200-201 Question 368
Single answerA cybersecurity analyst is monitoring a network's total throughput to ensure that no single device or application is consuming excessive bandwidth. During a peak traffic period, the analyst observes that the total throughput for the network is approaching its maximum capacity. What action should the analyst prioritize to prevent performance degradation and potential security risks?
- A
Implement Quality of Service (QoS) policies to prioritize critical traffic.
- B
Disable unused ports on the network switches to free up bandwidth.
- C
Increase the bandwidth of the network by upgrading hardware immediately.
- D
Analyze traffic patterns to identify and mitigate any potential bandwidth hogs.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
When total throughput approaches the network's maximum capacity, prioritizing critical traffic through Quality of Service (QoS) policies is the most effective immediate action. This ensures that essential services are not disrupted, even during peak usage. Other options, while valuable, are either long-term solutions or irrelevant to the immediate problem.
- A. Correct.
Implementing Quality of Service (QoS) policies ensures that critical traffic is prioritized, which is an immediate and effective way to manage bandwidth and prevent performance issues when total throughput is near capacity.
- B. Incorrect.
Disabling unused ports does not free up bandwidth, as these ports are not actively consuming network resources.
- C. Incorrect.
While upgrading hardware can increase bandwidth, it is not an immediate solution and often requires significant time and resources.
- D. Incorrect.
Analyzing traffic patterns can help identify bandwidth hogs, but this is typically a longer-term solution rather than an immediate action to prevent performance degradation.