Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
An HR analyst needs to send a payroll reconciliation file to an external auditor. The file contains employee names, SSNs, bank account numbers, and salary details, but the auditor only needs employee IDs, payment totals, and a control total. 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
Encrypt the full spreadsheet and send it without changing the contents.
Encryption protects the file in transit, but it does not reduce the amount of sensitive data shared.
B
Best answer
Redact or remove unnecessary sensitive fields before sharing the minimum required data.
This is the best privacy practice because it follows data minimization and limits exposure to only what is needed.
C
Distractor review
Compress the file into a password-protected archive and email the password separately.
Password protection is not a substitute for minimizing sensitive data, and the file still contains unnecessary details.
D
Distractor review
Copy the file to a personal cloud storage account to make sharing easier.
A personal cloud account introduces unauthorized handling risk and likely violates company data handling rules.
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: Redact or remove unnecessary sensitive fields before sharing the minimum required data. — The analyst should remove or redact all information the auditor does not need before sharing the file. This is a data minimization decision: the safest data is the data you never disclose. Even if the transmission is encrypted, sending extra sensitive fields such as SSNs and bank details increases privacy risk and can create compliance issues. Sharing only employee IDs, totals, and the control total limits exposure and supports least-data handling. Why others are wrong: Encrypting the file is useful, but it still exposes too much sensitive information. Password-protected archives are also not enough because the contents remain unnecessarily detailed. Personal cloud storage is especially risky because it may bypass approved controls, retention rules, and auditability. None of these choices reduce the data set to what the auditor actually needs.
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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