easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
200-201 Practice Question: A small retail company uses a cloud-based…
A small retail company uses a cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) system. The IT manager receives an alert from the cloud provider that the POS application is generating an unusually high number of outbound connections to an IP address in a foreign country. The POS application is only supposed to communicate with the cloud provider's servers in the United States. The IT manager checks the POS terminal logs and finds that a new user account was created locally on the terminal with administrative privileges two days ago. The terminal does not have antivirus installed. What should the IT manager do first to contain the incident and prevent data loss?
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
✓
Disconnect the POS terminal from the network immediately.
Disconnecting the POS terminal from the network immediately halts the suspected data exfiltration and prevents further loss.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reset the password for the new user account and disable it.
Why it's wrong here
While this addresses the account, it does not stop the already established connections that are exfiltrating data.
- ✗
Install antivirus software on the terminal and run a full scan.
Why it's wrong here
Installing antivirus takes time and does not immediately contain the active data transfer.
- ✗
Contact the cloud provider to block the outbound IP address.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the IP may stop the current connection, but it is slower than local disconnection and may not address the compromised terminal.
- ✓
Disconnect the POS terminal from the network immediately.
Why this is correct
This is the fastest way to stop the outbound connections and prevent further data exfiltration.
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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.