The presence of known dangerous artifacts like malicious IP addresses or domain names on a

network typically indicates that a security breach has occurred or is in progress. These artifacts are

often recognized as indicators of compromise (IoCs), which are pieces of forensic data, such as

system log entries or files, that identify potentially malicious activity on a system or network.

Identifying IoCs is crucial for cybersecurity as it allows organizations to detect breaches quickly and

respond to them promptly.

Reference: The concept of indicators of compromise is a fundamental aspect of cybersecurity audits,

as it relates to the identification and analysis of evidence that points to a security incident. This is

covered in various ISACA resources, including the Cybersecurity Audit Certificate Study Guide, which

provides guidance on understanding risk and implementing controls to protect against cyber

threats1.