- A
Apply a compensating control such as restricting access to trusted source IPs and disabling nonessential remote access features
A compensating control lowers exposure right away when the patch cannot be installed immediately, which is the safest short-term option.
- B
Wait for the weekend because the exploit is not confirmed
Why wrong: Waiting leaves a critical internet-facing vulnerability exposed and ignores the fact that risk exists even without confirmed exploitation.
- C
Remove logging from the appliance to improve performance during the wait
Why wrong: Removing logs reduces visibility and makes investigation harder without reducing the actual vulnerability.
- D
Run another scan every hour and do nothing else
Why wrong: Repeated scanning increases noise but does not reduce exposure or protect the vulnerable service.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to apply a compensating control such as restricting access to trusted source IPs and disabling nonessential remote access features. This is the best immediate action because it reduces the attack surface without requiring a reboot, directly addressing the critical remote-code-execution vulnerability on the internet-facing VPN appliance while awaiting the vendor patch. In the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of risk mitigation strategies when patching is delayed—specifically, that compensating controls like ACLs or disabling unused protocols are temporary, network-layer defenses that buy time until the scheduled maintenance window. A common trap is choosing to simply reboot or unplug the device, but the question asks for the *best immediate action to lower risk*, not eliminate it entirely. Remember the mnemonic “ACL before Reboot” to recall that access controls come first when compensating controls before patch are needed.
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A monthly scan finds a critical remote-code-execution issue on an internet-facing VPN appliance. The vendor has released a fix, but the appliance can only be rebooted during the weekend maintenance window in five days. What is the BEST immediate action to lower risk until patching can occur?
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
Apply a compensating control such as restricting access to trusted source IPs and disabling nonessential remote access features
Option A is correct because applying a compensating control—such as restricting access to trusted source IPs via an ACL and disabling nonessential remote access features like unused VPN protocols or administrative interfaces—immediately reduces the attack surface. This mitigates the risk of exploitation of the remote-code-execution vulnerability on the internet-facing VPN appliance until the vendor patch can be applied during the scheduled maintenance window. The key is to implement network-layer controls that block untrusted sources from reaching the vulnerable service, buying time without requiring a reboot.
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.
- ✓
Apply a compensating control such as restricting access to trusted source IPs and disabling nonessential remote access features
Why this is correct
A compensating control lowers exposure right away when the patch cannot be installed immediately, which is the safest short-term option.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Wait for the weekend because the exploit is not confirmed
Why it's wrong here
Waiting leaves a critical internet-facing vulnerability exposed and ignores the fact that risk exists even without confirmed exploitation.
- ✗
Remove logging from the appliance to improve performance during the wait
Why it's wrong here
Removing logs reduces visibility and makes investigation harder without reducing the actual vulnerability.
- ✗
Run another scan every hour and do nothing else
Why it's wrong here
Repeated scanning increases noise but does not reduce exposure or protect the vulnerable service.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think waiting for the maintenance window is acceptable because the vulnerability is unconfirmed, but the exam expects proactive risk reduction through compensating controls rather than passive delay.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Compensating controls for VPN appliances often involve implementing a firewall rule that restricts inbound traffic to only known, trusted source IP addresses (e.g., using an extended ACL on the appliance or an upstream firewall) and disabling nonessential services such as web-based management interfaces or unused VPN protocols (e.g., disabling SSL VPN if only IPsec is needed). In real-world scenarios, this approach is critical because many VPN appliances have default administrative interfaces exposed to the internet, and a single ACL change can block entire ranges of malicious traffic while the patch is pending. For example, on a Cisco ASA, the command 'access-list OUTSIDE_IN extended permit ip host <trusted-IP> any' followed by 'access-group OUTSIDE_IN in interface outside' can be applied without a reboot, immediately reducing exposure.
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
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Apply a compensating control such as restricting access to trusted source IPs and disabling nonessential remote access features — Option A is correct because applying a compensating control—such as restricting access to trusted source IPs via an ACL and disabling nonessential remote access features like unused VPN protocols or administrative interfaces—immediately reduces the attack surface. This mitigates the risk of exploitation of the remote-code-execution vulnerability on the internet-facing VPN appliance until the vendor patch can be applied during the scheduled maintenance window. The key is to implement network-layer controls that block untrusted sources from reaching the vulnerable service, buying time without requiring a reboot.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on SY0-701
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A monthly scan finds a critical remote-code-execution vulnerability on an internet-facing VPN appliance. The vendor has not released a patch for six weeks, but the service must stay online. Which short-term action is the best risk treatment?
medium- A.Accept the risk and wait for the next scheduled scan cycle.
- ✓ B.Apply compensating controls such as strict access filtering, MFA, enhanced logging, and alerting.
- C.Disable all logging so the appliance performs better under load.
- D.Ignore the issue until the vendor confirms the vulnerability is being actively exploited.
Why B: Option B is correct because when a patch is unavailable for a critical vulnerability, compensating controls reduce risk without taking the service offline. For an internet-facing VPN appliance, strict access filtering (e.g., limiting source IPs via ACLs), enforcing MFA, and enabling enhanced logging/alerting can mitigate exploitation attempts while maintaining availability. This aligns with the risk treatment strategy of risk reduction through controls rather than acceptance, avoidance, or transfer.
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.
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