.34 C. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.56 + 0.56 + 0.56 = 1.68 D. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.22 + 0.22 + 0.22 = 0.66 Therefore, vulnerability D represents the least impactful risk, given the CVSS3.1 base scores, as it has the lowest total impact score.

    Adapted from community discussion by BanesTech · 2024-04-17 · 11 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 12 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. B

       BanesTech

       2024-04-17

       Selected D11 upvotes

       The answer is D. A. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.56 + 0.56 + 0.22 = 1.34 B. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.56 + 0.56 + 0.22 = 1.34 C. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.56 + 0.56 + 0.56 = 1.68 D. Total Impact Score = C + I + A = 0.22 + 0.22 + 0.22 = 0.66 Therefore, vulnerability D represents the least impactful risk, given the CVSS3.1 base scores, as it has the lowest total impact score.

    2. C

       c83335b

       2024-05-22

       Selected D6 upvotes

       you only need to focus on the las three /C:L/I:L/A:L because is asking for the least impactful so basically is D.

    3. J

       jjkylin

       2024-04-10

       Selected D1 upvote

       See the CVSS 3.1 user guide. https://www.first.org/cvss/v3.1/user-guide 3.2. Confidentiality and Integrity, Versus Availability Impacts The Confidentiality and Integrity metrics refer to impacts that affect the data used by the service. For example, web content that has been maliciously altered, or system files that have been stolen. The Availability impact metric refers to the operation of the service. That is, the Availability metric speaks to the performance and operation of the service itself – not the availability of the data. Consider a vulnerability in an Internet service such as web, email, or DNS that allows an attacker to modify or delete all web files in a directory. The only impact is to Integrity, not Availability, as the web service is still functioning – it just happens to be serving back altered content.

    4. [

       [Removed]

       2023-11-27

       Selected D3 upvotes

       D) Base Score 6.5 Base score doesn't determine the exploitability necessarily. It's a combination of all the factor. Option D has the lowest IMPACT (which is what the question asks for) since C, I, and A are all L(Low). It may be more likely to be exploited than A, but it wouldn't have as much impact.

13. Question 13 of 25

    A malicious actor has gained access to an internal network by means of social engineering. The actor does not want to lose access in order to continue the attack. Which of the following best describes the current stage of the Cyber Kill Chain that the threat actor is currently operating in?

    • AWeaponization
    • BReconnaissance
    • CDelivery
    • DExploitation

    Show answer

    Correct answer: D

    How others answered

    • D100%

    Explanation

    In this scenario, the threat actor has already gained access to the internal network through social engineering, indicating that the Exploitation stage has occurred. The threat actor's objective at this point is to maintain access to the network to continue the attack, which aligns with the Actions on Objectives stage. However, since the question specifically asks about the current stage of the Cyber Kill Chain, the threat actor is currently operating in the Exploitation stage.

    Adapted from community discussion by BanesTech · 2024-04-23 · 6 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 13 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. B

       BanesTech

       2024-04-23

       Selected D6 upvotes

       In this scenario, the threat actor has already gained access to the internal network through social engineering, indicating that the Exploitation stage has occurred. The threat actor's objective at this point is to maintain access to the network to continue the attack, which aligns with the Actions on Objectives stage. However, since the question specifically asks about the current stage of the Cyber Kill Chain, the threat actor is currently operating in the Exploitation stage.

    2. L

       Lilik

       2024-08-11

       6 upvotes

       Exploitation Attackers exploit the vulnerabilities they have previously identified to penetrate deeper inside their target’s network and begin taking advantage of this access. They may perform network scans or attempt to intercept passwords.

    3. A

       Alizade

       2023-11-15

       Selected D2 upvotes

       The current stage of the Cyber Kill Chain that the threat actor is currently operating in is D. Exploitation.

    4. S

       StillFiguringItOut

       2024-03-12

       Selected D2 upvotes

       Don't like this question but Exploitation is the only one that would fit.

14. Question 14 of 25

    An organization was compromised, and the usernames and passwords of all employees were leaked online. Which of the following best describes the remediation that could reduce the impact of this situation?

    • AMultifactor authentication
    • BPassword changes
    • CSystem hardening
    • DPassword encryption

    Show answer

    Correct answer: B

    How others answered

    • B73%
    • A27%

    Only 73% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    Another excellent question from Comptia. How do you sweeten your tea? 1 - Pour hot water and add sugar; or 2 - Add sugar and pour hot water.

    Adapted from community discussion by Sebatian20 · 2023-12-21 · 64 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 14 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. S

       Sebatian20

       2023-12-21

       64 upvotes

       Another excellent question from Comptia. How do you sweeten your tea? 1 - Pour hot water and add sugar; or 2 - Add sugar and pour hot water.

    2. C

       cartman_sc

       2024-06-16

       Selected B14 upvotes

       Implementing MFA immediately after a credential leak doesn't make sense because attackers could use the leaked credentials to set up MFA on their own devices. The most immediate and effective response is to enforce password changes to neutralize the compromised credentials.

    3. B

       bettyboo

       2024-03-15

       Selected B6 upvotes

       B. Password changes. You can't put a lock (MFA) after the thief is in your house, it's useless. You need to first fix the problem: thief in your house (password leak), and then you can add the lock (MFA). This question is asking about remediation, what you can do to fix the mess of the passwords being leaked, so: change them all. It's not asking how to make it harder for someone with the leaked passwords to access the service.

    4. K

       kmordalv

       2023-09-14

       4 upvotes

       The question said "the remediation that could reduce the impact of this situation" Password changes, would be a good option if users were aware of the security breach. If attackers already have a password, they could easily figure out the new password. (PEKBAC error) Password encryption is essential for storing passwords securely, but it doesn't prevent unauthorized access when passwords are already compromised. Only the existence of multifactor authentication adds extra protection and ensures that even if the attacker gets a username and password, he cannot access the systems.

15. Question 15 of 25

    A company is deploying new vulnerability scanning software to assess its systems. The current network is highly segmented, and the networking team wants to minimize the number of unique firewall rules. Which of the following scanning techniques would be most efficient to achieve the objective?

    • ADeploy agents on all systems to perform the scans
    • BDeploy a central scanner and perform non-credentialed scans
    • CDeploy a cloud-based scanner and perform a network scan
    • DDeploy a scanner sensor on every segment and perform credentialed scans

    Show answer

    Correct answer: A

    How others answered

    • A72%
    • D28%

    Only 72% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    This ones tough. D can be a good answer but I actually think this is A. If its that segmented and they want to minimize firewall rules, deploying a scanner sensor on every segment doesn't seem practical. It specifically says they're assessing systems, and if the option to deploy the agent directly to the systems is there, then it is less resource heavy and less maintenance to do an agent-based discovery.

    Adapted from community discussion by [Removed] · 2023-11-23 · 12 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 15 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. [

       [Removed]

       2023-11-23

       Selected A12 upvotes

       This ones tough. D can be a good answer but I actually think this is A. If its that segmented and they want to minimize firewall rules, deploying a scanner sensor on every segment doesn't seem practical. It specifically says they're assessing systems, and if the option to deploy the agent directly to the systems is there, then it is less resource heavy and less maintenance to do an agent-based discovery.

    2. S

       section8santa

       2024-04-09

       Selected A4 upvotes

       This method involves installing scanning agents directly on the systems to be scanned. The agents can perform the scans locally and then report the results back to a central management server. This approach significantly reduces the need for extensive firewall rule configurations because the scanning traffic doesn't have to traverse the network segments. The communication between the agents and the central server can be streamlined, requiring minimal firewall rule changes.

    3. V

       VVV4WIN

       2023-11-27

       1 upvote

       We know little about the software. Both D and A can be argued that it will require the same amount of firewall rules, which is potentially none in the case that every agent/scanner sensor is checked directly for the results of the scans. Alternatively (and more likely), the info is sent to some management server after the scans are completed, which will mean an additional rule is added to the firewalls for every segment to allow either the agents of every segment or the scanner sensor of every segment to communicate the results back to the server. In both these cases, no other firewall rules will need to be opened as the scanners are already on each segment, very very tricky question. Comes down to that silly rhetorical question: "how long is a piece of string?"

    4. D

       deeden

       2023-12-03

       Selected A1 upvote

       I believe there is a slight difference in creating FW rules for: A. agent plug-in installed on existing IP, versus D. new sensors deployed on each segment. The first one you'll only need to allow the Manager node and port from the corporate supernet, versus allowing scanner to each sensor on each vlan. However, as this is convenient to the network team, it's a significant work for the security/system administrator to maintain each agent, unless through automation.

16. Question 16 of 25

    Select 2

    Executives at an organization email sensitive financial information to external business partners when negotiating valuable contracts. To ensure the legal validity of these messages, the cybersecurity team recommends a digital signature be added to emails sent by the executives. Which of the following are the primary goals of this recommendation? (Choose two.)

    • AConfidentiality
    • BIntegrity
    • CPrivacy
    • DAnonymity
    • ENon-reduplication
    • FAuthorization

    Show answer

    Correct answer: B, E

    How others answered

    • BE42%
    • BF33%
    • B17%

    Only 42% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    That has to be a typo. Digital signatures don't inherently provide authorization. They provide integrity by ensuring data hasn't been tampered with and non-repudiation. Which validates the identity of the sender.

    Adapted from community discussion by Popeyes_Chicken · 2025-01-06 · 3 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 16 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. P

       Popeyes_Chicken

       2025-01-06

       Selected B, E3 upvotes

       That has to be a typo. Digital signatures don't inherently provide authorization. They provide integrity by ensuring data hasn't been tampered with and non-repudiation. Which validates the identity of the sender.

    2. Y

       yeahnodontthinkso

       2025-01-06

       2 upvotes

       Adding on to my complaining comment, this is straight from Mike Chapple's study guide: "Digital signatures rely on digital certificates and public key encryption and can help prove that the actual claimed sender was the real sender of the message and that the content of the message was not changed." So, that to me says it's B and E, assuming "non-reduplication" is actually a typo and not CompTIA being clowns.

    3. R

       rfra

       2024-12-31

       Selected B, E1 upvote

       The use of a digital signature ensures non-repudiation, meaning the sender cannot deny having sent the email. The signature is unique to the sender and proves that they were the one who sent the message.

    4. A

       antallen

       2025-02-07

       Selected B, E1 upvote

       Signature is used to validate the Non-reduplication and Integerity.

17. Question 17 of 25

    The email system administrator for an organization configured DKIM signing for all email legitimately sent by the organization. Which of the following would most likely indicate an email is malicious if the company's domain name is used as both the sender and the recipient?

    • AThe message fails a DMARC check
    • BThe sending IP address is the hosting provider
    • CThe signature does not meet corporate standards
    • DThe sender and reply address are different

    Show answer

    Correct answer: A

    How others answered

    • A93%

    Explanation

    DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol designed to give email domain owners the ability to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing. A DMARC policy uses both SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM to validate emails. If an email fails a DMARC check, it means it did not pass SPF or DKIM validation, which is a strong indicator of a malicious or spoofed email, especially if the domain in the sender's address is being impersonated.

    Adapted from community discussion by b0ad9e1 · 2024-06-17 · 10 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 17 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. B

       b0ad9e1

       2024-06-17

       Selected A10 upvotes

       DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is an email authentication protocol designed to give email domain owners the ability to protect their domain from unauthorized use, commonly known as email spoofing. A DMARC policy uses both SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM to validate emails. If an email fails a DMARC check, it means it did not pass SPF or DKIM validation, which is a strong indicator of a malicious or spoofed email, especially if the domain in the sender's address is being impersonated.

    2. F

       FoeMarc

       2024-04-27

       4 upvotes

       A. The message fails a DMARC check Here's why: DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance): DMARC is a protocol that helps protect against email spoofing and phishing attacks. It allows domain owners to specify how their emails should be handled if they fail authentication checks. When an email from the organization's domain (sender) is also addressed to the same domain (recipient), it may raise suspicions, especially if it fails DMARC checks. Legitimate emails from the organization should typically pass DMARC checks because they are properly authenticated.

    3. C

       chaddman

       2024-04-30

       2 upvotes

       The message fails a DMARC check (A): DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is a protocol that uses both DKIM and SPF (Sender Policy Framework) to verify the authenticity of an email message. If an email fails a DMARC check, it's a strong indication that the email might be malicious or spoofed, especially if DKIM is expected to be in place for all legitimate emails.

    4. F

       FT000

       2024-08-24

       Selected A2 upvotes

       To me, option D looks like a red herring somehow trying to confuse us using the last phrase of the question.

18. Question 18 of 25

    An analyst finds that an IP address outside of the company network that is being used to run network and vulnerability scans across external-facing assets. Which of the following steps of an attack framework is the analyst witnessing?

    • AExploitation
    • BReconnaissance
    • CCommand and control
    • DActions on objectives

    Show answer

    Correct answer: B

    How others answered

    • B100%

    Explanation

    When an IP address outside of the company network is observed running network and vulnerability scans across external-facing assets, it indicates that the attacker is gathering information about the organization's network infrastructure and potential weaknesses. This activity aligns with the reconnaissance stage, as the attacker is actively probing the target's defenses and vulnerabilities to gather intelligence for potential future attacks. Therefore, the analyst is witnessing the reconnaissance stage of an attack framework.

    Adapted from community discussion by BanesTech · 2024-04-23 · 4 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 18 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. N

       nmap_king_22

       2023-09-05

       Selected B5 upvotes

       The analyst is witnessing the following step in the attack framework: B. Reconnaissance Explanation: In the context described, where an external IP address is actively conducting network and vulnerability scans across external-facing assets of the company network, this activity aligns with the reconnaissance phase of an attack.

    2. B

       BanesTech

       2024-04-23

       Selected B4 upvotes

       When an IP address outside of the company network is observed running network and vulnerability scans across external-facing assets, it indicates that the attacker is gathering information about the organization's network infrastructure and potential weaknesses. This activity aligns with the reconnaissance stage, as the attacker is actively probing the target's defenses and vulnerabilities to gather intelligence for potential future attacks. Therefore, the analyst is witnessing the reconnaissance stage of an attack framework.

    3. 6

       6463ab5

       2024-06-23

       4 upvotes

       The answer is B: Reconnaissance because of the fact that the IP address is located outside of the company network indicates that someone external to the organization is actively scanning the company's external-facing assets. This aligns with the initial phase of an attack where attackers seek to gather information about potential entry points into the target environment.

    4. Z

       zecomeia_007

       2024-11-29

       Selected B1 upvote

       I pass my brothers and systers with this exam, but many question doesn't is here. You need Study more. The BBQ show the way, but the way change in all time, because the question changes in every moment, but this exam is very very good for you.

19. Question 19 of 25

    Following a recent security incident, the Chief Information Security Officer is concerned with improving visibility and reporting of malicious actors in the environment. The goal is to reduce the time to prevent lateral movement and potential data exfiltration. Which of the following techniques will best achieve the improvement?

    • AMean time to detect
    • BMean time to respond
    • CMean time to remediate
    • DService-level agreement uptime

    Show answer

    Correct answer: A

    How others answered

    • A60%
    • B40%

    Only 60% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    Correct Improving the Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) is the most relevant technique to achieve the goal of reducing the time to prevent lateral movement and potential data exfiltration by malicious actors. MTTD measures the average time it takes for an organization to detect a security incident or malicious activity once it has occurred. By reducing MTTD, you can identify security threats more quickly, which allows for a faster response to contain the threat, prevent lateral movement, and potentially stop data exfiltration before it occurs.

    Adapted from community discussion by kmordalv · 2023-09-01 · 15 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 19 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. K

       kmordalv

       2023-09-01

       Selected A15 upvotes

       Correct Improving the Mean Time to Detect (MTTD) is the most relevant technique to achieve the goal of reducing the time to prevent lateral movement and potential data exfiltration by malicious actors. MTTD measures the average time it takes for an organization to detect a security incident or malicious activity once it has occurred. By reducing MTTD, you can identify security threats more quickly, which allows for a faster response to contain the threat, prevent lateral movement, and potentially stop data exfiltration before it occurs.

    2. N

       Narobi

       2023-12-09

       Selected A7 upvotes

       Both A and B would reduce the time to prevent lateral movement and potential data exfiltration. If A was improved, the team would be able to act sooner If B was improved, the team would respond faster The CISO wants to improve "visibility and reporting of malicious actors". Only A addresses this. As with B, the reporting has already occurred. Given this, my answer is A.

    3. F

       FT000

       2024-02-24

       Selected A4 upvotes

       My vote is for A. We have to address the concern, which is the reporting of vulnerabilities (MTTD). The goal, which is reducing the time to allow for traversal, etc. (MTTR) depends heavily on how quickly the vulnerability is detected and reported to the CSIO/CSIRT.

    4. M

       MrNYC

       2024-02-02

       Selected A4 upvotes

       Which of the following techniques will best achieve the improvement? So to best achieve the improvement , I would go for A . If the question asked to reduce the time to prevent , I would go for B. Here I am leaning towards A.

20. Question 20 of 25

    A security analyst discovers an ongoing ransomware attack while investigating a phishing email. The analyst downloads a copy of the file from the email and isolates the affected workstation from the network. Which of the following activities should the analyst perform next?

    • AWipe the computer and reinstall software
    • BShut down the email server and quarantine it from the network
    • CAcquire a bit-level image of the affected workstation
    • DSearch for other mail users who have received the same file

    Show answer

    Correct answer: D

    How others answered

    • D61%
    • C39%

    Only 61% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    Answer is D. The analyst has already contained the original infected machine. Next would be to identify the scope of the malware (how many users have been affected). After the spread has been contained, the analyst can go back and acquire the bit level image for further forensics. Incident response steps guys.

    Adapted from community discussion by Cpt_Emerald · 2024-01-24 · 22 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 20 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. C

       Cpt_Emerald

       2024-01-24

       Selected D22 upvotes

       Answer is D. The analyst has already contained the original infected machine. Next would be to identify the scope of the malware (how many users have been affected). After the spread has been contained, the analyst can go back and acquire the bit level image for further forensics. Incident response steps guys.

    2. K

       Kmelaun

       2024-04-21

       17 upvotes

       READ BEFORE YOU TYPE... Searching for other mail users who may have been affected would be preventing further damage! Have you took the test? Or passed it? Please fix you inner self because it's very unprofessional to be calling people names based off a difference in opinion. God bless!

    3. K

       Kmelaun

       2024-04-16

       Selected D6 upvotes

       This information is directly from CertMaster Topic 8B: Incident responders must make quick decisions regarding the most effective containment technique when a system is compromised. The course of action depends on several factors: Ensure the safety and security of all personnel. The first concern of all managers involved with the security response is the safety and security of personnel. Prevent further damage. This will be the overriding priority after the identification of the compromise. Identify whether the intrusion is a primary or a secondary attack (part of a more complex campaign). Avoid alerting the attacker that they have been discovered. Preserve forensic evidence of the intrusion. While waiting for the forensics analyst to arrive, treat the system like any crime scene by preventing anyone from further compromising the system or destroying evidence. Therefore, D would be the most logical answer if we are using this information because it prevents further damage.

    4. D

       DustyRex1

       2024-04-23

       Selected D5 upvotes

       issue is ongoing, making sure it doesnt spread more is the priority over making a copy

21. Question 21 of 25

    The vulnerability analyst reviews threat intelligence regarding emerging vulnerabilities affecting workstations that are used within the company:

    

    Which of the following vulnerabilities should the analyst be most concerned about, knowing that end users frequently click on malicious links sent via email?

    • AVulnerability A
    • BVulnerability B
    • CVulnerability C
    • DVulnerability D

    Show answer

    Correct answer: A

    How others answered

    • A83%

    Explanation

    A seems to be the most correct. Vulnerability A does not require user interaction, does not require authentication and the attack complexity is low. The attack vector for Vuln A is Network, which is generally easier for attackers when compared to the local one. Network base attack can spread across to multiple systems.

    Adapted from community discussion by 16561f6 · 2024-11-06 · 4 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

    View community discussion4

    Candidate context

    Question 21 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. F

       f4d7f37

       2024-11-13

       8 upvotes

       Vulnerability A does require user interaction. It is listed in the chart itself

    2. 1

       16561f6

       2024-11-06

       Selected A4 upvotes

       A seems to be the most correct. Vulnerability A does not require user interaction, does not require authentication and the attack complexity is low. The attack vector for Vuln A is Network, which is generally easier for attackers when compared to the local one. Network base attack can spread across to multiple systems.

    3. D

       deeden

       2024-06-04

       5 upvotes

       Yes D is scary but the AV is local, and no UI means no click required from email users, no? I would imagine this type of malware have to be delivered using USB stick or some type of plug & play device maybe?

    4. L

       LiveLaughToasterBath

       2024-05-25

       Selected A4 upvotes

       Answer is in the question. "...knowing that end users frequently click on malicious links sent via email." Of the two correct answers, A is more correct. The other requires authentication which makes it harder to exploit than A.

22. Question 22 of 25

    An incident response analyst is taking over an investigation from another analyst. The investigation has been going on for the past few days. Which of the following steps is most important during the transition between the two analysts?

    • AIdentify and discuss the lessons learned with the prior analyst.
    • BAccept all findings and continue to investigate the next item target.
    • CReview the steps that the previous analyst followed.
    • DValidate the root cause from the prior analyst.

    Show answer

    Correct answer: C

    How others answered

    • C79%
    • A17%

    Explanation

    Lessons learned is a root cause analysis key phrase. This is more about hand-off, in which you want to know what's been completed in the investigatory process before you take over.

    Adapted from community discussion by LiveLaughToasterBath · 2023-11-25 · 7 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

    View community discussion4

    Candidate context

    Question 22 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. L

       LiveLaughToasterBath

       2023-11-25

       Selected C7 upvotes

       Lessons learned is a root cause analysis key phrase. This is more about hand-off, in which you want to know what's been completed in the investigatory process before you take over.

    2. C

       CyberJackal

       2024-03-29

       Selected C5 upvotes

       There are no lessons learned, because the investigation isn't complete for yet! Touch base, and continue the investigation- C.

    3. N

       nap61

       2024-07-16

       Selected C3 upvotes

       "Review the steps..." - Zero-Trust = Trust-no-One - I have learn (lesson-learned) in the hard way. Question: If you need to revise your work, why not revise the work of someone that you are taking over? ;)

    4. M

       m025

       2023-12-13

       Selected C2 upvotes

       But if 'is taking over' and 'has been going for few days', why the first analist shound have some lesson learned done? the analisys is on working phease

23. Question 23 of 25

    A recent penetration test discovered that several employees were enticed to assist attackers by visiting specific websites and running downloaded files when prompted by phone calls. Which of the following would best address this issue?

    • AIncreasing training and awareness for all staff
    • BEnsuring that malicious websites cannot be visited
    • CBlocking all scripts downloaded from the internet
    • DDisabling all staff members’ ability to run downloaded applications

    Show answer

    Correct answer: A

    How others answered

    • A100%

    Explanation

    While I agree that A should be the answer as a whole. I must point out a flaw in the question itself. I hate to go all "english major" on this question, but the use of the word "entice" actually implies that the employees are being attracted or tempted by an offering of "pleasure, wealth, or advantage" in order to help the attackers. (im using the dictionary definition of entice in this case) The use of the word "entice" denotes that the employee is AWARE that they are helping an attacker in that moment. Based on how the question is worded, they are NOT being tricked.

    Adapted from community discussion by throughthefray · 2023-12-15 · 8 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 23 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. T

       throughthefray

       2023-12-15

       8 upvotes

       While I agree that A should be the answer as a whole. I must point out a flaw in the question itself. I hate to go all "english major" on this question, but the use of the word "entice" actually implies that the employees are being attracted or tempted by an offering of "pleasure, wealth, or advantage" in order to help the attackers. (im using the dictionary definition of entice in this case) The use of the word "entice" denotes that the employee is AWARE that they are helping an attacker in that moment. Based on how the question is worded, they are NOT being tricked.

    2. [

       [Removed]

       2023-11-23

       Selected A5 upvotes

       A) increasing training and awareness for all staff We do this every year as part of our Penetration Testing as the Social Engineering part of it. Exact same scenario. PenTester calls our employees at random. "Hey, I'm working with so and so. Can you click this link and go to this website?" When we have users click and the report comes back, we assign remedial training. At the heart of this, the issue isn't a lack of technical control, but the human aspect of it. Social engineering is the culprit, and more training is the solution.

    3. T

       throughthefray

       2023-12-15

       4 upvotes

       Had to break the comment into two parts since it wouldnt let me post it all as one. To continue my previous thought, even if you train someone, if the person is the type that is going to be tempted to download something for monetary and run it for significant moneratary gain, theyre going to do it anyway, regardless of sufficient training or not. A strong arguement could be made for B because of the fact that the question implies that the employees are being bribed into assisting the attacker. Thus if the main problem is that the company cant trust the integrity of their employees they should block the malicious website. Perhaps the writer of this question didnt know what the word "enticed" means.

    4. C

       chaddman

       2023-10-30

       Selected A2 upvotes

       Increasing training and awareness for all staff (A): The root issue is human behavior—employees being susceptible to social engineering attacks. Training and awareness programs can educate staff on how to recognize and respond to such attempts, making this the most effective solution.

24. Question 24 of 25

    A security analyst at a company is reviewing an alert from the file integrity monitoring indicating a mismatch in the login. html file hash. After comparing the code with the previous version of the page source code, the analyst found the following code snippet added:

    

    Which of the following best describes the activity the analyst has observed?

    • AObfuscated links
    • BExfiltration
    • CUnauthorized changes
    • DBeaconing

    Show answer

    Correct answer: C

    How others answered

    • C59%
    • B41%

    Only 59% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    While the unauthorized code snippet could potentially be used for exfiltration, the primary activity observed by the analyst is the unauthorized change to the login.html file. Exfiltration refers to the actual act of data being transferred out of the system, which hasn’t been confirmed in this scenario yet. The unauthorized change could indeed lead to exfiltration if the malicious code is executed and starts sending data to an external source. However, at this point, the analyst has only observed the unauthorized change, not the actual exfiltration of data. So I think the most accurate description of the observed activity is C. Unauthorized changes.

    Adapted from community discussion by biggydanny · 2024-03-27 · 13 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

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    Question 24 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. B

       biggydanny

       2024-03-27

       Selected C13 upvotes

       While the unauthorized code snippet could potentially be used for exfiltration, the primary activity observed by the analyst is the unauthorized change to the login.html file. Exfiltration refers to the actual act of data being transferred out of the system, which hasn’t been confirmed in this scenario yet. The unauthorized change could indeed lead to exfiltration if the malicious code is executed and starts sending data to an external source. However, at this point, the analyst has only observed the unauthorized change, not the actual exfiltration of data. So I think the most accurate description of the observed activity is C. Unauthorized changes.

    2. K

       kmordalv

       2023-09-15

       Selected C5 upvotes

       Apologies for the previous response. Looking at the output it appears to be passing the email/password data to the server. This makes me assume that this is not a data exfiltration but data is being passed to the server. Therefore, the response should be Unauthorized changes (https://api.jquery.com/jquery.ajax/ https://api.jquery.com/jquery.post/)

    3. B

       b0ad9e1

       2023-12-17

       Selected C5 upvotes

       The answer is unauthorized changes. "Which of the following best describes the activity the analyst has observed?" They are asking what activity the analyst observed. The analyst did not observe exfiltration, the analyst observed the unauthorized change to the file. To me, the answer is Unauthorized Changes

    4. B

       BanesTech

       2024-05-01

       Selected C3 upvotes

       The activity observed by the analyst involves the addition of a code snippet that makes an AJAX POST request to an external domain (https://evil.com/finish.php) with sensitive data such as email and password. This indicates potential unauthorized changes to the login.html file, as the added code is not part of the original source code and could be malicious.

25. Question 25 of 25

    Which of the following security operations tasks are ideal for automation?

    • ASuspicious file analysis: Look for suspicious-looking graphics in a folder. Create subfolders in the original folder based on category of graphics found. Move the suspicious graphics to the appropriate subfolder
    • BFirewall IoC block actions: Examine the firewall logs for IoCs from the most recently published zero-day exploit Take mitigating actions in the firewall to block the behavior found in the logs Follow up on any false positives that were caused by the block rules
    • CSecurity application user errors: Search the error logs for signs of users having trouble with the security application Look up the user's phone number - Call the user to help with any questions about using the application
    • DEmail header analysis: Check the email header for a phishing confidence metric greater than or equal to five Add the domain of sender to the block list Move the email to quarantine

    Show answer

    Correct answer: D

    How others answered

    • D68%
    • B32%

    Only 68% agreed on this answer — treat it as contested rather than settled.

    Explanation

    D is not the best answer, what if the domain of the sender is benign like gmail or yahoo or any free email services then you block those legitimate domains, that will compromise the availability of the firm. Most phishers are using free email services.

    Adapted from community discussion by Tonying · 2024-04-06 · 13 community upvotes. Third-party contribution; reviewed by our quality filter, not independently verified.

    Supporting references

    • docs.paloaltonetworks.com documentation

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    Candidate context

    Question 25 discussion

    These are quality-filtered excerpts from third-party community discussion. They can be useful reasoning signals, but they are not official answers and have not been independently verified by CS0-003 or CertExamHQ.

    1. T

       Tonying

       2024-04-06

       13 upvotes

       D is not the best answer, what if the domain of the sender is benign like gmail or yahoo or any free email services then you block those legitimate domains, that will compromise the availability of the firm. Most phishers are using free email services.

    2. G

       Geronemo

       2024-05-18

       Selected D8 upvotes

       This is one of those questions where A,B, or D are all ideal or suitable for automation. b) This task is also suitable for automation. Automated systems can continuously monitor firewall logs for indicators of compromise (IoCs) and promptly take mitigating actions to block malicious behavior, thereby reducing the window of exposure. d) Automating this task is ideal. Automated systems can analyze email headers for phishing indicators and apply predefined actions (such as blocking the sender's domain and moving the email to quarantine) based on confidence metrics, thereby reducing the risk of successful phishing attacks.

    3. G

       gomet2000

       2024-08-14

       Selected D5 upvotes

       D. Email header analysis: Check the email header for a phishing confidence metric greater than or equal to five. Add the domain of the sender to the block list. Move the email to quarantine. Explanation: Email header analysis is a repetitive and rule-based task, which makes it an excellent candidate for automation. Automation tools can quickly check the email headers, compare them against predefined phishing confidence metrics, and then take appropriate actions such as adding the sender's domain to a block list and moving the email to quarantine. This process is straightforward, requires minimal human judgment, and can help reduce the workload on security teams by handling large volumes of potentially malicious emails efficiently. Why not B? While examining logs for IoCs and taking blocking actions can be automated to some extent, the follow-up on false positives requires human intervention and judgment, making this task less ideal for full automation.

    4. G

       Goldenghost

       2024-02-22

       Selected D4 upvotes

       I'd lean slightly towards D. Email header analysis as the most ideal in this specific comparison for a few reasons: Maturity: Email filtering has more established rules and better anti-evasion in most tools. Specificity: Phishing confidence metrics give a finer level of granularity compared to firewall IoC blocking, potentially reducing false positives. Important Caveats: Real-world complexity: Both tasks still need some human oversight and tuning. Your environment: The specific firewall and email security tools you use might affect which task is easier to automate effectively.

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CS0-003 practice, question 1 of 25