200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
A SIEM correlation rule triggers when it detects more than 10 failed login attempts from the same source IP within 1 minute. Which type of attack is this rule designed to detect?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between a brute-force attack (repeated login attempts) and a DDoS attack (traffic volume), so candidates may confuse the two because both involve high rates of activity from a single source.
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
A brute-force attack involves repeated login attempts using many password guesses against a single account or a set of accounts. The SIEM rule correlates more than 10 failed login attempts from the same source IP within 1 minute, which is a classic signature of an automated password-guessing tool. This threshold-based detection is specifically designed to identify brute-force activity, not other attack types.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Port scan
Why it's wrong here
Port scans target multiple ports, not authentication attempts.
- ✗
DDoS attack
Why it's wrong here
DDoS involves high traffic volume, not specifically login attempts.
- ✗
Privilege escalation
Why it's wrong here
Privilege escalation occurs after successful login, not failed attempts.
- ✓
Brute-force attack
Why this is correct
Multiple failed logins from the same IP is indicative of a brute-force attempt.
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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.