easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-201 Practice Question: A security monitoring tool generates an alert for…
A security monitoring tool generates an alert for a user accessing a sensitive file at an unusual hour. What is the most appropriate next step?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between triage and escalation, trapping candidates who jump to escalation or containment without first performing the basic verification step of contacting the user.
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
✓
Contact the user to confirm if the access was legitimate.
The alert indicates an anomaly (unusual hour), but not necessarily malicious activity. The most appropriate first step is to verify the user's intent through direct communication, as this aligns with the principle of validation before escalation. In security monitoring, contacting the user helps confirm whether the access was authorized, reducing false positives and unnecessary incident response activation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore the alert since it is likely a false positive.
Why it's wrong here
Alerts should not be ignored without verification.
- ✓
Contact the user to confirm if the access was legitimate.
Why this is correct
Direct verification is a quick way to triage the alert.
- ✗
Escalate the alert to the incident response team.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation should occur after initial triage indicates malicious activity.
- ✗
Block the user's account immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking without investigation can cause unnecessary disruption.
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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.