Question 89 of 1,152

Security Operations →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct first step is to review the user’s login and activity logs. This is because incident response best practices, as outlined in NIST SP 800-61, prioritize the identification and analysis phase over immediate containment; reviewing logs allows the analyst to verify whether the user was actually logged in at 2:00 AM, detect anomalous behavior such as unauthorized tools or unusual file access, and determine if the data exfiltration was user-driven or malware-initiated. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the incident response lifecycle, specifically that log review precedes containment—a common trap is jumping to block the IP or isolate the workstation without first gathering evidence. A helpful memory tip is “Logs before locks”: always verify the digital footprint before taking action.

SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question

This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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 in a SOC receives an alert indicating that a large volume of data was transferred from a user's workstation to an external IP address at 2:00 AM. The analyst suspects a data exfiltration attack. According to incident response best practices, what should the analyst do FIRST?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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.

Question 1mediummultiple choice

Full question →

A
Block the external IP address at the firewall.
Why wrong: Blocking the IP is a containment action, but it should be taken after confirming the incident and assessing potential impact. Doing it first might disrupt legitimate services and does not help in gathering initial evidence.
B
Review the user's login and activity logs.
Reviewing logs is the correct first step. It allows the analyst to verify the alert, see if the user was logged in, identify the process responsible for the transfer, and gather details necessary for informed decision-making.
C
Contact the user to inquire about the transfer.
Why wrong: Contacting the user prematurely could tip off a malicious insider or create confusion. The investigation should first rely on technical evidence to avoid compromising the integrity of the response.
D
Restore the workstation from a known good backup.
Why wrong: Restoring from backup would erase volatile data and potential evidence. This step is only appropriate after thorough forensic analysis and containment, not as the first action.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

Review the user's login and activity logs.

Option B is correct because, in incident response, the first step is to gather evidence and understand the scope of the incident. Reviewing the user's login and activity logs (e.g., Windows Event Logs, authentication logs, and process creation logs) allows the analyst to verify if the user was actually logged in at 2:00 AM, identify any anomalous behavior (e.g., use of unauthorized tools or unusual file access patterns), and determine whether the data transfer was initiated by the user or by malware. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, specifically the identification and analysis phase, where initial triage focuses on log review before taking containment actions.

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.

✗
Block the external IP address at the firewall.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the IP is a containment action, but it should be taken after confirming the incident and assessing potential impact. Doing it first might disrupt legitimate services and does not help in gathering initial evidence.
✓
Review the user's login and activity logs.
Why this is correct
Reviewing logs is the correct first step. It allows the analyst to verify the alert, see if the user was logged in, identify the process responsible for the transfer, and gather details necessary for informed decision-making.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Contact the user to inquire about the transfer.
Why it's wrong here
Contacting the user prematurely could tip off a malicious insider or create confusion. The investigation should first rely on technical evidence to avoid compromising the integrity of the response.
✗
Restore the workstation from a known good backup.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from backup would erase volatile data and potential evidence. This step is only appropriate after thorough forensic analysis and containment, not as the first action.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often jump to immediate containment (blocking the IP) or recovery (restoring from backup) without first verifying the alert through log analysis, which is a fundamental incident response principle emphasized in the SY0-701 exam.

Trap categories for this question

Similar concept trap
Contacting the user prematurely could tip off a malicious insider or create confusion. The investigation should first rely on technical evidence to avoid compromising the integrity of the response.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, the analyst should examine Windows Event ID 4624 (logon) and 4634 (logoff) to confirm the user's session, along with Event ID 4688 (process creation) to see if a file transfer tool like FTP, SCP, or a custom script was executed. Additionally, network flow logs (e.g., NetFlow or Zeek logs) can correlate the data transfer volume with specific processes, while Sysmon logs (Event ID 3 for network connections) provide granular details on the source process and destination IP. In a real-world scenario, an analyst might discover that the user's account was compromised via a phishing attack, and the logs would show a remote logon from an unusual IP address, indicating the attacker used stolen credentials to exfiltrate data.

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.

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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: Review the user's login and activity logs. — Option B is correct because, in incident response, the first step is to gather evidence and understand the scope of the incident. Reviewing the user's login and activity logs (e.g., Windows Event Logs, authentication logs, and process creation logs) allows the analyst to verify if the user was actually logged in at 2:00 AM, identify any anomalous behavior (e.g., use of unauthorized tools or unusual file access patterns), and determine whether the data transfer was initiated by the user or by malware. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, specifically the identification and analysis phase, where initial triage focuses on log review before taking containment actions.

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: "best", "first". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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