200-201 Question 12
Single answerA cybersecurity analyst is tasked with protecting a legacy system that relies on a traditional antivirus solution. The analyst notices that the system is still getting infected by zero-day malware despite regular signature updates. What is the most likely reason for this issue?
- A
Legacy antivirus solutions rely on signature-based detection, which cannot identify unknown or zero-day threats.
- B
Legacy antivirus solutions are incompatible with modern operating systems, causing them to malfunction.
- C
Zero-day malware is designed to bypass all forms of antivirus and antimalware solutions, including legacy and modern ones.
- D
The legacy antivirus solution uses heuristic analysis, which is ineffective against any malware.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Legacy antivirus solutions depend heavily on signature-based detection, which matches malware against a database of known threats. Zero-day malware, being newly created and not yet cataloged in signature databases, can evade detection by such systems. Modern solutions address this limitation by incorporating advanced detection techniques like behavioral analysis and AI.
- A. Correct.
Legacy antivirus solutions primarily rely on signature-based detection, which can only identify known threats. Zero-day malware, being previously unknown, does not match any existing signatures, allowing it to evade detection.
- B. Incorrect.
While legacy antivirus solutions may face compatibility challenges, this is not the primary reason why zero-day malware bypasses them.
- C. Incorrect.
Zero-day malware is not guaranteed to bypass all antivirus solutions, as modern solutions often incorporate advanced detection mechanisms such as behavioral analysis and machine learning.
- D. Incorrect.
Heuristic analysis is a common feature in many antivirus solutions, including legacy ones. However, it is not entirely ineffective; it can detect some unknown threats, though it is less reliable compared to modern techniques.