Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A SOC analyst receives an alert from the VPN appliance and identity platform. In the last 10 minutes, a user account had 14 failed VPN logons from one country, then one successful login from a different country. The user calls the help desk and says they have not used their account today. What should the analyst do first?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Block the foreign IP address at the firewall and wait for more alerts before acting.
Blocking one source may reduce noise, but it does not stop access if the attacker changes addresses or already has a session.
B
Best answer
Disable the user account and revoke active sessions or tokens while escalating the event as a suspected account compromise.
The successful login after repeated failures, combined with the user’s confirmation that they were not active, strongly suggests compromise. The fastest effective containment is to disable the account and invalidate existing sessions or tokens so the attacker cannot continue using stolen credentials. This preserves the ability to investigate while stopping ongoing access. It is a stronger first action than a password reset alone, which may leave active tokens usable.
C
Distractor review
Reset the user password and close the alert because the new password will stop the attack.
A password reset helps, but it may not invalidate existing sessions or tokens already issued to the attacker. The account could remain usable until those sessions expire.
D
Distractor review
Reimage the user’s laptop immediately to remove any possible malware before taking other steps.
Reimaging is a heavy-handed response and can destroy useful evidence before the investigation confirms endpoint compromise. The log pattern is primarily an identity incident.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
- PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
- Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
- NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
- Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
- Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
- Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A laptop is suspected of being used in a malware incident. It is still powered on and connected to Wi-Fi. What should the responder do before shutting it down?
Question 2
An employee reports a ransomware note on a file server. The server is still powered on, shares are still being accessed, and management wants service restored as quickly as possible. What should the incident response team do first?
Question 3
An employee reports a ransomware note on a finance laptop. The laptop is still powered on, connected to Wi-Fi, and the user says they were just working in a spreadsheet. Management wants the fastest safe response that also preserves evidence. What should the responder do first?
Question 4
You are handed a company laptop suspected in an insider theft case. Legal says the evidence may be needed in court. Which action best preserves admissibility?
Question 5
A developer wants to reduce the risk of SQL injection in a new customer search form. Which two changes are the best mitigations? Select two.
Question 6
A branch office uses a flat LAN, and a compromise on one user workstation could spread quickly to finance systems. Management wants finance workstations isolated from general users, but finance staff still need access to a central finance application and network printer. What is the best design change?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disable the user account and revoke active sessions or tokens while escalating the event as a suspected account compromise. — This is an identity-based incident with clear signs of unauthorized access. Because the user denies activity and the authentication pattern is suspicious, the first priority is containment at the account level. Disabling the account and revoking sessions or tokens stops the attacker from continuing to use the credentials while the team investigates how access was obtained. It also preserves evidence for later review, such as VPN logs, MFA events, and related sign-ins. Why others are wrong: Blocking one IP address is incomplete because attackers can switch networks quickly. Resetting the password alone may not invalidate current tokens or sessions. Reimaging the laptop is premature when the strongest evidence points to compromised credentials rather than confirmed endpoint malware.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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