The answer is to disable the former employee’s VPN account immediately. This is correct because the core security principle in a compromised VPN account scenario is containment: the attacker is actively using valid credentials to access the corporate network, so the fastest way to cut off that access is to revoke the account itself. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this tests your understanding of incident response priorities—specifically the “contain first, investigate second” workflow. A common trap is choosing to change the VPN server password or review logs first, but those actions don’t stop the active session; disabling the account does. Remember the mnemonic “DICE” for incident response: Disable, Isolate, Contain, Examine—always disable the compromised account before doing anything else.
220-1102 Remote Access Technologies Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of remote access technologies. 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.
A security analyst discovers that an attacker has been using a compromised VPN account to access the corporate network. The account belongs to a former employee who was terminated two weeks ago. Which of the following should the analyst do immediately to prevent further unauthorized access?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Review the VPN logs to determine the extent of the breach
Why wrong: Reviewing logs is important for forensics, but the immediate action should be to stop the ongoing access.
B
Disable the former employee's VPN account
Disabling the account immediately cuts off the attacker's access, containing the breach.
C
Change the VPN server's shared secret
Why wrong: Changing the shared secret affects the VPN server authentication, but the attacker is using a valid user account, so this would not stop them.
D
Notify the former employee about the security incident
Why wrong: Notifying the former employee is not a security action and could alert the attacker if they are monitoring communications.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Disable the former employee's VPN account
The immediate priority is to disable the compromised account to stop the attack. This is a critical security incident that requires swift action. While investigating the breach and reviewing logs are important, they come after containing the threat. Changing the VPN server password is not sufficient if the account itself is still active.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Review the VPN logs to determine the extent of the breach
Why it's wrong here
Reviewing logs is important for forensics, but the immediate action should be to stop the ongoing access.
✓
Disable the former employee's VPN account
Why this is correct
Disabling the account immediately cuts off the attacker's access, containing the breach.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Change the VPN server's shared secret
Why it's wrong here
Changing the shared secret affects the VPN server authentication, but the attacker is using a valid user account, so this would not stop them.
✗
Notify the former employee about the security incident
Why it's wrong here
Notifying the former employee is not a security action and could alert the attacker if they are monitoring communications.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1202 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1202 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Remote Access Technologies — This question tests Remote Access Technologies — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disable the former employee's VPN account — The immediate priority is to disable the compromised account to stop the attack. This is a critical security incident that requires swift action. While investigating the breach and reviewing logs are important, they come after containing the threat. Changing the VPN server password is not sufficient if the account itself is still active.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1202 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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