- A
Insider threat
Abnormal account activity could indicate an insider threat or compromised credentials.
- B
DDoS
Why wrong: DDoS targets network resources, not user accounts.
- C
Ransomware
Why wrong: Ransomware typically involves encryption and ransom notes, not just lockouts.
- D
Phishing
Why wrong: Phishing involves deceptive emails, not account lockouts directly.
Question 225 of 1,000
CS0-003 Incident Response and Management Practice Question
This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of incident response and management. 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.
An analyst receives an alert about a user account that has been locked out multiple times within an hour. The account belongs to a system administrator. Which incident category does this scenario most likely fall under?
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
✓
Insider threat
A system administrator account being locked out multiple times in an hour suggests a deliberate attempt to guess or brute-force the credentials, or the admin themselves may be performing unauthorized actions that trigger lockout policies. This aligns with an insider threat because the account has elevated privileges and the anomalous lockout pattern indicates either a compromised credential or malicious insider activity, not an external network-based attack.
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.
- ✓
Insider threat
Why this is correct
Abnormal account activity could indicate an insider threat or compromised credentials.
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.
- ✗
DDoS
Why it's wrong here
DDoS targets network resources, not user accounts.
- ✗
Ransomware
Why it's wrong here
Ransomware typically involves encryption and ransom notes, not just lockouts.
- ✗
Phishing
Why it's wrong here
Phishing involves deceptive emails, not account lockouts directly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between the attack vector (e.g., phishing) and the resulting incident category (e.g., insider threat), so candidates may incorrectly choose phishing because they focus on how credentials were stolen rather than the behavioral indicator of the lockout itself.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Active Directory lockout policies are configured via Group Policy, typically with a threshold of 5-10 bad password attempts within a sliding window (e.g., 30 minutes). A system administrator account being locked out repeatedly suggests either a password spraying attack from an internal source or the admin's own misconfigured service account causing repeated authentication failures. In real-world scenarios, this pattern often precedes privilege escalation or data exfiltration by a disgruntled insider.
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
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
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.
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Incident Response and Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CS0-003 question test?
Incident Response and Management — This question tests Incident Response and Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Insider threat — A system administrator account being locked out multiple times in an hour suggests a deliberate attempt to guess or brute-force the credentials, or the admin themselves may be performing unauthorized actions that trigger lockout policies. This aligns with an insider threat because the account has elevated privileges and the anomalous lockout pattern indicates either a compromised credential or malicious insider activity, not an external network-based attack.
What should I do if I get this CS0-003 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.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CS0-003 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CS0-003 exam.
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