Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
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?
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
Provide the code quickly so the support call can be completed without delay.
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
Best answer
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
Distractor review
Reply to the caller by email with the code and ask them to confirm receipt.
Sending the code by email still exposes the authentication secret to a potentially malicious actor and creates additional risk.
D
Distractor review
Change the password immediately and then tell the caller the new password.
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 trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
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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?
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. — The best response is to refuse to share the one-time code and report the call through the organization’s security process. MFA codes are secrets that should only be entered by the user into the legitimate login prompt. A caller asking for the code is a common social engineering tactic designed to bypass authentication. Prompt reporting helps security teams investigate and warn others before more accounts are targeted. Why others are wrong: Providing the code defeats MFA and can directly enable unauthorized access. Emailing the code still exposes the secret and does not make the request legitimate. Changing the password and giving it to the caller is equally unsafe because no real support process should require a user to hand over credentials or verification codes.
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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