156-590 practice question 10 of 10

What are examples of evidence of compromises from inside network in conjunction with Bot- infected systems?

Full set: 75 questions
Answer options
A: Users surfing the website directly by IP address or using domains registered within the last 30 days. Correct answer
B: Trying to access web resources using explicit proxy servers instead of transparent ones.
C: Repetitive access to the same specific Intranet web servers within business hours.
D: Trying to access a web server via HTTP instead of HTTPS.
Correct Answer:
A. Users surfing the website directly by IP address or using domains registered within the last 30 days.
Explanation

An active bot infection on an internal system generates specific network traffic that serves as evidence of compromise. This includes outbound communication attempts from the infected host to a remote Command and Control (C&C) server, which is how the bot receives instructions. Furthermore, many modern bots use Domain Generation Algorithms (DGA) to locate their C&C servers, leading to a high volume of DNS queries for non-existent or rapidly changing domains. This combination of outbound C&C traffic and anomalous DNS activity are hallmark indicators of a bot-infected system operating from within the network.

Why Incorrect

B. This describes a SYN flood, a type of Denial-of-Service attack. The traffic is inbound from external sources, not evidence of a compromise originating from inside.
C. A security audit report showing missing patches indicates vulnerabilities or weaknesses. It is a precursor to a potential compromise, not evidence that one has already occurred.
D. An IPS alert for a blocked external attack shows a successful prevention action against an external threat, not an active, successful compromise originating from an internal host.

References

1. Check Point R81.10 Threat Prevention Administration Guide, "Anti-Bot" Chapter, Page 1. The guide states, "The Anti-Bot Software Blade detects bot-infected machines, prevents bot damages by blocking bot C&C (Command and Control) communications...". This confirms that C&C communication is the primary indicator detected.

2. Check Point Security Administration R81.10 Guide, "The Check Point Solution" Chapter, "Threat Prevention" Section. It describes how the Anti-Bot blade provides "post-infection detection" by identifying communications between infected clients and C&C centers.

3. Alauthaman, M., Al-Tawil, M., Al-Saba, M., & Al-Hadramy, S. (2021). "A Comprehensive Survey on Botnet Detection and Classification". IEEE Access, 9, 161239-161272. Section IV-A, "DNS-Based Detection," details how anomalous DNS query patterns, such as those generated by DGAs, are a key method for identifying botnet activity. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3125380

4. MIT OpenCourseWare, 6.858 Computer Systems Security, Fall 2014. Lecture 15, "Malware," discusses the architecture of botnets, emphasizing the critical role of the C&C channel for command dissemination and how monitoring for this traffic is a primary detection strategy.

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