- A
The user 'john.doe' has forgotten his password and is repeatedly trying to log in.
Why wrong: A human would not attempt exactly every 5 seconds for 10 minutes; the regularity suggests automation.
- B
A script or automated process at the partner site is misconfigured and repeatedly trying to authenticate with an incorrect password.
The exact timing and same username point to a script; the lockout policy would lock the account after 3 attempts, but the script may be retrying from the same source, causing the SIEM alert before the lockout.
- C
A man-in-the-middle attack is replaying captured authentication packets.
Why wrong: Replay attacks would likely succeed or cause different logs; the failed attempts indicate wrong credentials.
- D
The partner's account 'john.doe' has been compromised and an attacker is attempting to gain access.
Why wrong: An attacker would likely try multiple usernames or succeed after a few attempts; the lockout policy would prevent 30 attempts from the same source.
Quick Answer
The answer is a misconfigured automated script or process at the partner site repeatedly attempting authentication with an incorrect password. This is correct because the observed pattern—exactly six attempts per minute, spaced precisely every five seconds—is mechanically regular, which is the hallmark of automated brute-force behavior rather than human error. A human user would vary their typing speed and would be locked out after three failed attempts under the partner’s policy, making it impossible to sustain 30+ failures. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between automated brute-force attacks and human mistakes by analyzing log timing and lockout policies. A common trap is assuming all failed logins are malicious external attacks, but here the source IP is a trusted partner, so the key is the rigid timing. Memory tip: “Robots run on rails, humans stumble—look for the clockwork rhythm to spot the script.”
200-201 Security Monitoring Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security monitoring. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
You are a security analyst at a mid-sized company. The company uses a SIEM to collect logs from firewalls, IDS, and servers. Recently, the SIEM generated an alert for a potential brute-force attack against the company's VPN server. The alert is based on a correlation rule that triggers when more than 30 failed authentication attempts from a single source IP occur within 10 minutes. You investigate and see that the source IP is 203.0.113.50, which is a known IP address of a partner company that uses the VPN for remote access. The failed attempts are all from the same username 'john.doe'. You also notice that the attempts are happening every 5 seconds, exactly 6 attempts per minute. The partner company has a policy that locks accounts after 3 failed attempts. Based on this scenario, what is the most likely cause of the alert?
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 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
A script or automated process at the partner site is misconfigured and repeatedly trying to authenticate with an incorrect password.
The alert is triggered by a correlation rule that detects more than 30 failed authentication attempts from a single source IP within 10 minutes. The observed pattern—exactly 6 attempts per minute, every 5 seconds—is highly regular and mechanical, which is characteristic of an automated script or misconfigured process, not human behavior. Since the partner company locks accounts after 3 failed attempts, a human user would be locked out quickly and could not sustain 30+ attempts; only a script ignoring the lockout policy or using a cached incorrect password could produce this pattern.
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.
- ✗
The user 'john.doe' has forgotten his password and is repeatedly trying to log in.
Why it's wrong here
A human would not attempt exactly every 5 seconds for 10 minutes; the regularity suggests automation.
- ✓
A script or automated process at the partner site is misconfigured and repeatedly trying to authenticate with an incorrect password.
Why this is correct
The exact timing and same username point to a script; the lockout policy would lock the account after 3 attempts, but the script may be retrying from the same source, causing the SIEM alert before the lockout.
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.
- ✗
A man-in-the-middle attack is replaying captured authentication packets.
Why it's wrong here
Replay attacks would likely succeed or cause different logs; the failed attempts indicate wrong credentials.
- ✗
The partner's account 'john.doe' has been compromised and an attacker is attempting to gain access.
Why it's wrong here
An attacker would likely try multiple usernames or succeed after a few attempts; the lockout policy would prevent 30 attempts from the same source.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between human behavior and automated patterns by including precise timing data; the trap here is that candidates focus on the source IP being a 'known partner' and assume compromise or user error, ignoring the mechanical regularity that points to a script.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VPN authentication logs often show timestamps with millisecond precision; a script using a loop with a fixed sleep interval (e.g., 'sleep 5') will produce identical inter-arrival times, whereas human typing or even basic brute-force tools like Hydra introduce jitter. The partner's lockout policy of 3 attempts means the script is likely using a cached or hardcoded password that is incorrect, and the VPN server may not be enforcing the lockout policy across the partner's IP range, allowing the script to continue indefinitely. In real-world scenarios, such misconfigurations often occur when an automated sync tool (e.g., LDAP bind or RADIUS test) is left running with stale credentials.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-201 question test?
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: A script or automated process at the partner site is misconfigured and repeatedly trying to authenticate with an incorrect password. — The alert is triggered by a correlation rule that detects more than 30 failed authentication attempts from a single source IP within 10 minutes. The observed pattern—exactly 6 attempts per minute, every 5 seconds—is highly regular and mechanical, which is characteristic of an automated script or misconfigured process, not human behavior. Since the partner company locks accounts after 3 failed attempts, a human user would be locked out quickly and could not sustain 30+ attempts; only a script ignoring the lockout policy or using a cached incorrect password could produce this pattern.
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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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