- A
Review the VPN logs to determine the extent of the breach
Why wrong: Reviewing logs is important for forensics, but the immediate action should be to stop the ongoing access.
- B
Disable the former employee's VPN account
Disabling the account immediately cuts off the attacker's access, containing the breach.
- C
Change the VPN server's shared secret
Why wrong: Changing the shared secret affects the VPN server authentication, but the attacker is using a valid user account, so this would not stop them.
- D
Notify the former employee about the security incident
Why wrong: Notifying the former employee is not a security action and could alert the attacker if they are monitoring communications.
Question 528 of 750
Compromised VPN Account: Immediate Actions
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of remote access technologies. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 discovers that an attacker has been using a compromised VPN account to access the corporate network. The account belongs to a former employee who was terminated two weeks ago. Which of the following should the analyst do immediately to prevent further unauthorized access?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"immediately / without restart"Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Quick Answer
The answer is to disable the former employee’s VPN account immediately. This is correct because the core security principle in a compromised VPN account scenario is containment: the attacker is actively using valid credentials to access the corporate network, so the fastest way to cut off that access is to revoke the account itself. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this tests your understanding of incident response priorities—specifically the “contain first, investigate second” workflow. A common trap is choosing to change the VPN server password or review logs first, but those actions don’t stop the active session; disabling the account does. Remember the mnemonic “DICE” for incident response: Disable, Isolate, Contain, Examine—always disable the compromised account before doing anything else.
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
✓
Disable the former employee's VPN account
Disabling the former employee's VPN account immediately stops the attacker from using the compromised credentials to access the corporate network. This is the most direct and effective action to prevent further unauthorized access, as the account is the vector being exploited. Other steps like log review or server reconfiguration are important but secondary to cutting off the active attack path.
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.
- ✗
Review the VPN logs to determine the extent of the breach
Why it's wrong here
Reviewing logs is important for forensics, but the immediate action should be to stop the ongoing access.
- ✓
Disable the former employee's VPN account
Why this is correct
Disabling the account immediately cuts off the attacker's access, containing the breach.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Change the VPN server's shared secret
Why it's wrong here
Changing the shared secret affects the VPN server authentication, but the attacker is using a valid user account, so this would not stop them.
- ✗
Notify the former employee about the security incident
Why it's wrong here
Notifying the former employee is not a security action and could alert the attacker if they are monitoring communications.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose to review logs first (Option A) to understand the breach, but the correct priority is immediate containment over forensic analysis in an active security incident.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a typical VPN deployment using RADIUS for authentication, disabling the user account in the directory service (e.g., Active Directory) or the VPN gateway's local database immediately invalidates the credentials for all future authentication attempts. This action leverages the AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) framework, where the VPN gateway queries the RADIUS server; if the account is disabled, the RADIUS server returns an Access-Reject message, blocking the connection at the protocol level. In a real-world scenario, an attacker might have established multiple persistent tunnels, so disabling the account also prevents re-authentication if the session drops or the token expires.
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 practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Remote Access Technologies — This question tests Remote Access Technologies — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Disable the former employee's VPN account — Disabling the former employee's VPN account immediately stops the attacker from using the compromised credentials to access the corporate network. This is the most direct and effective action to prevent further unauthorized access, as the account is the vector being exploited. Other steps like log review or server reconfiguration are important but secondary to cutting off the active attack path.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 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: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.
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