Quick Answer
The correct answer is Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) because cryptocurrency mining consumes company-owned computing resources—such as CPU cycles, electricity, and network bandwidth—for unauthorized personal gain, which directly violates the standard AUP prohibition against non-work-related use of organizational assets. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between core security policies: the AUP governs acceptable behavior with company resources, while a data classification policy deals with labeling sensitivity, an incident response policy outlines steps for handling breaches, and a change management policy controls system modifications. A common trap is confusing resource misuse with data handling or procedural policies; remember that any activity that drains company infrastructure for personal profit—like mining or credential sharing—falls under the AUP. Memory tip: think “AUP = Assets Used Personally.”
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security policies and procedures. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An analyst discovers that an employee has been using company-issued laptops to run a personal cryptocurrency mining software. Which policy violation has occurred?
Incident Response Policy
Why wrong: Incident response is for handling threats, not defining acceptable behavior.
Change Management Policy
Why wrong: Change management controls system changes, not personal use.
Acceptable Use Policy
AUP defines permitted use of company assets; mining is unauthorized.
Data classification policy
Why wrong: Data classification policies deal with sensitivity labels, not resource usage.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Acceptable Use Policy
Cryptocurrency mining typically violates the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) because it consumes company resources for non-work purposes. Option B is correct. Option A (data classification policy) is about labeling data. Option C (incident response policy) is about handling security events. Option D (change management policy) is about modifying systems.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Incident Response Policy
Why it's wrong here
Incident response is for handling threats, not defining acceptable behavior.
Change Management Policy
Why it's wrong here
Change management controls system changes, not personal use.
Acceptable Use Policy
Why this is correct
AUP defines permitted use of company assets; mining is unauthorized.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Data classification policy
Why it's wrong here
Data classification policies deal with sensitivity labels, not resource usage.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which 200-201 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Security Policies and Procedures — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security Policies and Procedures — This question tests Security Policies and Procedures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Acceptable Use Policy — Cryptocurrency mining typically violates the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) because it consumes company resources for non-work purposes. Option B is correct. Option A (data classification policy) is about labeling data. Option C (incident response policy) is about handling security events. Option D (change management policy) is about modifying systems.
Identify which 200-201 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A security analyst discovers that an employee has been sharing login credentials with coworkers. Which policy violation is this?
mediumWhy D: Sharing login credentials violates the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), which defines how employees may use company systems and data. The AUP typically prohibits password sharing because it undermines non-repudiation and access control, as each user should have unique credentials for accountability. This is a direct breach of acceptable behavior, not a failure of remote access, incident response, or data classification procedures.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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