- A
Provide the code quickly so the support call can be completed without delay.
Why wrong: Sharing one-time codes can give an attacker access to the account. Legitimate support staff should not ask the user to reveal MFA codes.
- B
Refuse to share the code and report the call through the company's security process.
The safest response is to refuse the request and report it through the organization’s approved security process. One-time codes should never be shared because they can be used to bypass MFA and hijack the account. Reporting the call helps the security team warn others, investigate the attempt, and reduce the chance of a successful attack.
- C
Reply to the caller by email with the code and ask them to confirm receipt.
Why wrong: Sending the code by email still exposes the authentication secret to a potentially malicious actor and creates additional risk.
- D
Change the password immediately and then tell the caller the new password.
Why wrong: Changing the password does not make it safe to share the new secret. A real support workflow would not require the user to reveal credentials.
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of general security concepts. 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.
An employee receives a phone call from someone claiming to be IT and asking for a one-time verification code to "fix" the employee's account. What is the best response?
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.
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
Refuse to share the code and report the call through the company's security process.
Option B is correct because it follows the principle of never sharing authentication factors, especially one-time verification codes, with anyone over the phone. This scenario is a classic social engineering attack (vishing) where the attacker attempts to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) by tricking the employee into revealing a time-based one-time password (TOTP) or similar code. Reporting the call through the company's security process allows the incident to be investigated and mitigates further risk.
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.
- ✗
Provide the code quickly so the support call can be completed without delay.
Why it's wrong here
Sharing one-time codes can give an attacker access to the account. Legitimate support staff should not ask the user to reveal MFA codes.
- ✓
Refuse to share the code and report the call through the company's security process.
Why this is correct
The safest response is to refuse the request and report it through the organization’s approved security process. One-time codes should never be shared because they can be used to bypass MFA and hijack the account. Reporting the call helps the security team warn others, investigate the attempt, and reduce the chance of a successful attack.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Reply to the caller by email with the code and ask them to confirm receipt.
Why it's wrong here
Sending the code by email still exposes the authentication secret to a potentially malicious actor and creates additional risk.
- ✗
Change the password immediately and then tell the caller the new password.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the password does not make it safe to share the new secret. A real support workflow would not require the user to reveal credentials.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think providing the code is harmless because it is 'one-time' or that changing the password is a proactive security measure, but both actions directly hand over authentication secrets to an unverified caller.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
One-time verification codes, such as those generated by RFC 6238 (TOTP) or sent via SMS, are designed to be used only by the legitimate user during authentication. In a real-world attack, the caller may already have the employee's username and password (from a previous breach) and only needs the MFA code to complete a session takeover. Reporting the call enables the security team to block the attacker's IP, monitor for similar attempts, and potentially reset the employee's credentials before any damage occurs.
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
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
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.
- →
General Security Concepts — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
General Security Concepts 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?
General Security Concepts — This question tests General Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Refuse to share the code and report the call through the company's security process. — Option B is correct because it follows the principle of never sharing authentication factors, especially one-time verification codes, with anyone over the phone. This scenario is a classic social engineering attack (vishing) where the attacker attempts to bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA) by tricking the employee into revealing a time-based one-time password (TOTP) or similar code. Reporting the call through the company's security process allows the incident to be investigated and mitigates further risk.
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". 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.
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 →
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.