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200-201 Practice Question: A security policy requires that all privileged…
A security policy requires that all privileged access be logged and monitored. A junior admin uses a shared service account to perform maintenance. The logs show the account logged in from multiple IPs at the same time. What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'compromised' and 'shared account misuse'—the trap here is that candidates jump to 'compromised' (Option B) because multiple IPs seem suspicious, but the question explicitly states a shared service account is in use, making simultaneous legitimate use the most logical conclusion without additional indicators of compromise.
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
✓
The account is being used by multiple administrators simultaneously.
The scenario describes a shared service account being used by multiple administrators simultaneously, which is exactly what the logs indicate: the same account logged in from multiple IPs at the same time. This violates the security policy requiring privileged access to be logged and monitored because it breaks non-repudiation—you cannot determine which specific admin performed which action. The correct answer is C because it directly matches the observed behavior without introducing unnecessary assumptions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
There is a network issue causing duplicate logs.
Why it's wrong here
Unlikely.
- ✗
The account is compromised.
Why it's wrong here
Possible but not the most likely.
- ✓
The account is being used by multiple administrators simultaneously.
Why this is correct
Shared accounts lead to loss of accountability.
- ✗
The account is being used by an automated script.
Why it's wrong here
Scripts typically run from single IP.
- ✗
The logging system is malfunctioning.
Why it's wrong here
Not suggested by logs.
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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.