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200-201 · Question #20

Which two methods might be used by an analyst to detect SSL/TLS encrypted command-and- control communication? (Choose two.)

The correct answer is A. perform decryption and inspection of SSL/TLS traffic D. perform analysis of the NetFlow data to detect anomalous TLS/SSL flows. Detecting encrypted command-and-control (C2) traffic requires either direct decryption and inspection or analyzing metadata for anomalous flow patterns.

Submitted by hans_de· Mar 6, 2026Network Intrusion Analysis

Question

Which two methods might be used by an analyst to detect SSL/TLS encrypted command-and- control communication? (Choose two.)

Options

  • Aperform decryption and inspection of SSL/TLS traffic
  • Bperform firewall HTTP application inspection to detect for the command and control traffic
  • Cperform IPS HTTP deep packets inspection to detect for the command and control traffic
  • Dperform analysis of the NetFlow data to detect anomalous TLS/SSL flows

How the community answered

(15 responses)
  • A
    80% (12)
  • B
    7% (1)
  • C
    13% (2)

Why each option

Detecting encrypted command-and-control (C2) traffic requires either direct decryption and inspection or analyzing metadata for anomalous flow patterns.

Aperform decryption and inspection of SSL/TLS trafficCorrect

Performing decryption and inspection of SSL/TLS traffic (e.g., using a security proxy or Next-Generation Firewall) allows visibility into the encrypted payload to identify C2 signatures or anomalies.

Bperform firewall HTTP application inspection to detect for the command and control traffic

Firewall HTTP application inspection is effective for unencrypted HTTP traffic but cannot directly inspect the content of encrypted SSL/TLS traffic without decryption.

Cperform IPS HTTP deep packets inspection to detect for the command and control traffic

IPS HTTP deep packet inspection would primarily focus on the unencrypted HTTP layer and would not be able to analyze the payload within an encrypted SSL/TLS tunnel without prior decryption.

Dperform analysis of the NetFlow data to detect anomalous TLS/SSL flowsCorrect

Analyzing NetFlow data, which includes metadata like source/destination IPs, ports, and byte counts, can reveal anomalous TLS/SSL flow patterns, such as unusual connection frequencies or data volumes, even without decrypting the content.

Concept tested: Detecting encrypted C2 traffic

Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/security/tls/tls-traffic-inspection

Topics

#TLS decryption#NetFlow analysis#C2 detection#network forensics

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