The correct answer is implementing account lockout policies, as this control directly prevents brute force attacks by temporarily disabling an account after a defined number of failed login attempts, such as five failures within fifteen minutes. This mechanism stops an attacker from continuously guessing passwords across multiple user accounts from a single external IP, while legitimate users can regain access after the lockout duration or through an administrative reset. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this scenario tests your understanding of preventive controls versus detective or corrective measures—a common trap is choosing IP blocking or multi-factor authentication, but account lockout specifically targets the brute force repetition itself. Remember the memory tip: “Lock it down after five tries” to recall that account lockout policies are the frontline defense against password guessing attacks.
ISC2 CC Security Operations Practice Question
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security operations. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 SOC analyst reviews an alert indicating a high number of failed login attempts from a single external IP address targeting multiple user accounts. Which security control is most effective at preventing this type of attack?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Implementing account lockout policies
Option D is correct because account lockout policies directly mitigate brute-force attacks by temporarily disabling an account after a defined number of failed login attempts (e.g., 5 failures within 15 minutes). This prevents the attacker from continuing to guess passwords for multiple user accounts from a single external IP, without affecting legitimate users who can be unlocked after a lockout duration or via an administrative reset.
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.
✗
Deploying a web application firewall
Why it's wrong here
A WAF protects web applications from HTTP-based attacks, not authentication brute-force attacks.
✗
Enabling verbose logging for authentication events
Why it's wrong here
Verbose logging aids detection but does not prevent attacks.
✗
Increasing password complexity requirements
Why it's wrong here
Complex passwords make guessing harder but do not prevent brute-force attempts; lockout does.
✓
Implementing account lockout policies
Why this is correct
Account lockout policies limit the number of failed attempts, preventing continued brute-force attacks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that a WAF (Option A) can stop brute-force attacks, but the trap is that WAFs operate at Layer 7 for web traffic and do not control authentication attempts against native OS or directory service logins.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Account lockout policies are typically configured via Group Policy (Windows) or pam_tally2/pam_faillock (Linux) and rely on a threshold (e.g., 5 attempts) and a lockout duration (e.g., 30 minutes) or manual unlock. A subtle behavior is that lockout policies must be balanced against denial-of-service risks: an attacker can intentionally lock out legitimate users by triggering failed attempts on their accounts. In real-world scenarios, combining lockout with IP-based rate limiting (e.g., fail2ban) provides layered defense.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CC question in full detail.
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implementing account lockout policies — Option D is correct because account lockout policies directly mitigate brute-force attacks by temporarily disabling an account after a defined number of failed login attempts (e.g., 5 failures within 15 minutes). This prevents the attacker from continuing to guess passwords for multiple user accounts from a single external IP, without affecting legitimate users who can be unlocked after a lockout duration or via an administrative reset.
What should I do if I get this CC 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.
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Question Discussion
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