- A
Reset the user's password and require a fresh authentication challenge.
Correct because changing the password removes the attacker’s known credential value and helps break direct password reuse. Requiring a fresh authentication challenge also helps ensure the next login is tied to the legitimate user rather than a stolen session.
- B
Revoke active sessions and invalidate existing refresh tokens.
Correct because a stolen session can remain valid even after the password changes. Revoking sessions and tokens cuts off the attacker’s current access path and is one of the fastest ways to stop mailbox abuse.
- C
Delete the mailbox and create a new user account.
Why wrong: Incorrect because deleting the mailbox is destructive and unnecessary for initial containment. The organization would lose data and evidence before preserving or reviewing what happened.
- D
Disable all external email delivery for the entire organization.
Why wrong: Incorrect because that would be highly disruptive and far broader than needed. The incident is limited to one compromised account, so organization-wide shutdown is not the least disruptive containment choice.
- E
Wait for the user to confirm whether the message was legitimate before acting.
Why wrong: Incorrect because the SOC already has enough evidence of compromise. Delaying containment gives the attacker more time to exfiltrate mail or abuse the account.
Quick Answer
The answer is to revoke active sessions and invalidate existing refresh tokens, because when an attacker still has an active session, simply resetting the password does not terminate the attacker's current access—they can continue using the stolen session token until it expires. Revoking sessions forces immediate logout from all devices, while invalidating refresh tokens prevents the attacker from silently obtaining new access tokens without re-authenticating. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the difference between credential theft and session hijacking; a common trap is choosing only a password reset, which leaves the active session intact. Remember the memory tip: "Kill the session, not just the password"—if the attacker is still logged in, you must cut their live connection, not just change the lock.
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 SOC analyst confirms that a user entered corporate credentials into a fake sign-in page. Mailbox logs now show a new forwarding rule sending messages to an external address, and the attacker may still have an active session. Which two actions should the analyst take first to contain the account compromise? Select two.
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 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
Reset the user's password and require a fresh authentication challenge.
Resetting the user's password (Option A) immediately invalidates the credentials the attacker phished, preventing further authentication with those stolen credentials. This is a foundational first step in account containment per NIST SP 800-61 incident response guidelines.
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.
- ✓
Reset the user's password and require a fresh authentication challenge.
Why this is correct
Correct because changing the password removes the attacker’s known credential value and helps break direct password reuse. Requiring a fresh authentication challenge also helps ensure the next login is tied to the legitimate user rather than a stolen session.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Revoke active sessions and invalidate existing refresh tokens.
Why this is correct
Correct because a stolen session can remain valid even after the password changes. Revoking sessions and tokens cuts off the attacker’s current access path and is one of the fastest ways to stop mailbox abuse.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Delete the mailbox and create a new user account.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because deleting the mailbox is destructive and unnecessary for initial containment. The organization would lose data and evidence before preserving or reviewing what happened.
- ✗
Disable all external email delivery for the entire organization.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because that would be highly disruptive and far broader than needed. The incident is limited to one compromised account, so organization-wide shutdown is not the least disruptive containment choice.
- ✗
Wait for the user to confirm whether the message was legitimate before acting.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because the SOC already has enough evidence of compromise. Delaying containment gives the attacker more time to exfiltrate mail or abuse the account.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that a password reset alone is sufficient to terminate an attacker's access, but the trap here is that session tokens and refresh tokens can remain valid, so both password reset AND session/refresh token revocation are required for complete containment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Revoking active sessions and invalidating refresh tokens (Option B) is critical because the attacker may have obtained OAuth tokens or session cookies that persist even after a password reset. In Microsoft 365, for example, a password reset does not automatically revoke issued refresh tokens; the admin must use the 'Revoke-AzureADUserAllRefreshToken' PowerShell cmdlet or the equivalent in the Entra admin center to force re-authentication.
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: Reset the user's password and require a fresh authentication challenge. — Resetting the user's password (Option A) immediately invalidates the credentials the attacker phished, preventing further authentication with those stolen credentials. This is a foundational first step in account containment per NIST SP 800-61 incident response guidelines.
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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on SY0-701
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A SOC analyst confirms that an employee entered credentials into a phishing site and that the mailbox now shows a new forwarding rule sending messages to an external address. The account is still signed in on a laptop and a mobile phone. What is the best next action?
medium- A.Wait for the user to log out naturally before taking action.
- ✓ B.Revoke active sessions and force a password reset for the account.
- C.Archive the mailbox and close the ticket after notifying the user.
- D.Delete the forwarding rule only and consider the incident closed.
Why B: Option B is correct because the immediate priority is to contain the compromised account by terminating all active sessions (revoking OAuth tokens, clearing SAML sessions) and forcing a password reset to prevent further unauthorized access. The mailbox forwarding rule indicates the attacker has established persistence, and the active sessions on the laptop and mobile phone mean the attacker could still be using the account. Revoking sessions ensures the attacker cannot continue exfiltration or lateral movement, while the password reset invalidates the stolen credentials.
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.
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