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200-201 Practice Question: Reviews syslog data and sees multiple…
A security engineer reviews syslog data and sees multiple authentication failures from a single source IP to different SSH servers. The source IP is internal. What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between a network scan (which only checks for open ports) and an actual authentication attack (which generates syslog auth failures), causing candidates to confuse the 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
✓
Brute-force attack
Multiple authentication failures from a single internal source IP to different SSH servers is a classic indicator of a brute-force attack. The attacker is systematically attempting to guess credentials across multiple targets, which is distinct from a single misconfiguration or user error. This pattern is commonly seen in post-compromise lateral movement or initial foothold attempts within the network.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Brute-force attack
Why this is correct
Repeated failed attempts from one source to multiple targets is a classic brute-force pattern.
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User error
Why it's wrong here
User error may cause a few failures but not a systematic attack.
- ✗
Misconfigured client
Why it's wrong here
A misconfigured client might cause repeated attempts but usually to a single server.
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Network scan
Why it's wrong here
Network scans test connectivity, not authentication.
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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.