SY0-701 Practice Test 2 — 25 Questions

Question 1

Based on the exhibit, which access design change best reduces fraud risk without stopping the payroll process?

Exhibit:
Payroll application roles:
- HR-Editor: can update employee records
- Payroll-Approver: can release payment batches
- Audit-Reader: can view reports only

Current assignment:
User Lisa has both HR-Editor and Payroll-Approver because she "handles payroll end to end."
Management wants to reduce the chance of one person creating and approving a fraudulent payment.

Accepted Answer

Split duties so record updates and payment approval require separate roles or separate accounts.. It enforces separation of duties (SoD) by ensuring that no single user can both create and approve a payment. Splitting the HR-Editor and Payroll-Approver roles into separate accounts or requiring separate users for record updates and payment approval directly mitigates the fraud risk of a single insider creating a fake employee record and then approving a fraudulent payment batch. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and the NIST SP 800-53 AC-5 control for separation of duties, without halting the payroll workflow.

Answer

Keep both roles assigned but require a manager to review the batch after payment completes.

Answer

Remove the audit role and let payroll staff self-review their own work to save time.

Answer

Use a single shared payroll account so the workflow never pauses for approvals.

Question 2

Administrators need to manage internal switches from home. Management traffic must be encrypted, MFA must be used, and no switch management interface should be exposed directly to the internet. Which design is best?

Accepted Answer

Use a VPN into the internal network, then administer the switches through a hardened jump host over SSH.. It uses a VPN to create an encrypted tunnel from the home user to the internal network, then requires SSH (which encrypts management traffic) through a hardened jump host. This design ensures MFA can be enforced at the VPN or jump host layer, and no switch management interface is directly exposed to the internet, satisfying all three requirements.

Answer

Open SSH directly to each switch on a public IP address and restrict access by source IP only.

Answer

Allow HTTPS management to each switch over the internet because the channel is encrypted.

Answer

Use Telnet inside the office and route home users through a split-tunnel VPN.

Question 3

During a workstation review, analysts find a process injecting into explorer.exe and reading keyboard and clipboard events. They also see repeated outbound HTTPS beacons to a domain registered two days ago. The host is not renaming files or displaying a ransom note. Which two findings are most consistent with spyware? Select two.

Accepted Answer

A process injects into explorer.exe and monitors keyboard and clipboard activity.. Process injection into a trusted system process like explorer.exe, combined with monitoring keyboard and clipboard events, is a classic spyware technique. Spyware aims to covertly capture sensitive user input (keystrokes and clipboard data) for exfiltration, without causing immediate system damage or displaying a ransom note.

Answer

User files are renamed with a new extension and a ransom note appears.

Answer

CPU usage spikes only during a scheduled operating system update.

Answer

The browser certificate store was refreshed after applying a patch.

Question 4

A security analyst at a financial firm detects an unusual spike in outbound network traffic from a database server that normally only communicates with internal web servers. The traffic is directed to numerous external IP addresses in various countries. According to established incident response procedures, what should be the analyst's immediate next step?

Accepted Answer

Disconnect the server from the network at the switch level.. Disconnecting the server at the switch level (e.g., shutting down the switch port or placing it in a quarantine VLAN) is the immediate containment step per incident response procedures. This stops the outbound data exfiltration without risking data loss or corruption that could occur from a hard power-off, and it preserves volatile memory evidence for forensic analysis.

Answer

Run a comprehensive antivirus scan on the server.

Answer

Notify the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the incident.

Answer

Power off the server to prevent further damage.

Question 5

A SIEM alert shows a payroll administrator account signed in at 02:10 from a country the employee has never visited. The employee says they are on vacation at home and did not travel. What should the analyst do first?

Accepted Answer

Verify the login context with the user or manager and review recent authentication history.. The first step in incident response is to verify the alert's validity and gather context before taking action. The analyst should review the SIEM logs for authentication details (e.g., source IP, geolocation, timestamp) and confirm with the user or manager whether the login was expected. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response process, which emphasizes triage and validation before containment.

Answer

Immediately disable the account and wait for the employee to return.

Answer

Close the alert as a false positive because the user is on vacation.

Answer

Reimage the user’s workstation before checking any logs.

Question 6

A web service begins experiencing severe latency. Netflow shows thousands of short DNS queries leaving the attacker network, while a much larger volume of DNS responses is arriving at the victim’s public IP address from many open resolvers. Which attack is most likely occurring?

Accepted Answer

DNS reflection and amplification denial-of-service attack. The attack described is a DNS reflection and amplification denial-of-service attack. The attacker sends thousands of short DNS queries with a spoofed source IP (the victim's IP) to many open resolvers, which then send large DNS responses to the victim, overwhelming its bandwidth. NetFlow shows a small volume of queries leaving the attacker and a much larger volume of responses arriving at the victim, which is the hallmark of amplification (small request, large response) combined with reflection (responses from third-party resolvers).

Answer

Replay attack using previously captured packets

Answer

ARP poisoning that redirects local traffic on a LAN

Answer

Session hijacking through stolen authentication cookies

Question 7

A firewall analyst reviews logs and sees one external IP address sending connection attempts to TCP ports 22, 80, 139, 445, and 3389 on dozens of internal hosts every few seconds. No payloads are delivered and no sessions are established. What is the most likely activity?

Accepted Answer

Port scanning, because the source is systematically probing many ports and hosts for exposed services.. The observed behavior—a single external IP sending connection attempts to multiple TCP ports (22, 80, 139, 445, 3389) across many internal hosts at regular intervals—is the hallmark of a port scan. The absence of payload delivery or session establishment confirms the attacker is only probing for open services, not attempting exploitation or data transfer. This matches the definition of a reconnaissance activity, specifically a horizontal port scan targeting common service ports.

Answer

Reflection-based denial-of-service, because the attacker is using third-party systems to amplify traffic.

Answer

Man-in-the-middle, because the attacker is intercepting communications between internal hosts.

Answer

Protocol abuse, because the attacker is sending malformed traffic to crash services.

Question 8

A security analyst is reviewing authentication logs and observes multiple failed login attempts for a single user account occurring within a short timeframe, followed by a successful login from an IP address located in a country where the user has never traveled. The failed attempts originate from various IP addresses and use different passwords. Which type of attack has most likely occurred?

Accepted Answer

Brute-force attack. (Brute-force attack) because the log shows multiple failed login attempts from various IP addresses using different passwords, followed by a successful login from an unfamiliar country. This pattern indicates a distributed brute-force attack where the attacker systematically tries many passwords against a single account, often using a botnet or proxy rotation to evade IP-based rate limiting. The successful login from a foreign IP confirms the attacker eventually guessed the correct password.

Answer

Credential stuffing

Answer

Password spraying

Answer

Dictionary attack

Question 9

After several employees clicked on a realistic phishing email, management wants a control that both improves user behavior and gives the security team a way to measure improvement over time. Which approach is best?

Accepted Answer

Run simulated phishing campaigns with immediate feedback and follow-up training. Simulated phishing campaigns with immediate feedback and follow-up training directly address user behavior by providing a safe, controlled environment where employees can learn to recognize phishing attempts. This approach also gives the security team measurable metrics (e.g., click rates over time) to track improvement, aligning with the goal of both behavioral change and quantifiable assessment.

Answer

Send a company-wide reminder not to open suspicious emails

Answer

Block all external email messages at the gateway

Answer

Require employees to change passwords every week

Question 10

After several password-reset incidents, the security team wants one document that sets mandatory minimum controls for privileged accounts and another that tells the help desk the exact steps to verify identity and reset access. Which two document types should they use? Select two.

Accepted Answer

Standard, because it defines the mandatory minimum requirements that everyone must follow.. A standard defines mandatory minimum requirements that must be followed, such as password length, complexity, and MFA enforcement for privileged accounts. This ensures consistent security controls across the organization without ambiguity, unlike a policy which is high-level intent.

Answer

Policy, because it explains the organization's overall security intent in broad terms.

Answer

Guideline, because it provides recommended practices that staff may ignore if needed.

Answer

Baseline, because it is mainly used as a casual reference document for analysts.

Question 11

An employee gets a text message saying their mobile carrier will suspend service unless they tap a link and verify their account details. What type of attack is this?

Accepted Answer

Smishing, because the attacker is using SMS messages to trick the user. This is smishing because the attacker uses SMS (Short Message Service) as the delivery vector to send a fraudulent message that tricks the recipient into clicking a malicious link. Smishing is a form of social engineering that exploits the trust users place in text-based communications from known entities like mobile carriers, often leading to credential theft or malware installation.

Answer

Vishing, because the attacker is using a voice call to pressure the user

Answer

Baiting, because the attacker is offering a free service upgrade

Answer

Tailgating, because the attacker is trying to enter a building behind someone else

Question 12

A security analyst is reviewing network flow logs and notices a series of outbound connections from a single internal workstation to an external IP address on TCP port 443. The connections occur every 5 minutes, each lasting about 2 seconds, and the amount of data transferred per connection is consistently around 1 KB. The workstation's user reports no unusual activity. The analyst checks the host's EDR logs and sees no malicious processes or known indicators. Which type of activity is this pattern most consistent with?

Accepted Answer

Beaconing to a command-and-control server. This pattern is most consistent with beaconing to a command-and-control (C2) server because the connections are periodic (every 5 minutes), short-lived (2 seconds), and consistently transfer a small amount of data (~1 KB) over HTTPS (TCP 443). These characteristics—regular intervals, low data volume, and stealthy use of encrypted channels—are hallmarks of C2 beaconing used by malware to maintain persistence and receive instructions without raising immediate suspicion.

Answer

Normal software update check

Answer

DNS tunneling

Answer

Data exfiltration via HTTPS

Question 13

A security analyst is reviewing logs after a successful phishing attack. The attacker used a fake login page that mimicked the company's single sign-on portal to harvest usernames and passwords. The attacker then used the stolen credentials to access the corporate email system. Which type of attack best describes the initial compromise?

Accepted Answer

Credential harvesting via phishing. The initial compromise was achieved by luring the victim to a fake login page that mimicked the company's single sign-on portal, which is a classic phishing technique. The attacker harvested the credentials directly from the user's submission, making this a credential harvesting attack via phishing. This aligns with the definition of phishing as a social engineering attack that uses deception to obtain sensitive information, distinct from brute-force or password spraying which rely on guessing or trying multiple passwords.

Answer

On-path attack

Answer

Brute-force attack

Answer

Password spraying

Question 14

Leadership is deciding between two security controls for a customer portal outage risk. Finance wants to compare the options in dollars, using expected loss, not just a high/medium/low rating. Which approach should the analyst use?

Accepted Answer

Quantitative risk analysis, because it expresses likelihood and impact in monetary terms.. Quantitative risk analysis (A) is correct because it assigns monetary values to both the likelihood and impact of a risk, enabling a direct dollar-based comparison of expected loss. The Finance team's requirement for a dollar comparison rules out qualitative ratings, making quantitative analysis the only approach that meets their needs.

Answer

Qualitative risk analysis, because it uses categories like critical, medium, and low.

Answer

Business impact analysis, because it identifies which business processes are important.

Answer

Risk avoidance, because eliminating the activity removes the threat completely.

Question 15

Based on the exhibit, which principle should the organization enforce to reduce fraud risk while keeping the business process functional?

Accepted Answer

Separation of duties, because no single user should be able to complete every high-risk finance step alone.. Separation of duties (SoD) is the correct principle because it prevents any single employee from completing all steps in a high-risk financial transaction alone. By requiring at least two people to authorize and execute critical actions—such as initiating a payment and approving it—the organization reduces the risk of internal fraud without blocking the business workflow. This directly addresses the scenario where a single user could otherwise create, approve, and release a fraudulent payment.

Answer

Least privilege, because each employee should only have the fewest permissions needed for the shared account.

Answer

Need-to-know, because only employees with confidential financial data should see the workflow details.

Answer

Defense in depth, because the organization should add more security layers around the finance process.

Question 16

A company is building a public web app with three tiers. Internet users should reach only the web tier, and the app tier should never be reachable from the internet. Which two network design choices support this goal? Select two.

Accepted Answer

Place the web server in a DMZ or public-facing zone.. Placing the web server in a DMZ (demilitarized zone) or public-facing zone allows internet traffic to reach only the web tier while isolating the internal network. This is a standard security architecture where the DMZ acts as a buffer, and firewall rules permit inbound HTTP/HTTPS (ports 80/443) only to the web servers, not to the application or database tiers.

Answer

Allow inbound traffic from the internet directly to the application servers.

Answer

Put the database on the guest Wi-Fi VLAN.

Answer

Use the same flat network for all three tiers.

Question 17

HR stores scanned government IDs collected during onboarding. The retention policy says the files may be kept for 90 days after employment verification, then destroyed. What should security require?

Accepted Answer

Store the files in an encrypted repository and securely dispose of them when retention expires. It aligns with the principle of data minimization and the retention policy: storing scanned government IDs in an encrypted repository ensures confidentiality and integrity, while secure disposal after the 90-day retention period meets compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and reduces risk of data breaches. Security must enforce both protection during storage and timely destruction to prevent unauthorized access or legal liability.

Answer

Keep the files indefinitely in case a future audit asks for them

Answer

Move the files to a shared folder so more HR staff can access them

Answer

Print the scanned IDs and place them in a locked cabinet instead of keeping digital copies

Question 18

Based on the exhibit, which key management improvement best preserves recoverability if the primary backup server is lost?

Accepted Answer

Keep the private key in an HSM or secure escrow with tested recovery procedures.. Storing the private key in a Hardware Security Module (HSM) or secure escrow ensures it remains available even if the primary backup server is lost. HSMs provide tamper-resistant key storage and support tested recovery procedures, which is critical for decrypting backups and maintaining recoverability. This approach separates the key from the backup data, preventing a single point of failure.

Answer

Store the private key on the same backup server so recovery is faster.

Answer

Replace AES with hashing so the archive no longer needs a key.

Answer

Send the private key to backup operators by email so they can restore data quickly.

Question 19

A security analyst is reviewing the organization’s security awareness program. Which three of the following are key metrics that demonstrate the effectiveness of the program? (Choose three.)

Accepted Answer

Percentage of employees who complete annual security training. The percentage of employees who complete annual security training is a key metric because it measures participation in the foundational awareness activity. The number of phishing simulation clicks before and after training directly quantifies behavioral change, showing whether training reduces susceptibility to social engineering. The total count of security incidents reported by employees indicates whether the program has successfully fostered a culture of reporting, which is critical for early threat detection.

Answer

Number of firewall rule changes approved per quarter

Answer

Average time to patch critical vulnerabilities in production systems

Answer

Percentage of servers with full disk encryption enabled

Question 20

A user receives a phone call from someone who claims to be a member of the company's IT support team. The caller states that the user's account has been compromised and requests the user's username, password, and the current multi-factor authentication (MFA) code to 'verify identity and secure the account.' Which type of social engineering attack is being attempted?

Accepted Answer

Vishing. B is correct because vishing (voice phishing) is a social engineering attack conducted over the phone, where the attacker impersonates a trusted entity (IT support) to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information such as credentials and MFA codes. The request for the current MFA code is a key indicator, as it would allow the attacker to bypass multi-factor authentication in real time.

Answer

Spear phishing

Answer

Pretexting

Answer

Tailgating