- A
Successful login from IP 10.0.0.9 after 50 failed attempts.
Success after many failures strongly indicates a successful brute force.
- B
A single successful login from a known IP during business hours.
Why wrong: This is normal activity.
- C
A failed login attempt from an external IP at 3:00 AM.
Why wrong: A single failure is not suspicious; could be user error.
- D
50 failed login attempts from IP 10.0.0.9 within 2 minutes.
High frequency of failed attempts from one IP is classic brute force.
- E
A user changing their password after a successful login.
Why wrong: This is normal security practice.
Question 603 of 1,000
200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. 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.
A security analyst is reviewing logs to identify a potential brute force attack. Which TWO log entries would be most suspicious? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
Successful login from IP 10.0.0.9 after 50 failed attempts.
Option A is correct because a successful login immediately following 50 failed attempts from the same IP is a classic indicator of a brute force attack that eventually succeeded. This pattern shows an attacker systematically trying credentials until one works, which is a high-severity security event requiring immediate investigation.
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.
- ✓
Successful login from IP 10.0.0.9 after 50 failed attempts.
Why this is correct
Success after many failures strongly indicates a successful brute force.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A single successful login from a known IP during business hours.
Why it's wrong here
This is normal activity.
- ✗
A failed login attempt from an external IP at 3:00 AM.
Why it's wrong here
A single failure is not suspicious; could be user error.
- ✓
50 failed login attempts from IP 10.0.0.9 within 2 minutes.
Why this is correct
High frequency of failed attempts from one IP is classic brute force.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A user changing their password after a successful login.
Why it's wrong here
This is normal security practice.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between a single failed login and a pattern of repeated failures, tricking candidates into thinking any failed login is suspicious, when in fact only a high volume of failures from the same source indicates a brute force attempt.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Brute force attacks rely on high-frequency login attempts, often automated with tools like Hydra or Medusa, which generate rapid sequential authentication requests. Log analysis tools such as SIEMs correlate failed attempts from the same source IP within a short time window to detect these patterns, and a subsequent success confirms the attack's effectiveness. In real-world scenarios, attackers may use distributed IPs to evade simple threshold-based detection, but a single IP with 50 failures in 2 minutes is a clear red flag.
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 practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-201 question test?
Security Monitoring — This question tests Security Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Successful login from IP 10.0.0.9 after 50 failed attempts. — Option A is correct because a successful login immediately following 50 failed attempts from the same IP is a classic indicator of a brute force attack that eventually succeeded. This pattern shows an attacker systematically trying credentials until one works, which is a high-severity security event requiring immediate investigation.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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