SSCP Security Operations and Administration Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of security operations and administration. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
[user@server ~]$ sudo cat /var/log/auth.log | grep 'Failed password' | tail -5
Mar 10 14:23:01 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:05 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:09 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:13 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:17 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Based on the exhibit, which type of attack is most likely occurring?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Refer to the exhibit.
[user@server ~]$ sudo cat /var/log/auth.log | grep 'Failed password' | tail -5
Mar 10 14:23:01 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:05 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:09 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:13 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
Mar 10 14:23:17 server sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 10.0.0.5 port 22 ssh2
A
Brute force attack
Repeated failed password attempts from same IP is classic brute force.
B
Man-in-the-middle attack
Why wrong: MITM would not generate auth.log entries like this.
C
Denial of service attack
Why wrong: DoS would show resource exhaustion, not repeated login attempts.
D
Social engineering attack
Why wrong: Social engineering is not directly observable in logs.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Brute force attack
A brute force attack is most likely occurring because the exhibit shows repeated login attempts with different passwords for the same username, which is the hallmark of an automated password guessing attack. The rapid succession of failed authentication events indicates a systematic trial of credentials, not a single intercepted session or resource exhaustion.
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.
✓
Brute force attack
Why this is correct
Repeated failed password attempts from same IP is classic brute force.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Man-in-the-middle attack
Why it's wrong here
MITM would not generate auth.log entries like this.
✗
Denial of service attack
Why it's wrong here
DoS would show resource exhaustion, not repeated login attempts.
✗
Social engineering attack
Why it's wrong here
Social engineering is not directly observable in logs.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse a brute force attack with a denial of service attack because both can generate high volumes of traffic, but the key differentiator is the repeated authentication failure pattern versus resource exhaustion.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
DoS would show resource exhaustion, not repeated login attempts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Brute force attacks typically use tools like Hydra or Medusa to iterate through password dictionaries or character combinations against authentication protocols such as SSH, RDP, or HTTP Basic Auth. Rate limiting and account lockout policies (e.g., after 5 failed attempts per RFC 7617) are common mitigations, but attackers may bypass these by using distributed IP addresses or slow attack rates. In real-world scenarios, brute force attacks often target default credentials on IoT devices or exposed administrative interfaces.
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
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
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.
Security Operations and Administration — This question tests Security Operations and Administration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Brute force attack — A brute force attack is most likely occurring because the exhibit shows repeated login attempts with different passwords for the same username, which is the hallmark of an automated password guessing attack. The rapid succession of failed authentication events indicates a systematic trial of credentials, not a single intercepted session or resource exhaustion.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.