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200-201 · domain

Security Concepts

Practise Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 Security Concepts practice questions — original exam-style scenarios with answer choices, explanations, and analysis of common mistakes.

98 questions24 easy48 medium26 hard

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What this domain covers

What to know about Security Concepts

Security Concepts questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.

How the topic appears in realistic exam-style scenarios.

Which detail in the question changes the correct answer.

How to eliminate plausible but wrong options.

How to connect the question back to the wider exam objective.

Watch out for

Common Security Concepts exam traps

  • Answering from memory before reading the full scenario.
  • Missing a constraint such as cost, availability, security, scope or command context.
  • Choosing a broad answer when the question asks for the most specific fix.
  • Ignoring why the wrong options are tempting.

Question index

All Security Concepts questions (98)

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1

An organization wants to ensure that a received email genuinely came from the claimed sender and has not been altered. Which cryptographic mechanism provides both authentication and integrity?

Hard
2

A healthcare organization must comply with HIPAA. Which THREE security measures are typically required under HIPAA? (Choose three.)

Medium
3

An organization wants to ensure that data sent over the internet cannot be read if intercepted. Which cryptographic method should be used?

Hard
4

A security analyst observes repeated failed login attempts from a single external IP address, causing the authentication server to become unresponsive. Which type of attack is occurring?

Medium
5

An attacker uses a tool to capture keystrokes on a compromised system. What type of malware is most likely in use?

Medium
6

A security analyst is reviewing logs and notices that an attacker has intercepted and modified communications between two devices on the same network. Which attack technique is being used?

Medium
7

A security analyst is selecting a symmetric encryption algorithm for encrypting data at rest. Which of the following is a suitable symmetric algorithm?

Hard
8

An organization wants to ensure data integrity and non-repudiation for sensitive documents. Which THREE cryptographic mechanisms should be implemented? (Select three.)

Hard
9

What is the primary difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption?

Medium
10

Which element of the CIA triad ensures that data cannot be modified by unauthorized parties?

Easy
11

Which cryptographic method uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, and is typically faster than asymmetric encryption?

Medium
12

Which TWO of the following are examples of malware that rely on user interaction to spread? (Select two.)

Easy
13

A security analyst is notified that an employee's laptop was stolen. The laptop contains sensitive customer data. Which type of threat does this incident represent?

Easy
14

During a security audit, it is discovered that an organization’s network is vulnerable to ARP spoofing attacks. Which type of attack could result from exploiting this vulnerability?

Hard
15

A security analyst is reviewing network logs and identifies several failed login attempts followed by a successful login from an unusual geographic location. Which TWO security concepts are most directly related to this scenario? (Choose two.)

Easy
16

A security engineer is implementing controls to meet compliance requirements. Which TWO of the following frameworks are specifically designed for protecting personal data?

Medium
17

A security team is implementing a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to support digital signatures for email. Which THREE components are essential to the PKI framework? (Choose three.)

Hard
18

A user receives an email that appears to be from the company's IT department asking for their password to perform a security check. The email contains a link to a fake login page. Which type of social engineering attack is this?

Medium
19

A security engineer is analyzing a recent breach. The attacker gained access by sending an email that appeared to be from the CEO, requesting the recipient to transfer funds. What type of social engineering attack is this?

Medium
20

Which of the following best describes a vulnerability?

Easy
21

An organization experiences a ransomware attack where files are encrypted and a ransom is demanded. Which element of the CIA triad is most directly impacted?

Medium
22

An organization wants to implement a security framework that includes functions such as Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. Which framework aligns with this structure?

Hard
23

During a penetration test, a security engineer uses publicly available information from LinkedIn and Google to gather details about employees and organizational structure. Which type of reconnaissance is being performed?

Hard
24

A security engineer discovers that an attacker has inserted fake entries into a DNS resolver's cache, redirecting users to a malicious website. Which attack has occurred?

Medium
25

What is the primary purpose of a digital certificate in a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)?

Medium
26

Which element of the CIA triad ensures that data cannot be modified by unauthorized parties?

Easy
27

A security analyst is assessing the risks to a company's data. The analyst identifies a vulnerability in the web application that could allow SQL injection. Which TWO terms correctly describe the elements of this risk scenario? (Choose two.)

Easy
28

An attacker uses a tool to scan all IP addresses in a range to identify which hosts are online and what services are running. Which type of reconnaissance is this?

Medium
29

Which compliance framework specifically addresses the protection of cardholder data?

Medium
30

A company is implementing a security policy to reduce risk. Which THREE activities are examples of risk mitigation? (Choose three.)

Hard
31

Which THREE components are part of a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)? (Choose three.)

Hard
32

Which term describes a weakness in a system that could be exploited by a threat?

Easy
33

A security administrator needs to verify that a downloaded file has not been altered during transit. Which cryptographic technique should be used?

Easy
34

Which type of malware is designed to encrypt files on a victim's system and demand payment for the decryption key?

Medium
35

A security analyst discovers that an employee's computer is infected with malware that encrypts files and demands payment. What type of malware is this?

Easy
36

Which of the following best describes the relationship between a vulnerability, threat, and risk in cybersecurity?

Easy
37

A security analyst needs to ensure that a message has not been tampered with during transit and that the sender cannot deny sending it. Which cryptographic method should be used?

Hard
38

A security analyst is investigating a potential data breach. Which two actions are examples of passive reconnaissance? (Choose two.)

Medium
39

A company's web server is overwhelmed by traffic from multiple compromised systems, causing it to become unresponsive to legitimate users. Which type of attack is this?

Medium
40

A security team is analyzing a malware infection. Which two characteristics are typical of a worm? (Choose two.)

Medium
41

A security analyst needs to verify the authenticity and integrity of a software update. The update is signed with a digital signature. Which key is used to verify the signature?

Medium
42

A company is implementing a new security policy to protect customer payment information. Which TWO compliance frameworks are most relevant to this requirement? (Choose two.)

Medium
43

Which encryption method uses a single key for both encryption and decryption of data?

Medium
44

A security analyst is reviewing logs from a web server and notices a high volume of HTTP requests from a single IP address targeting the same login page within a short time frame. The analyst suspects a brute force attack. Which TWO actions are most appropriate to mitigate this type of attack? (Choose two.)

Medium
45

Which type of malware is designed to replicate itself and spread to other systems without user intervention?

Medium
46

A security analyst discovers that an attacker is using a vulnerability scanning tool to identify open ports on the company's network. Which type of attack is being performed?

Easy
47

Which NIST Cybersecurity Framework function involves developing and implementing appropriate safeguards to ensure delivery of critical infrastructure services?

Easy
48

An attacker intercepts communication between a client and server and modifies the data being transmitted. The client and server are unaware of the modification. Which type of attack is being performed?

Hard
49

Which element of the CIA triad is primarily compromised when an attacker successfully intercepts and reads encrypted network traffic without authorization?

Easy
50

Which cryptographic technique uses a public and private key pair to provide non-repudiation?

Medium
51

An attacker intercepts communication between two parties and modifies the data before forwarding it. Which type of attack is this?

Medium
52

An organization wants to ensure that a message has not been altered during transmission. Which cryptographic technique should be used?

Medium
53

A company's web server is overwhelmed with traffic from many compromised devices, causing legitimate users to be unable to access the site. What type of attack is this?

Medium
54

A user receives an email that appears to be from their bank, asking them to click a link and verify their account details. The email contains a sense of urgency. Which type of attack is this?

Medium
55

An analyst is investigating a malware infection on a workstation. The malware appears to be a trojan that downloads additional payloads and allows remote control. The analyst needs to classify the malware based on its behavior. Which THREE characteristics match this description? (Choose three.)

Hard
56

A security analyst is reviewing logs and notices that an attacker has intercepted and modified communications between two devices without their knowledge. Which type of attack is this?

Medium
57

A company processes credit card payments and must comply with a framework that mandates specific security controls for protecting cardholder data. Which compliance framework applies?

Hard
58

Which compliance framework is specifically designed to protect the privacy and security of electronic health information in the United States?

Medium
59

A security analyst discovers that an attacker has captured network traffic and used it to impersonate a legitimate user in a subsequent session. Which element of the CIA triad is most directly compromised in this scenario?

Easy
60

Which type of malware is characterized by self-replication and spreading to other systems without user interaction, often causing network congestion?

Medium
61

A security analyst is configuring a firewall to block common reconnaissance techniques. Which THREE types of reconnaissance traffic should be blocked to prevent active reconnaissance? (Choose three.)

Medium
62

A security analyst is investigating a potential data breach. The analyst identifies that the attacker used a technique to impersonate a legitimate user by spoofing the MAC address and IP address. Which TWO types of network attacks could involve these techniques? (Choose two.)

Medium
63

A security analyst is evaluating risks and calculates that a threat has a likelihood of 0.5 and an impact of $200,000. What is the risk value?

Hard
64

Which security concept describes the potential for a threat to exploit a vulnerability, and is often expressed as a combination of likelihood and impact?

Easy
65

An analyst is investigating a security incident where an attacker gained access to a server by exploiting a known vulnerability. The attacker then moved laterally and exfiltrated data. Which THREE phases of the Cyber Kill Chain are evident in this scenario? (Choose three.)

Hard
66

A security analyst is investigating an incident where an attacker successfully altered DNS records to redirect users to a fake website. Which attack occurred?

Hard
67

An organization needs to ensure that a document has not been altered and to verify the sender's identity. Which combination of cryptographic techniques should be used?

Hard
68

During a security assessment, an analyst uses the Shodan search engine to find exposed industrial control systems. Which phase of the attack lifecycle does this activity represent?

Hard
69

An attacker sends an email that appears to come from the company's IT department, asking the recipient to click a link and reset their password due to a security breach. Which type of social engineering is this?

Medium
70

Which element of the CIA triad is primarily concerned with preventing unauthorized access to data?

Easy
71

Which phase of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework involves actions to limit the impact of a cybersecurity incident?

Easy
72

An organization is implementing a security policy to protect sensitive data. Which three are considered compliance frameworks that could guide this effort? (Choose three.)

Hard
73

An organization wants to ensure the integrity of software updates downloaded from its vendor's website. The vendor provides a hash value for each update. Which TWO properties of hashing algorithms make them suitable for integrity verification? (Choose two.)

Medium
74

A security analyst is examining a log file and notices that the hash value of a configuration file does not match the expected value. Which security goal has been violated?

Medium
75

A security analyst is identifying potential vulnerabilities in the network. Which TWO of the following are examples of passive reconnaissance?

Easy
76

Which element of the CIA triad ensures that data cannot be modified by unauthorized parties?

Easy
77

A security analyst discovers that a server's configuration allows users to access files outside of their intended directory. In security terminology, what is this weakness called?

Medium
78

Which of the following is an example of a symmetric encryption algorithm?

Medium
79

An organization wants to ensure that a user cannot deny having sent an email. Which security goal does this address?

Hard
80

A company's security policy requires that sensitive data be encrypted at rest using AES-256. Which type of encryption does AES-256 represent?

Medium
81

A security analyst discovers that a malicious actor is using a technique to gather information about employees by searching social media sites. Which type of attack is being performed?

Easy
82

An attacker intercepts communication between a client and a server, allowing the attacker to read, insert, and modify messages in both directions. Which type of network attack is this?

Hard
83

A security analyst is investigating an incident where an employee received an email that appeared to be from the company's IT department, requesting the employee to verify their account by clicking a link and entering their credentials. The employee complied, and later the attacker used those credentials to access the corporate VPN. Which combination of attack types best describes this incident?

Hard
84

A security analyst discovers that an attacker used a publicly available tool to scan a company's network for open ports and services. What type of attack is this?

Easy
85

An organization implements encryption for all sensitive data at rest and in transit to prevent unauthorized access. Which element of the CIA triad is being primarily addressed?

Easy
86

A network analyst notices a high volume of traffic from a single external IP address to multiple internal hosts on port 443. The traffic includes incomplete TCP handshakes. Which type of reconnaissance is being performed?

Medium
87

An attacker sends an email posing as the company's IT department, asking employees to click a link and enter their credentials. Which type of social engineering attack is this?

Medium
88

Which component of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework involves taking action to stop an ongoing attack?

Easy
89

An organization must comply with a regulation that requires protecting the privacy of EU citizens' personal data. Which compliance framework applies?

Hard
90

In a PKI, what is the role of a Certificate Authority (CA)?

Hard
91

Which THREE of the following are common types of malware?

Medium
92

A security analyst needs to verify that a downloaded software update has not been tampered with. The update's publisher provides a file containing a hash value. Which process should the analyst use to verify integrity?

Hard
93

A security analyst is investigating a network breach. Which TWO activities are examples of passive reconnaissance? (Choose two.)

Medium
94

An organization is required to protect cardholder data. Which compliance framework applies to this requirement?

Medium
95

An organization wants to protect sensitive data at rest and in transit. Which THREE cryptographic methods can provide confidentiality? (Choose three.)

Medium
96

An attacker sends a fraudulent email that appears to come from the company's IT department, requesting that the recipient click a link and enter their login credentials. Which type of social engineering attack is this?

Medium
97

Which compliance standard specifically applies to organizations that handle credit card information?

Medium
98

A security engineer is analyzing a recent data breach. Which TWO are examples of active reconnaissance techniques? (Select two.)

Medium

Frequently asked questions

What does the Security Concepts domain cover on the 200-201 exam?
Security Concepts questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.
How many questions are in this domain?
This page lists all 98 Security Concepts questions in the 200-201 question bank. The actual exam draws from this domain proportionally to its weighting in the official exam blueprint.
What is the best way to practise this domain?
Start with a short focused session (10 questions) to identify gaps, then work through explanations. Repeat with a longer session once the weak areas feel solid.
Can I practise only Security Concepts questions?
Yes — the session launcher on this page filters questions to this domain only. Choose any session length for inline explanations and scoring.
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