- A
Wait for the user to confirm the behavior before taking any further steps.
Why wrong: Waiting increases risk because the attacker may continue using active sessions and captured credentials.
- B
Reimage the user's laptop before reviewing the account activity.
Why wrong: Endpoint reimaging may be needed later, but the confirmed account compromise and mailbox abuse require immediate identity-focused actions first.
- C
Revoke active sessions and reset the compromised credentials.
After disabling the account, the next step is to cut off any valid sessions and reset the credential set so the attacker cannot continue using stolen access. Because the compromise includes mailbox changes and MFA backup code manipulation, session revocation and credential reset are essential containment and recovery tasks.
- D
Close the ticket because MFA was enabled and should have prevented access.
Why wrong: MFA reduces risk but does not eliminate compromise, especially when attackers capture sessions, steal codes, or manipulate recovery methods.
Quick Answer
The correct next step is to revoke active sessions and reset the compromised credentials. After disabling the account, the attacker may still hold active session tokens, cookies, or cached credentials that bypass the account lockout, allowing continued access to email, cloud apps, or internal systems. Revoking all active sessions immediately cuts off that access, while resetting the credentials ensures any stolen or cached password hashes are invalidated, directly supporting the containment phase of incident response as outlined in NIST SP 800-61. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the containment priority: stopping active attacker access before moving to eradication or recovery. A common trap is to jump straight to password reset without revoking sessions, leaving the attacker’s existing tokens active. Remember the mnemonic “Revoke First, Reset Second” — think of it as locking the door (revoke sessions) before changing the lock (reset credentials).
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 help desk ticket confirms that a user entered corporate credentials into a fake sign-in page. Minutes later, the security team finds a new mailbox forwarding rule and evidence that the attacker added backup MFA codes. After disabling the account, what should the team do next to support containment and recovery?
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
Revoke active sessions and reset the compromised credentials.
Option C is correct because after disabling a compromised account, the immediate next step is to revoke all active sessions and reset the credentials. This ensures the attacker cannot maintain access via existing tokens or session cookies, and the new password invalidates any cached or stolen credentials. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response containment phase, which prioritizes cutting off active attacker access before further investigation.
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.
- ✗
Wait for the user to confirm the behavior before taking any further steps.
Why it's wrong here
Waiting increases risk because the attacker may continue using active sessions and captured credentials.
- ✗
Reimage the user's laptop before reviewing the account activity.
Why it's wrong here
Endpoint reimaging may be needed later, but the confirmed account compromise and mailbox abuse require immediate identity-focused actions first.
- ✓
Revoke active sessions and reset the compromised credentials.
Why this is correct
After disabling the account, the next step is to cut off any valid sessions and reset the credential set so the attacker cannot continue using stolen access. Because the compromise includes mailbox changes and MFA backup code manipulation, session revocation and credential reset are essential containment and recovery tasks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Close the ticket because MFA was enabled and should have prevented access.
Why it's wrong here
MFA reduces risk but does not eliminate compromise, especially when attackers capture sessions, steal codes, or manipulate recovery methods.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume MFA is a silver bullet and overlook that attackers can register their own MFA devices or use session hijacking, making credential reset alone insufficient without session revocation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Revoking sessions typically involves invalidating OAuth 2.0 refresh tokens, clearing Kerberos TGTs, and terminating active SAML sessions via the identity provider (e.g., Azure AD 'Revoke-AzureADUserAllRefreshToken'). Attackers often use stolen session cookies to bypass MFA entirely, so simply resetting the password without revoking sessions leaves those tokens valid until they expire. In real-world attacks, such as those using Evilginx or Modlishka, the attacker captures both credentials and session tokens, making session revocation critical.
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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
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 Operations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Security Operations practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SY0-701 questions
1,152 questions across all exam domains
- →
Security+ SY0-701 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SY0-701 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SY0-701 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
General Security Concepts practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to General Security Concepts.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations.
Security Architecture practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Architecture.
Security Operations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Operations.
Security Program Management and Oversight practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Program Management and Oversight.
Security+ social engineering questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ social engineering questions.
Security+ cryptography practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ cryptography.
Security+ IAM questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ IAM questions.
Security+ risk management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ risk management questions.
Security+ incident response questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ incident response questions.
Security+ malware questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ malware questions.
Security+ vulnerability management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ vulnerability management questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SY0-701 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Revoke active sessions and reset the compromised credentials. — Option C is correct because after disabling a compromised account, the immediate next step is to revoke all active sessions and reset the credentials. This ensures the attacker cannot maintain access via existing tokens or session cookies, and the new password invalidates any cached or stolen credentials. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response containment phase, which prioritizes cutting off active attacker access before further investigation.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SY0-701 practice questions
- An HR analyst must send a salary file to an external auditor. The auditor only needs names, departments, and salary tota…
- An investigator receives a suspect laptop drive that may be used in court. Which approach best supports a forensically s…
- An investigator must collect data from a suspected insider-threat laptop so the evidence could be used in an HR and lega…
- An NDR tool shows a production web server sending small, periodic DNS queries to random-looking subdomains under a domai…
- An investigator needs to make a forensic image of a suspect laptop without changing the original drive contents. Which t…
- An operations team manages Linux servers over SSH. The security team wants to stop direct management access from employe…
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.