ISC2 CC Network Security Practice Question
A security analyst notices an unusually high number of incomplete TCP connection requests. Which type of attack is most likely occurring?
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
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SYN flood
SYN flood attacks exploit the TCP three-way handshake by sending many SYN packets without completing the handshake, exhausting server resources.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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SYN flood
Why this is correct
Correct. SYN flood is a DoS attack that sends many SYN packets to exhaust server resources.
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Smurf attack
Why it's wrong here
Smurf attack uses ICMP echo requests to a broadcast address, not TCP SYN.
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ARP spoofing
Why it's wrong here
ARP spoofing involves associating an attacker's MAC with a legitimate IP, not incomplete connections.
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DNS amplification
Why it's wrong here
DNS amplification uses small queries to generate large responses, not incomplete TCP connections.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
TCP
TCP is a connection-oriented transport layer protocol that ensures reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of data between applications over IP networks.
Key term
Denial-of-service
A Denial-of-service (DoS) attack is an attempt to make a computer, network, or online service unavailable to its intended users by overwhelming it with fake traffic or requests.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.