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.
Which TWO of the following are best practices for configuring syslog to ensure reliable security event logging?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use TCP (port 514) instead of UDP for log transmission.
Option D is correct because syslog over TCP (port 514) provides reliable, connection-oriented delivery, ensuring that log messages are not lost during transmission. Unlike UDP, TCP includes acknowledgment and retransmission mechanisms, which are critical for security event logging where message integrity and completeness are paramount.
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.
✗
Use UDP for faster transmission and lower overhead.
Why it's wrong here
UDP does not guarantee delivery, risking lost logs.
✗
Enable debug-level logging for all devices to capture maximum detail.
Why it's wrong here
Debug level generates too much data and can overwhelm the system.
✗
Disable log filtering to ensure all messages are sent.
Why it's wrong here
Filtering is necessary to avoid noise and bandwidth issues.
✓
Use TCP (port 514) instead of UDP for log transmission.
Why this is correct
TCP provides acknowledgment and retransmission, ensuring delivery.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Configure syslog to send logs to at least two different servers.
Why this is correct
Redundancy prevents single point of failure.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
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 UDP is always preferred for syslog due to lower overhead, but the exam emphasizes that for security event logging, reliability (TCP) outweighs speed, and that debug-level logging is a dangerous practice that can crash a device.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Syslog over TCP (as defined in RFC 6587) uses a transport layer that provides flow control and error recovery, but it can introduce head-of-line blocking if a single log message is delayed. In high-volume environments, many administrators use TCP with TLS (RFC 5425) for encrypted and reliable delivery, or employ reliable syslog implementations like syslog-ng or rsyslog that can buffer logs locally if the remote server is unreachable. A real-world scenario is a distributed network where a critical security event (e.g., a failed login burst) must be captured; UDP loss could miss the attack entirely, while TCP ensures the logs arrive.
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 practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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: Use TCP (port 514) instead of UDP for log transmission. — Option D is correct because syslog over TCP (port 514) provides reliable, connection-oriented delivery, ensuring that log messages are not lost during transmission. Unlike UDP, TCP includes acknowledgment and retransmission mechanisms, which are critical for security event logging where message integrity and completeness are paramount.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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