- A
Proceed with the setup as planned, since the employee already provided the info.
Why wrong: This is dangerous because the credentials have been compromised. Continuing as normal could lead to a security breach.
- B
Reset the employee's password and report the incident to the security team.
The correct response is to immediately reset the compromised password and report the social engineering attempt to the security team so they can investigate and prevent further attacks.
- C
Call the help desk to verify if they made the call.
Why wrong: While verification is good, the priority is to secure the compromised account first. The technician should not wait for verification before taking action.
- D
Tell the employee it was likely a test and to ignore it.
Why wrong: Dismissing the incident as a test is irresponsible. The technician must treat it as a genuine security threat and follow proper incident response procedures.
220-1202 Social Engineering Attacks Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of social engineering attacks. 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 technician is configuring a new employee's workstation. The employee mentions that a 'friendly IT guy' from the help desk called earlier and asked for their username and temporary password to 'pre-setup the account'. The employee provided the information. What should the technician do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
Reset the employee's password and report the incident to the security team.
Option B is correct because the employee has already fallen victim to a social engineering attack (phishing or vishing). The technician must immediately reset the compromised password to prevent unauthorized access and report the incident to the security team so they can investigate and mitigate further risk. This follows the principle of least privilege and incident response best practices for credential compromise.
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.
- ✗
Proceed with the setup as planned, since the employee already provided the info.
Why it's wrong here
This is dangerous because the credentials have been compromised. Continuing as normal could lead to a security breach.
- ✓
Reset the employee's password and report the incident to the security team.
Why this is correct
The correct response is to immediately reset the compromised password and report the social engineering attempt to the security team so they can investigate and prevent further attacks.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Call the help desk to verify if they made the call.
Why it's wrong here
While verification is good, the priority is to secure the compromised account first. The technician should not wait for verification before taking action.
- ✗
Tell the employee it was likely a test and to ignore it.
Why it's wrong here
Dismissing the incident as a test is irresponsible. The technician must treat it as a genuine security threat and follow proper incident response procedures.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA A+ often tests the candidate's ability to prioritize containment over verification or investigation, as many students mistakenly choose to verify the call (Option C) instead of immediately resetting the compromised credentials.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Social engineering attacks like vishing (voice phishing) exploit human trust to bypass technical controls such as multi-factor authentication (MFA). In this scenario, the attacker now has the employee's username and temporary password, which could be used to authenticate via LDAP or Active Directory before the legitimate user changes it. The technician should immediately disable the account or force a password reset via the domain controller (e.g., using `net user` or Active Directory Users and Computers) and then report the incident to the security team for log analysis and potential threat hunting.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
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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Social Engineering Attacks — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Social Engineering Attacks — This question tests Social Engineering Attacks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Reset the employee's password and report the incident to the security team. — Option B is correct because the employee has already fallen victim to a social engineering attack (phishing or vishing). The technician must immediately reset the compromised password to prevent unauthorized access and report the incident to the security team so they can investigate and mitigate further risk. This follows the principle of least privilege and incident response best practices for credential compromise.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
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