212-89 Email Incidents Practice Question
An analyst identifies that an email originated from an unauthorized IP address despite passing SPF. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
The SPF record is too broad
If SPF passes but the IP is wrong, it is likely the attacker is using an email service that is part of the same SPF-authorized infrastructure (like a shared cloud provider).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The user's computer is infected
Why it's wrong here
Infection does not cause SPF passing.
- ✓
The SPF record is too broad
Why this is correct
Broad SPF records allow unauthorized senders.
- ✗
The domain has no DMARC record
Why it's wrong here
DMARC doesn't fix broad SPF.
- ✗
The mail server was misconfigured
Why it's wrong here
Broad SPF is the root cause.
About these practice questions
This 212-89 question is part of Courseiva's 206-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This 212-89 practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 212-89 exam.