Question 1easymultiple choice
Full question →easymultiple choiceObjective-mapped
An employee receives an email that appears to be from the CEO and asks for gift cards before a meeting. What should the employee 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
Best answer
Report the message through the approved security channel and verify the request by a separate method.
This is correct because urgent gift card requests are a common social engineering tactic. The safest first step is to report the message and verify the request using a known, separate contact method. That prevents accidental compliance and helps the security team evaluate whether the email is fraudulent.
B
Distractor review
Buy the gift cards immediately so the CEO is not delayed.
Complying without verification can directly reward a scam and cause financial loss.
C
Distractor review
Forward the email to coworkers so they can watch for the same request.
Forwarding it broadly can spread confusion and does not confirm whether the request is legitimate.
D
Distractor review
Reply to the sender and ask for more details in the same email thread.
Replying within the same thread may still interact with a spoofed or compromised account and is not a safe verification method.
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: Report the message through the approved security channel and verify the request by a separate method. — The best first step is to report the email through the approved security channel and verify the request out of band. Social engineering often uses urgency and authority to pressure employees into bypassing normal checks. A separate verification method, such as a known phone number or internal chat directory entry, helps confirm whether the request is real without trusting the suspicious message itself. Why others are wrong: Buying gift cards immediately is exactly what the attacker wants. Forwarding the message does not validate it and may increase confusion. Replying in the same thread is unsafe because the sender account may be spoofed or compromised.
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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