hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: A security analyst reviews the syslog message…
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. syslog: %SEC-6-IPACCESSLOGP: list ACL_IN denied tcp 10.0.1.15(54321) -> 192.0.2.50(80), 1 packet
A security analyst reviews the syslog message from a router. What does this log entry indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the ability to distinguish source vs. destination IPs in ACL logs, and the trap here is that candidates may misidentify the internal IP (10.0.0.2) as external due to not recognizing RFC 1918 private addresses, leading them to choose option B.
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
✓
An internal host attempted to access an external web server and was blocked.
The log entry shows a packet from source IP 10.0.0.2 (internal) to destination IP 203.0.113.5 (external) on port 80 (HTTP) being denied by the router's access control list (ACL). The 'DENY' action indicates the traffic was blocked, not allowed. Since the source is internal and the destination is external, this matches an outbound connection attempt being blocked.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The router's ACL is misconfigured and is blocking all traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Only one packet is logged; it may be a specific rule.
- ✗
An external host attempted to access an internal web server and was blocked.
Why it's wrong here
The source is internal, destination external.
- ✓
An internal host attempted to access an external web server and was blocked.
Why this is correct
The ACL denied the TCP connection to port 80.
- ✗
An internal host successfully accessed an external web server.
Why it's wrong here
The log says 'denied', so access was blocked.
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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.