CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501) — Question 733

During a penetration test, the tester performs a preliminary scan for any responsive hosts. Which of the following BEST explains why the tester is doing this?

Answer options

• A. To determine if the network routes are improperly forwarding request packets
• B. To identify the total number of hosts and determine if the network can be victimized by a DoS attack
• C. To identify servers for subsequent scans and further investigation
• D. To identify the unresponsive hosts and determine if those could be used as zombies in a follow-up scan.

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is C because the preliminary scan aims to identify active servers that can be further examined. The other options focus on routing issues, DoS attack potential, and unresponsive hosts, which are not the main objectives of this initial scan.