200-201 Security Concepts Practice Question
A security analyst is reviewing logs and notices that an attacker has intercepted and modified communications between two devices without their knowledge. Which type of attack is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that Cisco often tests the distinction between the attack technique (e.g., ARP spoofing) and the broader attack category (MitM), leading candidates to confuse a specific method with the overall attack type described in the question.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Man-in-the-middle (MitM)
This scenario describes an attacker intercepting and modifying communications between two devices without their knowledge, which is the defining characteristic of a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack. In a MitM attack, the attacker positions themselves between the two communicating parties, allowing them to eavesdrop, capture, and alter data in transit while both endpoints believe they are communicating directly with each other.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing is a specific technique used in MitM attacks, but the description is broader.
- ✗
DNS poisoning
Why it's wrong here
DNS poisoning corrupts DNS resolution, but not necessarily interception of existing communications.
- ✗
Denial of Service (DoS)
Why it's wrong here
DoS aims to disrupt availability, not intercept communications.
- ✓
Man-in-the-middle (MitM)
Why this is correct
MitM involves interception and alteration of communications.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 200-201 question from scratch — 979 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.