SSCP Network and Communications Security Practice Question
A security analyst is reviewing firewall logs and notices a high rate of TCP SYN packets to multiple ports on a server, but no corresponding ACK or RST packets. This is characteristic of which type of attack?
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 flood
SYN flood sends many SYN packets without completing the handshake, exhausting server resources.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
UDP flood
Why it's wrong here
UDP flood sends many UDP packets, not SYN packets.
- ✓
SYN flood
Why this is correct
SYN flood uses incomplete TCP handshakes to exhaust resources.
- ✗
Smurf attack
Why it's wrong here
Smurf attack uses ICMP broadcast amplification.
- ✗
Ping of death
Why it's wrong here
Ping of death uses oversized ICMP packets.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.