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ISC2 CC Practice Question: Uses a SIEM to correlate logs from multiple…
An organization uses a SIEM to correlate logs from multiple sources. A rule triggers when a user logs in from two geographically distant locations within a short time. What type of attack does this rule primarily detect?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the concept of 'impossible travel' as a specific indicator of credential theft or session hijacking, and candidates mistakenly associate any unusual login pattern with brute-force attacks, failing to recognize that brute-force focuses on failed attempts, not successful logins from distant locations.
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
✓
Credential theft or session hijacking
The SIEM rule detects impossible travel — a user authenticating from two geographically distant locations within a time window too short for physical travel. This behavior strongly indicates that an attacker has stolen the user's credentials (credential theft) or taken over an active session (session hijacking) and is using them from a different location. The SIEM correlates authentication logs (e.g., from Active Directory, VPN, or web apps) with geolocation data (IP-to-location mapping) to flag this anomaly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Denial of service attack
Why it's wrong here
DoS attacks target availability, not authentication anomalies.
- ✗
Brute-force attack
Why it's wrong here
Brute-force attacks involve many failed attempts, not successful logins from disparate locations.
- ✓
Credential theft or session hijacking
Why this is correct
Logins from impossible travel locations indicate that credentials may be used by an attacker.
- ✗
Man-in-the-middle attack
Why it's wrong here
MITM attacks intercept communications; they do not necessarily cause multiple logins from different locations.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Authentication and Authorization Methods
Key term
SIEM
SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) is a system that collects and analyzes log data from across an IT environment to detect and respond to security threats in real time.
Key term
VPN
A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over a public network to securely connect remote users or sites to a private network.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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