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200-201 Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are common security…
Which THREE of the following are common security controls used to defend against ransomware?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between preventive controls (like whitelisting) and reactive controls (like account lockout), and the trap here is confusing a brute-force mitigation with a ransomware defense, or assuming that enabling macros is a safe practice.
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
✓
Implementing application whitelisting
Application whitelisting is a security control that prevents unauthorized executables, scripts, and macros from running. By default allowing only approved software, it blocks ransomware payloads that arrive as unknown or untrusted files, even if a user inadvertently executes them.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implementing application whitelisting
Why this is correct
Whitelisting prevents unauthorized executables, including ransomware, from running.
- ✗
Allowing macros in office documents
Why it's wrong here
Macros are a common vector for ransomware; disabling them is recommended.
- ✗
Disabling user accounts after 3 failed attempts
Why it's wrong here
Account lockout does not prevent ransomware infection.
- ✓
Regular offline backups
Why this is correct
Offline backups ensure data can be restored without paying ransom.
- ✓
Network segmentation to limit lateral movement
Why this is correct
Segmentation contains ransomware to a single segment, preventing widespread damage.
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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.