easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-201 Practice Question: A security analyst notices repeated failed login…
A security analyst notices repeated failed login attempts from a single IP address against multiple user accounts. What is the best immediate action to take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the candidate's ability to prioritize containment over investigation or remediation; the trap here is that candidates may choose to increase logging (Option A) to gather evidence, but the immediate action must stop the active attack first.
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
✓
Block the source IP address on the firewall.
Blocking the source IP address on the firewall is the best immediate action because it stops the ongoing brute-force attack at the network perimeter, preventing further authentication attempts from that IP without disrupting legitimate users. This aligns with the principle of containment before investigation, as the firewall ACL can be updated quickly to deny traffic from the offending source.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase logging verbosity for the authentication server.
Why it's wrong here
Increased logging helps forensics but does not stop the attack.
- ✗
Change all user passwords immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Changing all passwords is reactive and may not stop the ongoing attack.
- ✗
Disable the affected user accounts.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling accounts disrupts users and may not be necessary if the attack is mitigated.
- ✓
Block the source IP address on the firewall.
Why this is correct
Blocking the IP address stops the brute-force attempt immediately.
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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.