- A
Physical access logs
Why wrong: Physical access logs are not relevant to email exfiltration.
- B
Email gateway logs
Email logs capture details of outgoing emails.
- C
Firewall logs
Why wrong: Firewall logs show connections but not email content.
- D
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) logs
DLP logs detect sensitive data in emails.
- E
DNS logs
Why wrong: DNS logs might show domains but not email content.
Question 336 of 1,000
SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of risk identification, monitoring, and analysis. 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 security analyst is configuring a SIEM to detect potential insider threats. Which TWO of the following data sources would be most relevant for detecting an employee exfiltrating sensitive data via email?
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
✓
Email gateway logs
Email gateway logs capture metadata and content of outbound emails, including sender, recipient, subject, and attachments, enabling detection of anomalous data transfers. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) logs provide detailed policy violation alerts when sensitive data patterns (e.g., credit card numbers, classified text) are matched in email content, directly identifying exfiltration attempts.
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.
- ✗
Physical access logs
Why it's wrong here
Physical access logs are not relevant to email exfiltration.
- ✓
Email gateway logs
Why this is correct
Email logs capture details of outgoing emails.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Firewall logs
Why it's wrong here
Firewall logs show connections but not email content.
- ✓
Data Loss Prevention (DLP) logs
Why this is correct
DLP logs detect sensitive data in emails.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
DNS logs
Why it's wrong here
DNS logs might show domains but not email content.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between logs that show network-level activity (firewall, DNS) versus logs that inspect content or policy violations (email gateway, DLP), leading candidates to mistakenly choose firewall logs because they see 'outbound traffic' without considering content inspection.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Firewall logs show connections but not email content.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Email gateway logs typically include SMTP transaction details (HELO, MAIL FROM, RCPT TO, DATA) and may store message headers and attachment hashes, while DLP systems use content inspection engines (e.g., regex, fingerprinting, exact data matching) against policies like PCI DSS or HIPAA. In a real-world scenario, an employee sending a spreadsheet with customer PII to a personal Gmail address would trigger a DLP alert, and the email gateway log would confirm the recipient domain and attachment size, correlating both for incident response.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — This question tests Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Email gateway logs — Email gateway logs capture metadata and content of outbound emails, including sender, recipient, subject, and attachments, enabling detection of anomalous data transfers. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) logs provide detailed policy violation alerts when sensitive data patterns (e.g., credit card numbers, classified text) are matched in email content, directly identifying exfiltration attempts.
What should I do if I get this SSCP 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.
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