- A
On-path attack
Why wrong: Incorrect. An on-path (formerly man-in-the-middle) attack involves the attacker intercepting and possibly altering communications between two parties. In this scenario, the attacker hosted a fake login page that the victims visited directly; there is no indication of intercepted traffic between the user and the legitimate service.
- B
Credential harvesting via phishing
Correct. The attacker used a deceptive email or website to trick users into voluntarily entering their credentials. This is the defining characteristic of phishing-based credential harvesting. The stolen credentials were then reused to access the corporate email system.
- C
Brute-force attack
Why wrong: Incorrect. A brute-force attack involves systematically trying all possible password combinations until the correct one is found. The scenario describes users being tricked into revealing their passwords, not an automated guessing attempt.
- D
Password spraying
Why wrong: Incorrect. Password spraying attempts a small number of commonly used passwords against a large number of accounts. The scenario involves a targeted attack that harvested credentials from multiple users via a fake login page, not a low-and-slow password guessing technique.
SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 security analyst is reviewing logs after a successful phishing attack. The attacker used a fake login page that mimicked the company's single sign-on portal to harvest usernames and passwords. The attacker then used the stolen credentials to access the corporate email system. Which type of attack best describes the initial compromise?
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
Credential harvesting via phishing
The initial compromise was achieved by luring the victim to a fake login page that mimicked the company's single sign-on portal, which is a classic phishing technique. The attacker harvested the credentials directly from the user's submission, making this a credential harvesting attack via phishing. This aligns with the definition of phishing as a social engineering attack that uses deception to obtain sensitive information, distinct from brute-force or password spraying which rely on guessing or trying multiple passwords.
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.
- ✗
On-path attack
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An on-path (formerly man-in-the-middle) attack involves the attacker intercepting and possibly altering communications between two parties. In this scenario, the attacker hosted a fake login page that the victims visited directly; there is no indication of intercepted traffic between the user and the legitimate service.
When this WOULD be correct
An on-path attack would be correct if the question described an attacker intercepting network traffic (e.g., ARP spoofing or man-in-the-middle) to capture credentials or modify data in transit, without using a fake login page.
- ✓
Credential harvesting via phishing
Why this is correct
Correct. The attacker used a deceptive email or website to trick users into voluntarily entering their credentials. This is the defining characteristic of phishing-based credential harvesting. The stolen credentials were then reused to access the corporate email system.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Brute-force attack
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A brute-force attack involves systematically trying all possible password combinations until the correct one is found. The scenario describes users being tricked into revealing their passwords, not an automated guessing attempt.
When this WOULD be correct
A question describing an attacker repeatedly trying different passwords against a single account until successful, such as 'An attacker gains access to a user account by trying thousands of password combinations in a short period.'
- ✗
Password spraying
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Password spraying attempts a small number of commonly used passwords against a large number of accounts. The scenario involves a targeted attack that harvested credentials from multiple users via a fake login page, not a low-and-slow password guessing technique.
When this WOULD be correct
A security analyst notices multiple failed login attempts using the same password (e.g., 'Spring2024!') across hundreds of user accounts within a short time frame. This indicates a password spraying attack.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SY0-701 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Credential harvesting via phishingCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Correct. The attacker used a deceptive email or website to trick users into voluntarily entering their credentials. This is the defining characteristic of phishing-based credential harvesting. The stolen credentials were then reused to access the corporate email system.
✗On-path attackWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The initial compromise was achieved through a fake login page that harvested credentials, which is credential harvesting via phishing, not an on-path attack. An on-path attack involves intercepting or modifying communications between two parties, not tricking users into entering credentials on a fake site.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
An on-path attack would be correct if the question described an attacker intercepting network traffic (e.g., ARP spoofing or man-in-the-middle) to capture credentials or modify data in transit, without using a fake login page.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse on-path attacks with phishing because both involve credential theft, but on-path attacks focus on intercepting live traffic rather than deceiving users into entering credentials on a fake site.
✗Brute-force attackWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The initial compromise was achieved through a fake login page that harvested credentials, not by systematically guessing passwords. Brute-force attacks involve automated guessing of many password combinations, which is not described here.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question describing an attacker repeatedly trying different passwords against a single account until successful, such as 'An attacker gains access to a user account by trying thousands of password combinations in a short period.'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse credential harvesting with password guessing, or assume that any attack involving passwords is a brute-force attack, overlooking the phishing vector.
✗Password sprayingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Password spraying involves trying a few common passwords against many accounts, not using a fake login page to harvest credentials from a single phishing attack.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A security analyst notices multiple failed login attempts using the same password (e.g., 'Spring2024!') across hundreds of user accounts within a short time frame. This indicates a password spraying attack.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse password spraying with credential harvesting because both involve obtaining passwords, but they overlook the distinct method of using a fake login page in phishing.
Analysis generated from the official SY0-701blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse credential harvesting via phishing with an on-path attack, because both involve intercepting credentials, but phishing relies on user deception to voluntarily submit credentials, whereas an on-path attack captures them transparently during an existing session.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. An on-path (formerly man-in-the-middle) attack involves the attacker intercepting and possibly altering communications between two parties. In this scenario, the attacker hosted a fake login page that the victims visited directly; there is no indication of intercepted traffic between the user and the legitimate service.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Credential harvesting via phishing often leverages lookalike domains (e.g., using 'rnicrosoft.com' instead of 'microsoft.com') or homograph attacks with Unicode characters to bypass visual inspection. The fake login page typically sends the submitted credentials to an attacker-controlled server via HTTP POST, and the attacker can then use those credentials for lateral movement or privilege escalation, as seen in the subsequent access to the corporate email system. This attack vector exploits human trust rather than technical vulnerabilities, making it a persistent threat even with strong password policies.
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
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Credential harvesting via phishing — The initial compromise was achieved by luring the victim to a fake login page that mimicked the company's single sign-on portal, which is a classic phishing technique. The attacker harvested the credentials directly from the user's submission, making this a credential harvesting attack via phishing. This aligns with the definition of phishing as a social engineering attack that uses deception to obtain sensitive information, distinct from brute-force or password spraying which rely on guessing or trying multiple passwords.
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 →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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