200-201 Host-Based Analysis Practice Question
Which Linux log file is most appropriate for reviewing failed SSH login attempts?
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
✓
/var/log/auth.log
/var/log/auth.log (or /var/log/secure on some distributions) records authentication events including SSH failures.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
/var/log/auth.log
Why this is correct
Auth.log is the standard location for authentication logs on Debian-based systems.
- ✗
/var/log/messages
Why it's wrong here
Messages is a general log file, not auth-specific.
- ✗
/var/log/kern.log
Why it's wrong here
Kern.log contains kernel messages.
- ✗
/var/log/syslog
Why it's wrong here
Syslog contains general system messages but auth.log is specific to authentication.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 200-201 question from scratch — 979 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.