SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
An office loses power several times each month, causing servers to shut down without warning. Which control best helps keep the systems running long enough for a safe shutdown?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse a UPS with a surge protector or power strip, thinking that any power-related device provides backup runtime, when only a UPS with battery storage can keep systems running after a power failure.
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
✓
A UPS sized to support the equipment for a short period.
A UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) provides battery backup power to connected equipment, allowing servers to continue running for a short duration after a power loss. This gives administrators enough time to perform a safe, orderly shutdown, preventing data corruption and hardware damage from abrupt power loss.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A UPS sized to support the equipment for a short period.
Why this is correct
A UPS is the best control because it provides temporary battery power during outages, giving systems time to continue running briefly or shut down cleanly. This reduces the chance of data loss and hardware damage. It is a common environmental safeguard for servers and other critical devices that must survive short power interruptions.
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A better wallpaper design in the server room.
Why it's wrong here
A better wallpaper design is an aesthetic change that has no bearing on the availability or integrity of server infrastructure. Wallpaper does not provide electrical isolation, voltage regulation, or any form of backup power, nor does it mitigate the hardware stress caused by abrupt power loss. In a server room, environmental and physical controls such as HVAC, fire suppression, and a properly sized UPS are what protect equipment; decorative choices are irrelevant to continuity of operation.
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A stronger password for the power strip.
Why it's wrong here
Power strips are passive electrical distribution devices without a management interface, so a 'stronger password' is a nonsensical control—there is no authentication mechanism to harden. Even if a power strip were secured, it would only control who can physically plug into it; it would do nothing to sustain equipment during a grid outage. The real requirement is an uninterruptible power supply that provides battery-derived AC power the instant utility power fails.
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More user awareness training about turning monitors off.
Why it's wrong here
User awareness training about turning monitors off reduces minor energy consumption and screen burn-in, but it does not address the upstream power availability that servers depend on. Servers are typically on dedicated protected circuits; individual user behavior at workstations has zero effect on the facility's incoming power or on the server's power feed. This is an infrastructure resilience problem, not a human-behavior security problem, so the remedy is a UPS or alternate energy source rather than a training program.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.