- A
Rogue access point or evil twin attack, because a fake wireless network impersonates a legitimate one.
An evil twin duplicates the SSID of a trusted network to lure clients into connecting to an attacker-controlled access point.
- B
Replay attack, because previously captured wireless frames are being resent to the network.
Why wrong: Replay attacks involve retransmitting valid traffic, but the key symptom here is a malicious access point mimicking the legitimate network name.
- C
DNS poisoning, because users are being sent to the wrong website through altered name resolution.
Why wrong: DNS poisoning affects name-to-address resolution, but the initial compromise described is a counterfeit Wi-Fi network, not poisoned DNS answers.
- D
Denial of service, because users are simply unable to connect reliably.
Why wrong: Users may have connectivity issues, but the observed goal is interception and credential capture rather than making the service unavailable.
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.
During a conference, several employees connect to a wireless network named the same as the hotel's guest Wi-Fi. Shortly after connecting, they receive certificate warnings when accessing the company portal, and packet capture shows a nearby laptop advertising the same SSID and relaying traffic. What type of attack is most likely?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
Rogue access point or evil twin attack, because a fake wireless network impersonates a legitimate one.
The attack described is an evil twin (a type of rogue access point) because the attacker sets up a laptop broadcasting the same SSID as the hotel's legitimate guest Wi-Fi. When employees connect to this fake network, the attacker can intercept traffic and present a fraudulent certificate for the company portal, triggering certificate warnings. The packet capture confirming the laptop is relaying traffic proves it is acting as a man-in-the-middle, not merely a passive listener.
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.
- ✓
Rogue access point or evil twin attack, because a fake wireless network impersonates a legitimate one.
Why this is correct
An evil twin duplicates the SSID of a trusted network to lure clients into connecting to an attacker-controlled access point.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Replay attack, because previously captured wireless frames are being resent to the network.
Why it's wrong here
Replay attacks involve retransmitting valid traffic, but the key symptom here is a malicious access point mimicking the legitimate network name.
- ✗
DNS poisoning, because users are being sent to the wrong website through altered name resolution.
Why it's wrong here
DNS poisoning affects name-to-address resolution, but the initial compromise described is a counterfeit Wi-Fi network, not poisoned DNS answers.
- ✗
Denial of service, because users are simply unable to connect reliably.
Why it's wrong here
Users may have connectivity issues, but the observed goal is interception and credential capture rather than making the service unavailable.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse an evil twin with a simple rogue access point, but the key differentiator is that the evil twin specifically impersonates a legitimate SSID to trick users, while a rogue AP might use a different SSID; the certificate warning and relayed traffic confirm the man-in-the-middle role, not just unauthorized access.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
An evil twin attack exploits the lack of mutual authentication in WPA2-Personal (pre-shared key) networks; the client cannot verify the access point's legitimacy. The attacker typically uses a tool like airbase-ng to create a rogue AP with the same SSID and channel, often with a stronger signal to lure clients. Once connected, the attacker can perform SSL stripping or present a self-signed certificate, which browsers flag with a warning, but users may ignore it, enabling credential theft.
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
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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: Rogue access point or evil twin attack, because a fake wireless network impersonates a legitimate one. — The attack described is an evil twin (a type of rogue access point) because the attacker sets up a laptop broadcasting the same SSID as the hotel's legitimate guest Wi-Fi. When employees connect to this fake network, the attacker can intercept traffic and present a fraudulent certificate for the company portal, triggering certificate warnings. The packet capture confirming the laptop is relaying traffic proves it is acting as a man-in-the-middle, not merely a passive listener.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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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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