Quick Answer
The answer is Private VLANs and Control Plane Policing (CoPP). Private VLANs enforce security by isolating ports within the same VLAN, preventing direct communication between hosts while still allowing upstream traffic, which is critical for multi-tenant data center designs. CoPP protects the control plane by applying QoS policies that rate-limit or drop excessive traffic destined for the supervisor module, such as routing protocol packets or SSH, thereby preventing CPU overload and DoS attacks. On the Cisco DCCOR 350-601 exam, these two methods are frequently paired as correct choices, while common traps include selecting ACLs alone (which are necessary but not a standalone enforcement method) or port security (which is not a primary Nexus security feature). A strong memory tip is to think of “isolation and protection”—Private VLANs isolate data plane traffic between endpoints, while CoPP protects the control plane from being overwhelmed.
This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which TWO of the following are valid methods to enforce security on a Cisco Nexus switch? (Choose two.)
SSHv2
Why wrong: SSH is for secure management, not traffic enforcement.
NetFlow
Why wrong: NetFlow is for traffic monitoring, not enforcement.
Control Plane Policing (CoPP)
CoPP protects the control plane by rate-limiting traffic.
FabricPath
Why wrong: FabricPath is a switching technology, not a security feature.
Private VLANs
Private VLANs provide Layer 2 isolation between ports.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Control Plane Policing (CoPP)
Control Plane Policing (CoPP) is a valid security enforcement method on Cisco Nexus switches because it protects the control plane from excessive or malicious traffic by applying QoS policies that rate-limit packets destined for the supervisor module. By filtering traffic such as routing protocols, SSH, or ICMP, CoPP prevents CPU overload and DoS attacks, directly enforcing security at the control plane level.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
SSHv2
Why it's wrong here
SSH is for secure management, not traffic enforcement.
NetFlow
Why it's wrong here
NetFlow is for traffic monitoring, not enforcement.
Control Plane Policing (CoPP)
Why this is correct
CoPP protects the control plane by rate-limiting traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
FabricPath
Why it's wrong here
FabricPath is a switching technology, not a security feature.
Private VLANs
Why this is correct
Private VLANs provide Layer 2 isolation between ports.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between security enforcement mechanisms (like CoPP and Private VLANs) and management protocols (like SSH) or monitoring tools (like NetFlow), leading candidates to mistakenly select SSHv2 as a security enforcement method.
Detailed technical explanation
CoPP uses Modular QoS CLI (MQC) to classify control plane traffic into classes (e.g., critical, normal, malicious) and applies policers that drop or rate-limit packets exceeding a threshold. On Nexus switches, the 'control-plane' configuration mode allows applying service policies directly to the control plane, with hardware-based policing that offloads enforcement from the CPU. In real-world scenarios, CoPP is critical for mitigating CPU-utilization attacks like ARP storms or SSH brute-force attempts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security — This question tests Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Control Plane Policing (CoPP) — Control Plane Policing (CoPP) is a valid security enforcement method on Cisco Nexus switches because it protects the control plane from excessive or malicious traffic by applying QoS policies that rate-limit packets destined for the supervisor module. By filtering traffic such as routing protocols, SSH, or ICMP, CoPP prevents CPU overload and DoS attacks, directly enforcing security at the control plane level.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This 350-601 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-601 exam.
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