Which of the following is NOT considered an indicator of compromise (IOC)?

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) are pieces of forensic data that can identify potentially malicious activity on a system or network. These indicators help analysts detect if an intrusion has occurred and provide insight into the nature of the attack.

Domain names, virus signatures, and registry keys are all recognized as IOCs. Domain names might indicate the presence of phishing websites or command-and-control servers used by attackers. Virus signatures are specific patterns associated with known malware, allowing security tools to recognize and react to malicious files. Registry keys can reveal changes made by malware to the system configuration, indicating unauthorized access or persistence mechanisms used by attackers.

Timestamps, while they may provide useful information for forensic analysis and incident response, do not inherently indicate a compromise on their own. They can show when files were created, modified, or accessed but do not directly correlate to malicious activity without additional context. Therefore, timestamps are not considered a direct indicator of compromise.