This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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
Refer to the exhibit.
<syslog>
Mar 1 12:34:56 192.168.1.1 %ASA-4-106023: Deny tcp src inside:10.0.0.10/54321 dst outside:203.0.113.5/80 by access-group "OUTSIDE" [0x0, 0x0]
Mar 1 12:34:57 192.168.1.1 %ASA-4-106023: Deny tcp src inside:10.0.0.10/54322 dst outside:203.0.113.5/80 by access-group "OUTSIDE" [0x0, 0x0]
Mar 1 12:34:58 192.168.1.1 %ASA-4-106023: Deny tcp src inside:10.0.0.10/54323 dst outside:203.0.113.5/80 by access-group "OUTSIDE" [0x0, 0x0]
</syslog>
Refer to the exhibit. An analyst sees these syslog messages from the Cisco ASA. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
An internal host (10.0.0.10) is attempting to access the Internet on port 80 and is being blocked.
The syslog messages show the Cisco ASA denying traffic from internal IP 10.0.0.10 to external destination 203.0.113.5 on TCP port 80. The ASA's access control list (ACL) is configured to block outbound HTTP traffic from this host, which is the most likely cause of the denial. The messages indicate a standard deny action, not a signature-based attack detection.
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.
✗
An external host attempting to connect to an internal server.
Why it's wrong here
Source is inside (10.0.0.10), destination is outside.
✗
A denial-of-service attack from the external IP.
Why it's wrong here
The traffic is from inside to outside, not a DoS.
✓
An internal host (10.0.0.10) is attempting to access the Internet on port 80 and is being blocked.
Why this is correct
The deny messages indicate outbound traffic is blocked.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An internal host is performing a port scan of the external server.
Why it's wrong here
Port scan would show different destination ports, not the same port.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the ability to read syslog message fields (source vs. destination) to determine traffic direction, and the trap here is that candidates may misinterpret the deny as an attack from the external IP (option A) or as a scan (option D) without carefully parsing the source and destination addresses.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Port scan would show different destination ports, not the same port.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cisco ASA syslog message 106015 (deny tcp) is generated when traffic is blocked by an ACL entry. The message format includes source and destination IPs, ports, and the ACL name or ID. In real-world scenarios, such denials often indicate misconfigured outbound ACLs or host-based restrictions, and troubleshooting involves checking the ACL configuration with 'show access-list' and verifying the interface direction (e.g., 'access-group inside_in in interface inside').
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: An internal host (10.0.0.10) is attempting to access the Internet on port 80 and is being blocked. — The syslog messages show the Cisco ASA denying traffic from internal IP 10.0.0.10 to external destination 203.0.113.5 on TCP port 80. The ASA's access control list (ACL) is configured to block outbound HTTP traffic from this host, which is the most likely cause of the denial. The messages indicate a standard deny action, not a signature-based attack detection.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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