- A
Require password changes every 30 days for all users.
Why wrong: Frequent password changes do not stop attackers who already captured a valid password and can often lead to weaker user behavior.
- B
Use phishing-resistant MFA such as FIDO2 or WebAuthn.
Phishing-resistant multifactor authentication is the strongest choice here because it prevents a stolen password from being enough to log in. The attacker already harvested credentials through a fake login page, so a second factor that cannot be easily replayed from another site directly disrupts the attack path. FIDO2 or WebAuthn reduces the value of captured passwords and helps stop account takeover even when users are deceived by convincing impersonation emails. This is a practical defense against credential phishing and replay.
- C
Turn off all external email to eliminate the chance of future messages.
Why wrong: Blocking all external email is usually impractical and does not directly solve the problem of stolen credentials or impersonation.
- D
Use single sign-on without MFA so users authenticate only once.
Why wrong: SSO without MFA can make compromise easier to scale because one stolen password may open access to multiple services.
Quick Answer
The answer is phishing-resistant MFA such as FIDO2 or WebAuthn, because it directly prevents account takeover even when a password is stolen. Unlike standard MFA codes that can be intercepted on a fake login page, phishing-resistant methods use public-key cryptography where the private key never leaves the user’s device and is bound to the legitimate website’s origin. This means the attacker who captured the password on the fraudulent page cannot replay the authentication from a new country, as the fake site cannot request the private key or generate a valid cryptographic assertion. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of authentication controls under the “Given a scenario, implement authentication and authorization” objective, often appearing as a trap where students choose SMS or TOTP instead. Remember the key distinction: phishing-resistant MFA is origin-bound, while standard MFA is credential-bound. A simple memory tip is “FIDO2 fights fake logins”—the private key stays home, so the attacker can’t roam.
SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. 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 finance team receives emails that appear to come from the CEO's assistant and ask them to review a document. Several users entered their passwords on a fake login page, and the attackers then signed in from a new country using the same credentials. Which control most directly reduces successful account takeover if a password is stolen?
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
Use phishing-resistant MFA such as FIDO2 or WebAuthn.
Phishing-resistant MFA, such as FIDO2 or WebAuthn, directly prevents account takeover even when a password is stolen because these methods use public-key cryptography and origin-bound credentials. The fake login page cannot intercept the private key or replay the authentication, so the attacker cannot sign in from a new country despite having the password.
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.
- ✗
Require password changes every 30 days for all users.
Why it's wrong here
Frequent password changes do not stop attackers who already captured a valid password and can often lead to weaker user behavior.
- ✓
Use phishing-resistant MFA such as FIDO2 or WebAuthn.
Why this is correct
Phishing-resistant multifactor authentication is the strongest choice here because it prevents a stolen password from being enough to log in. The attacker already harvested credentials through a fake login page, so a second factor that cannot be easily replayed from another site directly disrupts the attack path. FIDO2 or WebAuthn reduces the value of captured passwords and helps stop account takeover even when users are deceived by convincing impersonation emails. This is a practical defense against credential phishing and replay.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Turn off all external email to eliminate the chance of future messages.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking all external email is usually impractical and does not directly solve the problem of stolen credentials or impersonation.
- ✗
Use single sign-on without MFA so users authenticate only once.
Why it's wrong here
SSO without MFA can make compromise easier to scale because one stolen password may open access to multiple services.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose password rotation (Option A) as a security best practice, but the question specifically asks for the control that most directly reduces successful account takeover when a password is already stolen, which is phishing-resistant MFA, not password aging.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
FIDO2/WebAuthn uses a key pair generated on the user's device; the private key never leaves the device, and authentication requires a challenge signed by that key, bound to the specific origin (e.g., the real company portal). Even if an attacker obtains the password and tries to replay the authentication from a new country, the fake site cannot produce a valid signature because it lacks the private key and the origin binding fails. In a real-world scenario, this would block the attacker's login attempt even if they had the exact password and the user's username.
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SY0-701 questions
1,152 questions across all exam domains
- →
Security+ SY0-701 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SY0-701 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SY0-701 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
General Security Concepts practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to General Security Concepts.
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations.
Security Architecture practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Architecture.
Security Operations practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Operations.
Security Program Management and Oversight practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security Program Management and Oversight.
Security+ social engineering questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ social engineering questions.
Security+ cryptography practice questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ cryptography.
Security+ IAM questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ IAM questions.
Security+ risk management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ risk management questions.
Security+ incident response questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ incident response questions.
Security+ malware questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ malware questions.
Security+ vulnerability management questions
Practise SY0-701 questions linked to Security+ vulnerability management questions.
Practice this exam
Start a free SY0-701 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Use phishing-resistant MFA such as FIDO2 or WebAuthn. — Phishing-resistant MFA, such as FIDO2 or WebAuthn, directly prevents account takeover even when a password is stolen because these methods use public-key cryptography and origin-bound credentials. The fake login page cannot intercept the private key or replay the authentication, so the attacker cannot sign in from a new country despite having the password.
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.
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 →
Keep practising
More SY0-701 practice questions
- An HR analyst must send a salary file to an external auditor. The auditor only needs names, departments, and salary tota…
- An investigator receives a suspect laptop drive that may be used in court. Which approach best supports a forensically s…
- An investigator must collect data from a suspected insider-threat laptop so the evidence could be used in an HR and lega…
- An NDR tool shows a production web server sending small, periodic DNS queries to random-looking subdomains under a domai…
- An investigator needs to make a forensic image of a suspect laptop without changing the original drive contents. Which t…
- An operations team manages Linux servers over SSH. The security team wants to stop direct management access from employe…
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.