220-1202 Practice Exam 1 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A small business owner wants to allow their remote employees to securely access a specific internal application without giving them full network access. Which remote access technology should the technician recommend?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Application gateway. An application gateway (reverse proxy) is the correct choice because it provides granular, application-layer access control, allowing remote employees to reach a specific internal application without granting them full network-level access. Unlike VPNs that create a tunnel to the entire network, an application gateway authenticates and proxies only the designated application traffic, often using protocols like HTTPS and enforcing policies at Layer 7.

Answer

Site-to-site VPN

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Remote Desktop Services

Answer

SSH tunneling

Question 2

A technician is tasked with installing a new hard drive in a server rack. The rack is located in a cramped, dusty storage room with poor lighting. Which safety practice should the technician prioritize before beginning the installation?

Accepted Answer

Wear a dust mask and use a flashlight to improve visibility.. The scenario describes a cramped, dusty storage room with poor lighting, which creates two immediate hazards: inhalation of dust particles and reduced visibility. Wearing a dust mask protects the technician's respiratory system from airborne particulates, while using a flashlight ensures they can see clearly to avoid accidental contact with components or cables. These measures directly address the environmental risks before any work begins.

Answer

Use a step stool to reach the server rack safely.

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Remove the server from the rack and place it on the floor for easier access.

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Disconnect all power cables in the rack to eliminate electrical hazards.

Question 3

A technician needs to deploy a script to 100 Windows 10 computers that will change the local administrator password. The script must run with elevated privileges and not leave the password visible in the script file. Which approach is most secure?

Accepted Answer

Use Group Policy Preferences to set the local administrator password.. Group Policy Preferences (GPP) allows administrators to configure local account passwords securely by encrypting the password in the policy XML file using a 32-byte AES key (though this key is publicly documented, it still provides obfuscation). When deployed via Group Policy, the password is applied with SYSTEM privileges automatically, eliminating the need for a script with embedded credentials or a separate scheduled task. This approach meets the requirements of elevated execution and password non-visibility in a script file.

Answer

Store the password in a plain text file and have the script read it.

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Embed the password in the script using a variable and run it from a hidden share.

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Use a scheduled task that runs the script as SYSTEM.

Question 4

A small office wants to dispose of 20 old CRT monitors. The local landfill does not accept e-waste. Which disposal method is both legal and environmentally responsible?

Accepted Answer

Contact a certified e-waste recycling company to pick them up.. CRT monitors contain hazardous materials like lead and phosphor, making them e-waste that cannot be disposed of in regular trash. Certified e-waste recycling companies follow environmental regulations to safely dismantle and recycle these components, ensuring legal compliance and responsible handling.

Answer

Place them in the dumpster behind the office after hours.

Answer

Break them down and put the plastic and metal in separate recycling bins.

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Sell them to a scrap metal dealer.

Question 5

A company policy requires that all web traffic be filtered to block known malicious sites. You need to implement this on the network without installing software on each client. What should you configure?

Accepted Answer

Configure a DNS filtering service on the router or DNS server. A DNS filtering service works at the network level by resolving domain names against a blocklist of known malicious sites. By configuring this on the router or DNS server, all client traffic is filtered transparently without requiring any software installation on individual workstations, which satisfies the policy requirement.

Answer

Enable Windows Defender Firewall on each workstation

Answer

Install a browser extension on all computers

Answer

Set the browser security level to high

Question 6

A technician is installing a new power supply in a desktop computer. After unplugging the system, what should the technician do before touching any internal components?

Accepted Answer

Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to drain residual charge, then wear an ESD strap.. Pressing and holding the power button for 10 seconds after unplugging the system discharges the remaining charge in the power supply capacitors and other components, reducing the risk of electric shock or damage. Wearing an ESD strap then provides a path to ground for static electricity, protecting sensitive internal components from electrostatic discharge.

Answer

Wear a grounding strap and immediately open the case.

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Spray the interior with compressed air to remove dust before touching anything.

Answer

Remove the CMOS battery first to ensure no power remains.

Question 7

A user reports that their Android phone's battery drains rapidly after a recent app update. They have already tried restarting the device. Which of the following should a technician recommend FIRST to diagnose the issue?

Accepted Answer

Check battery usage in Settings to identify the app consuming the most power.. The first step in diagnosing rapid battery drain after an app update is to use the built-in battery usage tool in Android Settings. This tool provides a per-app breakdown of power consumption, allowing the technician to identify which specific app is consuming excessive energy without making invasive changes. Restarting the device already failed to resolve the issue, so checking battery stats is the logical next step before any destructive or restrictive actions.

Answer

Perform a factory reset.

Answer

Replace the battery immediately.

Answer

Disable all background data.

Question 8

A user reports that a VBScript logon script that maps network drives stopped working after a Windows update. The script uses the MapNetworkDrive method. Other scripts on the same computer work fine. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The update disabled VBScript execution for security reasons.. Recent Windows updates have tightened security around legacy scripting hosts, including cscript.exe and wscript.exe. Specifically, Microsoft has introduced a default behavior that blocks VBScript execution via the Windows Script Host unless explicitly allowed by Group Policy or registry settings. Since the user reports that only the VBScript logon script fails while other scripts work, the most likely cause is that the update disabled VBScript execution, not that the script was deleted or that the script host was changed to PowerShell.

Answer

The script file was deleted by Windows Defender.

Answer

The update changed the default script host to PowerShell.

Answer

The network share requires SMB 2.0, which is no longer supported.

Question 9

A company's server room has a door with a proximity card reader. Employees report that the door sometimes does not close fully, allowing it to be pushed open without a card. What is the best solution?

Accepted Answer

Install a door closer mechanism. The core issue is that the door fails to close fully, bypassing the proximity card reader's access control. A door closer mechanism is a mechanical device that automatically pulls the door shut, ensuring it latches and requires card authentication to re-enter. This directly addresses the physical vulnerability without changing the authentication method.

Answer

Replace the proximity card reader with a biometric reader

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Add a security camera to monitor the door

Answer

Increase the frequency of badge audits

Question 10

During a security audit, a technician discovers that an employee has been using a third-party remote desktop tool without IT approval. The employee claims it was necessary to access a legacy application. Which security risk is most directly associated with unauthorized remote access tools?

Accepted Answer

Man-in-the-middle attacks. Unauthorized remote desktop tools often lack the encryption and authentication controls found in approved solutions like SSH or RDP with Network Level Authentication. This exposes the connection to man-in-the-middle attacks, where an attacker can intercept, decrypt, or modify the traffic between the employee's workstation and the legacy application server, potentially capturing credentials or sensitive data.

Answer

Increased bandwidth usage

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Compatibility issues with the operating system

Answer

Increased licensing costs

Question 11

A technician is performing a routine software update on a finance department server. The change management documentation specifies that the update must be applied during a maintenance window from 2:00 AM to 4:00 AM. At 3:30 AM, the update fails with an error. The technician has no rollback plan documented. What should the technician do?

Accepted Answer

Leave the server in its current state and escalate the issue to the change manager.. The technician has no documented rollback plan, and the change management process requires that any deviation from the approved plan—such as a failed update—must be escalated to the change manager for a decision. Attempting an undocumented rollback or continuing to troubleshoot without authorization risks data corruption, service disruption, or violating compliance policies. The technician’s primary duty is to preserve the server’s current state and follow the escalation path defined in the change management policy.

Answer

Attempt to roll back the update using the server’s built-in recovery options.

Answer

Continue troubleshooting until the maintenance window ends, then document the failure.

Answer

Reboot the server to clear the error and retry the update.

Question 12

A client brings in a laptop that was used by an employee who left the company. The manager wants to ensure all data is unrecoverable before recycling the laptop. The laptop has a traditional HDD. Which method should be used?

Accepted Answer

Run a full overwrite using disk-wiping software.. Disk-wiping software performs a full overwrite of every sector on the HDD with patterns (e.g., zeros, random data), making the original data unrecoverable even with advanced forensic tools. This method is specifically designed for secure data destruction on functional drives, ensuring compliance with data sanitization standards like NIST SP 800-88.

Answer

Perform a quick format of the drive.

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Use a degausser to demagnetize the drive.

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Physically shred the drive with a hard drive shredder.

Question 13

A customer reports that their laptop was stolen from a locked office over the weekend. The office door uses a standard key lock, and the laptop was not physically secured. Which physical security control would have most likely prevented this theft?

Accepted Answer

Attach a cable lock to the laptop. This question tests knowledge of physical security controls that deter theft. A cable lock physically attaches the laptop to a desk, making it difficult to remove quickly. Key locks on doors alone are insufficient if someone gains access; cable locks provide a secondary layer of defense.

Answer

Use a smart card reader on the door

Answer

Install a security camera in the hallway

Answer

Enable BitLocker on the laptop

Question 14

A user reports that they can no longer connect to the company network from home using VPN. They confirm their internet connection is working and that they can browse websites. Which of the following should a technician check first to resolve the VPN connectivity issue?

Accepted Answer

Verify the user's VPN username and password. The user's internet connection is working (they can browse websites), which rules out general network connectivity issues. The most common cause of VPN authentication failure is incorrect or expired credentials, so verifying the username and password is the quickest and most logical first step before escalating to more complex troubleshooting.

Answer

Check if the VPN client software is up to date

Answer

Restart the VPN server at the data center

Answer

Reinstall the network adapter drivers

Question 15

A user complains that their Remote Desktop session to a Windows 10 Pro workstation frequently disconnects after a few minutes of inactivity. The workstation is on a local network. Which setting should the technician modify on the host computer to prevent this?

Accepted Answer

Increase the idle session limit in Remote Desktop settings. The Remote Desktop Session Host (RDSH) has a configurable idle session limit that disconnects sessions after a period of inactivity. By default, Windows 10 Pro may enforce a short idle timeout (often 1-5 minutes) to conserve resources. Increasing this limit in the Remote Desktop Session Host settings (under Local Group Policy or the Remote Desktop Services configuration) prevents the automatic disconnection the user is experiencing.

Answer

Disable the screensaver

Answer

Change the power plan to High Performance

Answer

Enable Network Level Authentication

Question 16

During a security incident, a user's files have been renamed with a '.encrypted' extension, and a ransom note demands Bitcoin to restore them. The user has no backups. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

Accepted Answer

Disconnect the computer from the network immediately.. Ransomware encrypts files, and paying the ransom does not guarantee decryption. The correct first step is to isolate the infected system to prevent the malware from spreading to network shares or other devices.

Answer

Pay the ransom to regain access quickly.

Answer

Run a full antivirus scan to remove the malware.

Answer

Restart the computer in Safe Mode and attempt file recovery.

Question 17

A user reports that their MacBook Pro running macOS Ventura is unable to open any applications after a recent system update. They see a spinning beach ball when clicking app icons. Which macOS tool should you use first to diagnose and resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Activity Monitor. Activity Monitor is the correct first tool because it allows you to inspect running processes, CPU usage, memory pressure, and disk activity. The spinning beach ball indicates a hung or unresponsive process, likely caused by a kernel extension or system daemon failing after the update. Activity Monitor can identify the offending process (e.g., a high CPU or stuck I/O process) so you can force quit it or gather logs for further troubleshooting.

Answer

Terminal

Answer

Disk Utility

Answer

System Information

Question 18

A security incident occurs where an unauthorized PowerShell script was executed on a server, exfiltrating data. The IT manager wants to prevent any unsigned PowerShell scripts from running on all domain computers. Which scripting security measure should be implemented?

Accepted Answer

Set the execution policy to AllSigned. Setting the execution policy to AllSigned requires that all PowerShell scripts, including those written locally, be digitally signed by a trusted publisher before they can run. This directly addresses the requirement to prevent any unsigned PowerShell scripts from executing on domain computers, as it blocks both remote and local unsigned scripts.

Answer

Set the execution policy to Restricted

Answer

Set the execution policy to RemoteSigned

Answer

Disable PowerShell using Group Policy

Question 19

A technician is cleaning the inside of a desktop computer that has accumulated a large amount of dust. What is the safest method to remove the dust?

Accepted Answer

Use compressed air to blow the dust out of the case.. Compressed air is the safest method because it dislodges dust without physical contact, avoiding electrostatic discharge (ESD) or mechanical damage to sensitive components. Unlike other methods, it does not introduce moisture or static buildup, and it can reach tight spaces between heatsinks and circuit boards.

Answer

Use a standard household vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.

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Use a damp cloth to wipe down the components.

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Use a soft brush to sweep the dust out.

Question 20

A small business owner wants to ensure that employees cannot install unauthorized browser extensions on company-managed Windows 10 computers. Which method should you use to enforce this restriction?

Accepted Answer

Configure Group Policy to block extension installation. Group Policy allows administrators to centrally manage Windows settings, including browser policies. By configuring the 'Block installation of extensions' policy under Administrative Templates for each browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge), you can prevent users from installing unauthorized extensions on company-managed Windows 10 computers.

Answer

Enable private browsing mode in each browser

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Set the browser homepage to a company-approved site

Answer

Install an ad-blocker extension