Traffic analysis involves monitoring and inspecting network traffic flows to detect unusual patterns, such as a workstation sending large volumes of outbound SMTP (spam). This process enables identification of malware as the root cause.
B). Availability monitoring checks uptime but doesn't diagnose spam traffic.
C). Baseline metrics show normal usage but don't pinpoint infected hosts.
D). Network discovery identifies devices, not malicious traffic flows.
References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):
Domain: Network Security - Traffic analysis, malware detection, identifying compromised hosts.