CompTIA CySA+ Practice Test

Which type of analysis tool captures and alerts on anomalies in normal behavior?

1. A log analysis tool

2. A behavior-based analysis tool

3. A signature-based detection tool

4. Manual analysis

The correct answer is: A behavior-based analysis tool

Behavior-based analysis tools are designed to monitor and assess the typical patterns of activity within a system, network, or application. These tools employ algorithms and models to establish a baseline of normal behavior, allowing them to identify deviations or anomalies that indicate potential security threats or malicious activities. The key feature of behavior-based analysis is its ability to adapt to changes over time, improving its understanding of what constitutes "normal" for a given environment. When anomalies are detected—such as unusual spikes in network traffic or unauthorized access attempts—the tool generates alerts for further investigation, effectively enabling proactive threat detection. Log analysis tools, while useful for reviewing past events, do not inherently focus on comparing current behavior against established norms. Signature-based detection relies on known patterns of malware to detect security threats, which may miss novel attacks that do not match established signatures. Manual analysis, although vital in certain contexts, lacks the automation and scalability that behavior-based tools provide for continuous monitoring and alerting of anomalies.