This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Exhibit
access-list 100 permit tcp any host 192.168.1.100 eq www
access-list 100 permit tcp any host 192.168.1.100 eq 443
access-list 100 deny tcp any host 192.168.1.100 range 1 1023
access-list 100 permit ip any any
Refer to the exhibit. An analyst observes that the router's ACL is allowing all traffic to the web server at 192.168.1.100 on ports 80 and 443, but blocking all other TCP ports below 1024. However, the web server is also running an SSH service on port 22. What will happen to SSH traffic from the outside?
access-list 100 permit tcp any host 192.168.1.100 eq www
access-list 100 permit tcp any host 192.168.1.100 eq 443
access-list 100 deny tcp any host 192.168.1.100 range 1 1023
access-list 100 permit ip any any
A
SSH will be permitted because of the last line 'permit ip any any'.
Why wrong: The last line is processed only after earlier rules; the deny rule matches first.
B
SSH will be denied because the ACL does not have an explicit permit for SSH.
Why wrong: While true that there is no explicit permit, the deny rule is the direct reason.
C
SSH will be permitted because it is not blocked by any rule.
Why wrong: The deny rule explicitly blocks it.
D
SSH will be denied because of the deny line range.
The deny line covers port 22, so SSH traffic is denied.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SSH will be denied because of the deny line range.
The ACL denies all TCP ports below 1024 except ports 80 and 443, which are explicitly permitted. Since SSH uses TCP port 22, which falls within the denied range (below 1024) and is not explicitly permitted, it is blocked by the deny line. The last line 'permit ip any any' only applies to traffic not already denied, but SSH traffic is already denied by the earlier rule, so it never reaches that permit statement.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
SSH will be permitted because of the last line 'permit ip any any'.
Why it's wrong here
The last line is processed only after earlier rules; the deny rule matches first.
✗
SSH will be denied because the ACL does not have an explicit permit for SSH.
Why it's wrong here
While true that there is no explicit permit, the deny rule is the direct reason.
✗
SSH will be permitted because it is not blocked by any rule.
Why it's wrong here
The deny rule explicitly blocks it.
✓
SSH will be denied because of the deny line range.
Why this is correct
The deny line covers port 22, so SSH traffic is denied.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that a final 'permit ip any any' overrides earlier deny statements, when in fact ACLs stop processing after the first match, so traffic denied earlier never reaches the final permit.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cisco ACLs are processed top-down with implicit deny at the end; the deny line in the exhibit uses a range (lt 1024) that matches any TCP destination port less than 1024, including port 22. Even though SSH is a different service, the ACL matches on port numbers, not application protocols, so any TCP traffic to a port in that range is denied unless explicitly permitted. In real-world scenarios, administrators often forget that services like SSH (port 22) or DNS (port 53) are blocked by such broad deny rules, leading to unintended outages.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Monitoring — This question tests Security Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: SSH will be denied because of the deny line range. — The ACL denies all TCP ports below 1024 except ports 80 and 443, which are explicitly permitted. Since SSH uses TCP port 22, which falls within the denied range (below 1024) and is not explicitly permitted, it is blocked by the deny line. The last line 'permit ip any any' only applies to traffic not already denied, but SSH traffic is already denied by the earlier rule, so it never reaches that permit statement.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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