SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. 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 finance application works normally for weeks after a contractor leaves the company. On the first business day of the quarter, a hidden task runs, deletes archived reports, and then removes itself from the scheduled task list. What type of malware behavior is this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Logic bomb
The malware behavior described is a logic bomb because it lies dormant for a specific period (weeks) and triggers on a predefined condition (the first business day of the quarter) to execute a malicious payload (deleting archived reports) and then self-destructs by removing itself from the scheduled task list. This matches the definition of a logic bomb: malicious code that executes when a logical condition is met, often used for sabotage or delayed attacks.
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.
✗
Worm
Why it's wrong here
A worm self-replicates and spreads to other hosts, which is not the behavior described here.
✓
Logic bomb
Why this is correct
A logic bomb triggers on a condition such as a date, event, or account status to execute harmful actions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Rootkit
Why it's wrong here
A rootkit is designed to hide presence or gain privileged persistence, not to trigger on a date.
✗
Spyware
Why it's wrong here
Spyware covertly collects information, but it does not usually delete files on a timed trigger.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse a logic bomb with a worm because both can execute code automatically, but they fail to recognize that a worm's defining characteristic is self-propagation across networks, not a delayed, condition-based trigger.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a logic bomb is often embedded in legitimate scripts or scheduled tasks (e.g., using Windows Task Scheduler or cron jobs) and may check system time via APIs like GetSystemTime or time() to trigger its payload. In this case, the task likely used a conditional statement (e.g., if date == first business day of quarter) to execute a deletion command (e.g., del /s archive*.bak) and then a self-deletion command (e.g., schtasks /delete /tn hiddenTask). Real-world examples include the 2013 South Korean cyberattack where a logic bomb wiped hard drives on a specific date.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Logic bomb — The malware behavior described is a logic bomb because it lies dormant for a specific period (weeks) and triggers on a predefined condition (the first business day of the quarter) to execute a malicious payload (deleting archived reports) and then self-destructs by removing itself from the scheduled task list. This matches the definition of a logic bomb: malicious code that executes when a logical condition is met, often used for sabotage or delayed attacks.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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