- A
Block the external IP address at the perimeter firewall.
Why wrong: Blocking the IP may be part of containment, but it should not be the first step without verifying the attack is real and understanding the scope. The IP could be a legitimate proxy or VPN, and blocking it prematurely might disrupt services or hide further malicious activity.
- B
Disable the user account and require a password reset.
Why wrong: Disabling the account prevents the user from accessing resources and might be necessary if compromise is confirmed, but doing so without investigation could be premature. The user may need access, and the lockouts could be a failed brute-force with no successful login.
- C
Investigate the user's recent activity for signs of compromise.
Correct. The analyst should first gather contextual information about the user's account, recent successful logins, and any other anomalous behavior. This investigation determines whether the account was actually breached and informs subsequent containment and remediation steps.
- D
Increase the account lockout threshold to prevent future lockouts.
Why wrong: Raising the lockout threshold weakens the security posture and makes the account more vulnerable to brute-force attacks. This is not a proper response to an active attack; it does not address the current incident and may encourage attackers.
Quick Answer
The correct first step is to investigate the user’s recent activity for signs of compromise. This pattern of account lockout from external IP password variations indicates a brute-force or password-spraying attack, where an attacker tries multiple password guesses from a single source. Before blocking the IP or resetting the password, the security analyst must confirm whether any of those attempts succeeded, as a successful login would mean the account is already compromised and requires immediate remediation. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests the incident response priority of identification before containment—a common trap is jumping to block the IP without first checking for a successful breach. Remember the mnemonic “I.D. before C.D.”: Identify and Determine compromise before Containment and Defense.
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 help desk technician reports that a user's account was locked out three times overnight. The security team reviews the authentication logs and discovers that the lockouts resulted from failed login attempts originating from a single external IP address, each attempt using a slightly different variation of the user's password. Which of the following should the security analyst do FIRST?
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
Investigate the user's recent activity for signs of compromise.
Option C is correct because the pattern of failed login attempts from a single external IP using password variations suggests a brute-force or password-spraying attack. The security analyst must first investigate the user's recent activity to determine if the account was successfully compromised or if the attacker gained access via a successful login attempt before the lockouts occurred. This aligns with the incident response process, where identification and analysis precede containment actions like blocking IPs or resetting passwords.
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 perimeter firewall.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the IP may be part of containment, but it should not be the first step without verifying the attack is real and understanding the scope. The IP could be a legitimate proxy or VPN, and blocking it prematurely might disrupt services or hide further malicious activity.
- ✗
Disable the user account and require a password reset.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the account prevents the user from accessing resources and might be necessary if compromise is confirmed, but doing so without investigation could be premature. The user may need access, and the lockouts could be a failed brute-force with no successful login.
- ✓
Investigate the user's recent activity for signs of compromise.
Why this is correct
Correct. The analyst should first gather contextual information about the user's account, recent successful logins, and any other anomalous behavior. This investigation determines whether the account was actually breached and informs subsequent containment and remediation steps.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the account lockout threshold to prevent future lockouts.
Why it's wrong here
Raising the lockout threshold weakens the security posture and makes the account more vulnerable to brute-force attacks. This is not a proper response to an active attack; it does not address the current incident and may encourage attackers.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may jump to immediate containment (blocking the IP or disabling the account) without first verifying whether the attack succeeded, which violates the incident response principle of 'identify before contain' and could disrupt legitimate access or miss evidence of a breach.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Active Directory environments, account lockout policies are configured via Group Policy (e.g., Account lockout threshold, lockout duration). Failed logins are logged with Event ID 4625, and a successful login is Event ID 4624. The analyst should check for any 4624 events from the external IP during the lockout window to confirm compromise. In real-world scenarios, attackers often use password spraying with common passwords across multiple accounts, so investigating the user's recent logins and correlating with the external IP's behavior is critical before taking irreversible actions.
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.
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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: Investigate the user's recent activity for signs of compromise. — Option C is correct because the pattern of failed login attempts from a single external IP using password variations suggests a brute-force or password-spraying attack. The security analyst must first investigate the user's recent activity to determine if the account was successfully compromised or if the attacker gained access via a successful login attempt before the lockouts occurred. This aligns with the incident response process, where identification and analysis precede containment actions like blocking IPs or resetting passwords.
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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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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