CompTIA CySA+ Certification Detailed Exam Domain Coverage

To pass the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 exam, you need to master four core areas. This practice test bank is meticulously structured to map directly to the official exam weightings:

Security Operations (33%): Analyzing system logs, monitoring activities, implementing threat intelligence, and understanding the tactical footprints of modern adversaries.
Vulnerability Management (30%): Analyzing vulnerability scan reports, identifying security gaps, assessing risks using metrics like CVSS, and prioritizing remediation strategies.
Incident Response Management (20%): Executing incident response playbooks, containing threats, analyzing indicators of compromise (IoCs), and conducting forensic recovery steps.
Reporting and Communication (17%): Translating technical metrics into actionable business reports, adhering to compliance standards, and ensuring effective stakeholder communication during a crisis.

Course Description

Earning your CompTIA CySA+ certification is one of the best moves you can make for your cybersecurity career, but the actual CS0-003 exam is notorious for a reason: it doesn't just ask you to memorize definitions. Instead, it drops you into real-world scenarios where you have to think like a security analyst under time pressure. You will be handed firewall logs, vulnerability reports, and incident timelines and asked to make high-stakes tactical decisions.

I designed this practice test bank to bridge the gap between theoretical studying and the reality of the testing center. Instead of generic, repetitive questions, I spent hours crafting original scenarios that match the tone, difficulty, and structural tricks used by CompTIA. My goal is simple: to help you build the analytical muscle memory needed to break down complex questions and pass on your very first attempt.

Every question in this course comes with an exhaustive explanation. I don't just tell you which answer is right; I break down all the incorrect choices so you understand exactly why they fall short. This approach transforms every mistake you make during practice into a valuable learning moment, revealing the subtle nuances between a good security decision and the best security decision.

Practice Questions Preview

Question 1: Security Operations

An analyst in a Security Operations Center (SOC) notices an anomalous spike in outbound HTTPS traffic from an internal database server to an unfamiliar external IP address. Upon investigating the server logs, the analyst discovers a sequence of successful SSH logins occurring outside of standard business hours from a compromised administrator account. Which of the following actions should the analyst prioritize to minimize immediate data exfiltration?

A. Implement an immediate firewall rule to block all outbound traffic from the database server to the external IP address.
B. Reset the password of the compromised administrator account across the active directory domain.
C. Initiate a full forensic disk image capture of the active database server to preserve evidence.
D. Execute a vulnerability scan against the database server using an authenticated credential.
E. Revoke the database server's SSL/TLS certificates and request a reissue from the Certificate Authority.
F. Run a full antivirus scan on the database server to identify potential web shells.

Answer & Explanation Breakdown:

Correct Answer: A
Why Option A is correct: The primary goal when data exfiltration is suspected or actively occurring is to stop the outbound data flow immediately. Implementing a targeted firewall rule stops the data transfer to the adversary's infrastructure without completely disabling internal business operations.
Why Option B is incorrect: While resetting the password is an essential remediation step, doing it first does not terminate existing active sessions or stop an automated exfiltration script already in progress.
Why Option C is incorrect: Forensic imaging is a critical part of evidence preservation, but performing it while a live breach is occurring delays containment, allowing more sensitive data to escape.
Why Option D is incorrect: Vulnerability scanning is a proactive measure. Running a scan during an active incident consumes system resources and does nothing to mitigate the active data exfiltration.
Why Option E is incorrect: Revoking SSL/TLS certificates does not stop an outbound HTTPS connection established by an attacker bypassing standard trust chains or using raw IPs.
Why Option F is incorrect: Running a full antivirus scan takes significant time and system resources, delaying immediate containment and risking further data loss.

Question 2: Vulnerability Management

A vulnerability assessment report highlights a critical vulnerability (CVSS v3 Score: 9.8) in an apache web server hosting a public-facing legacy application. The system cannot be patched immediately because the legacy application is incompatible with the newest software version. Which of the following compensating controls represents the most effective risk-mitigation strategy?

A. Configure the network intrusion detection system (NIDS) to log all traffic directed at the web server.
B. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with specific rules configured to inspect and block exploit attempts targeting that vulnerability.
C. Modify the server's host-based firewall rules to block all inbound traffic on ports 80 and 443.
D. Downgrade the server operating system to a version that forces the application into an isolated state.
E. Purchase cyber insurance to cover the financial liabilities of a potential data breach.
F. Accept the risk formally in the risk register and schedule a review for the next quarter.

Answer & Explanation Breakdown:

Correct Answer: B
Why Option B is correct: When patching isn't an option, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) acts as an excellent compensating control. By filtering out malicious payloads designed to exploit the specific vulnerability, it protects the unpatched application from exposure.
Why Option A is incorrect: Logging traffic via a NIDS is a passive detective control. It records the exploit happening but does nothing to block or mitigate the risk of compromise.
Why Option C is incorrect: Blocking all inbound traffic on ports 80 and 443 would take the public-facing application completely offline, causing a self-inflicted denial-of-service condition for legitimate users.
Why Option D is incorrect: Downgrading the underlying operating system often introduces older, unpatched vulnerabilities, expanding the attack surface rather than shrinking it.
Why Option E is incorrect: Cyber insurance is a risk-transfer strategy, not a technical compensating control. It minimizes financial damage post-incident but does not mitigate the technical vulnerability.
Why Option F is incorrect: Formally accepting a critical vulnerability without implementing any temporary technical safeguards leaves the enterprise completely exposed to immediate exploitation.

Question 3: Incident Response Management

During the containment phase of a ransomware incident, a security analyst discovers that multiple workstations in a specific subnet are actively encrypting local files and attempting to connect to a known Command and Control (C2) server. The organization's incident response playbook mandates network isolation. Which of the following methods isolates the affected hosts with the least disruption to the rest of the enterprise environment?

A. Shut down the core network switches handling traffic for the entire corporate campus.
B. Disconnect the primary internet gateway to cut off all external access for the entire company.
C. Move the affected workstations' switch ports to an isolated quarantine VLAN with strict Access Control Lists (ACLs).
D. Format the hard drives of the affected workstations immediately using a bootable USB drive.
E. Uninstall the network interface card (NIC) drivers remotely via Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
F. Change the DNS settings on the local domain controller to point to loopback addresses.

Answer & Explanation Breakdown:

Correct Answer: C
Why Option C is correct: Moving the affected devices to a isolated quarantine VLAN dynamically cuts off lateral movement to healthy subnets and blocks outbound communication to the C2 server, while keeping unimpacted business units up and running.
Why Option A is incorrect: Shutting down the core switches stops the attack, but it causes massive, unnecessary operational disruption to unaffected areas of the business.
Why Option B is incorrect: Disconnecting the internet gateway stops C2 communication but does not prevent the ransomware from spreading laterally across the internal local area network (LAN).
Why Option D is incorrect: Formatting the drives destroys critical forensic evidence before an investigation can happen and belongs in the eradication/recovery phase, not containment.
Why Option E is incorrect: Attempting to uninstall drivers via GPO during a ransomware attack is unreliable, slow to propagate, and can be easily blocked by malware running with administrative privileges.
Why Option F is incorrect: Modifying the domain controller's DNS settings affects the entire organization and can easily be bypassed by malware utilizing hardcoded IP addresses for C2 communication.

What to Expect Inside

Welcome to the Mock Exam Practice Tests Academy to help you prepare for your CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-003) Certification.
You can retake the exams as many times as you want
This is a huge original question bank
You get support from instructors if you have questions
Each question has a detailed explanation
Mobile-compatible with the Udemy app

I hope that by now you're convinced! And there are a lot more questions inside the course.