The correct answer is password spraying, and the best immediate response is to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA). This attack pattern—valid usernames targeted with low-frequency login attempts from diverse geographic IPs—is the hallmark of password spraying, where an attacker tries a single common password against many accounts to evade account lockout thresholds. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish password spraying from brute-force or credential stuffing attacks; a common trap is to suggest blocking IPs, but that fails against distributed sources. The exam emphasizes that MFA is the most effective immediate mitigation because it renders the guessed password useless for access. Memory tip: think “spray and pray with one password, MFA gets in the way.”
200-201 Security Policies and Procedures Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security policies and procedures. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
A security analyst is reviewing a series of failed login attempts on a critical server. The logs show that the source IP addresses are from multiple geographic regions and the usernames tried are all valid employees. The attempts occur every 5 minutes for the past hour. According to the company's security policy, which type of attack is most likely occurring, and what is the best immediate response?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The attack pattern—valid usernames with low-frequency attempts from diverse IPs—is characteristic of password spraying, where an attacker tries a single common password against many accounts to avoid lockout thresholds. The best immediate response is to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), which renders the stolen or guessed password insufficient for access, mitigating the attack without relying on IP-based blocking that is ineffective against distributed sources.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Password spraying uses a few passwords against many users; MFA mitigates this effectively.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Credential stuffing; implement rate limiting.
Why it's wrong here
Credential stuffing uses stolen credentials; here usernames are valid but passwords unknown.
✗
Brute-force attack; add the IPs to a blocklist.
Why it's wrong here
Brute force often uses many attempts from one IP; here IPs vary, so it's likely password spraying.
✗
Dictionary attack; reset all employee passwords.
Why it's wrong here
Dictionary attack uses many passwords, but the pattern suggests spraying.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between password spraying and credential stuffing by focusing on the source of credentials—password spraying uses guessed common passwords, while credential stuffing uses stolen credential pairs from data breaches.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Password spraying exploits the fact that many organizations enforce password complexity but not uniqueness across users, so a common password like 'Spring2024!' may work for multiple accounts. The 5-minute interval is likely timed to avoid triggering account lockout policies (e.g., 5 failed attempts within 15 minutes), a technique that respects the lockout threshold defined in Windows Group Policy or pam_tally2 on Linux. In real-world scenarios, attackers often use botnets or proxy lists to rotate IPs, making IP-based blocking futile and emphasizing the need for MFA or adaptive authentication.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Policies and Procedures — This question tests Security Policies and Procedures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Password spraying; enforce multi-factor authentication immediately. — The attack pattern—valid usernames with low-frequency attempts from diverse IPs—is characteristic of password spraying, where an attacker tries a single common password against many accounts to avoid lockout thresholds. The best immediate response is to enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), which renders the stolen or guessed password insufficient for access, mitigating the attack without relying on IP-based blocking that is ineffective against distributed sources.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "most likely". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This 200-201 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 200-201 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.