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ISC2 CC Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response Practice Question
Drag and drop the steps for the TCP three-way handshake into the correct order.
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
✓
SYN, then SYN-ACK, then ACK
The TCP three-way handshake is a three-step process used to establish a reliable connection. The client initiates by sending a SYN (synchronize) packet to the server. The server responds with a SYN-ACK (synchronize-acknowledge) packet, acknowledging the client's request and indicating its own synchronization. Finally, the client sends an ACK (acknowledge) packet to confirm the connection establishment. This sequence ensures both sides agree on initial sequence numbers and that the connection is ready for data transfer.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
SYN, then SYN-ACK, then ACK
Why this is correct
This is the correct order because the TCP three-way handshake begins with the client sending a SYN packet, the server responds with SYN-ACK, and the client finalizes with an ACK.
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SYN, then ACK, then SYN-ACK
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the server cannot send an ACK without first having received a SYN, and the SYN-ACK must come before the final ACK.
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SYN-ACK, then SYN, then ACK
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the server sends SYN-ACK only after receiving a SYN from the client; it cannot initiate with SYN-ACK.
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ACK, then SYN, then SYN-ACK
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because an ACK cannot be sent before any connection request; the handshake must start with a SYN.
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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.