- A
Block the user's account immediately to prevent any further access.
Why wrong: Blocking without confirmation could disrupt legitimate business operations if the user is legitimate.
- B
Reset the user's password and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Why wrong: While MFA is good, this does not address the potential that the account is already compromised.
- C
Dismiss the alert as a false positive since the user explained the failed attempts.
Why wrong: Dismissing without investigation could miss a real attack, especially from an unusual source IP.
- D
Investigate the user's recent activity, check for abnormal logins, and look for lateral movement from the source IP.
Thorough investigation is warranted given the anomalous source IP and the critical nature of the target.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to investigate the user's recent activity, check for abnormal logins, and look for lateral movement from the source IP. This is the proper course of action because a SIEM alert investigation for failed logins that culminates in a successful authentication from an unusual internal IP demands a thorough hunt for credential stuffing or account takeover, even when the user offers a plausible excuse. The technical concept here is that SIEM correlation rules detect anomalies in authentication patterns, and a responder must validate whether the successful login is legitimate or a sign of an attacker moving laterally after brute-forcing credentials. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this scenario tests your ability to prioritize evidence-based investigation over quick fixes, a common trap where candidates choose immediate account resets or blocks without ruling out active compromise. Remember the mnemonic "ALI" — Always Look for Indicators of lateral movement before assuming a false positive.
SSCP Incident Response and Recovery Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of incident response and recovery. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 medium-sized e-commerce company uses a SIEM with correlation rules. During peak sales hours, the SIEM generates an alert: multiple failed login attempts from internal IP 172.16.10.50 followed by a successful login to a critical database server. The account used is 'dbadmin', which normally only authenticates from the IT department subnet. The user 'dbadmin' reports that they had to try several passwords because they forgot theirs earlier. The incident responder is under pressure to quickly restore normal operations. Which course of action should the responder take?
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
Investigate the user's recent activity, check for abnormal logins, and look for lateral movement from the source IP.
Given the alert details and the user's explanation, the responder should investigate further for signs of lateral movement or compromise. Dismissing (A) ignores potential credential stuffing. Resetting password and enabling MFA (B) is good but may not detect ongoing malicious activity. Blocking the account (D) could be too disruptive if it's a false positive. Investigating (C) allows confirmation and containment if needed.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Block the user's account immediately to prevent any further access.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking without confirmation could disrupt legitimate business operations if the user is legitimate.
- ✗
Reset the user's password and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Why it's wrong here
While MFA is good, this does not address the potential that the account is already compromised.
- ✗
Dismiss the alert as a false positive since the user explained the failed attempts.
Why it's wrong here
Dismissing without investigation could miss a real attack, especially from an unusual source IP.
- ✓
Investigate the user's recent activity, check for abnormal logins, and look for lateral movement from the source IP.
Why this is correct
Thorough investigation is warranted given the anomalous source IP and the critical nature of the target.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related SSCP subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
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Incident Response and Recovery — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Incident Response and Recovery — This question tests Incident Response and Recovery — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Investigate the user's recent activity, check for abnormal logins, and look for lateral movement from the source IP. — Given the alert details and the user's explanation, the responder should investigate further for signs of lateral movement or compromise. Dismissing (A) ignores potential credential stuffing. Resetting password and enabling MFA (B) is good but may not detect ongoing malicious activity. Blocking the account (D) could be too disruptive if it's a false positive. Investigating (C) allows confirmation and containment if needed.
What should I do if I get this SSCP question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related SSCP subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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