SSCP Practice Question: A security analyst sees the event log exhibit
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of sscp exam topics. 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.
Exhibit: Windows Event Log
```
Event ID 4625: An account failed to log on.
Subject: Security ID: S-1-5-18, Account Name: SYSTEM
Logon Type: 3
Account For Which Logon Failed: Security ID: NULL SID, Account Name: Administrator
Failure Reason: Unknown user name or bad password.
Status: 0xC000006D
Workstation Name: WORKSTATION1
Source Network Address: 10.0.0.200
```
A security analyst sees the event log exhibit. What does this indicate?
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Exhibit: Windows Event Log
```
Event ID 4625: An account failed to log on.
Subject: Security ID: S-1-5-18, Account Name: SYSTEM
Logon Type: 3
Account For Which Logon Failed: Security ID: NULL SID, Account Name: Administrator
Failure Reason: Unknown user name or bad password.
Status: 0xC000006D
Workstation Name: WORKSTATION1
Source Network Address: 10.0.0.200
```
A
A local user typed wrong password at the console
Why wrong: Logon Type 3 is network, not console.
B
A remote attacker attempted to log on as Administrator
Logon Type 3 and source IP indicate remote attempt.
C
An attacker used a nonexistent account
Why wrong: The account 'Administrator' exists; failure is due to bad password.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A remote attacker attempted to log on as Administrator
The event log shows multiple failed logon attempts for the built-in Administrator account from a remote IP address (e.g., 10.0.0.5) using different passwords, which is a classic brute-force attack pattern. Event ID 4625 (Windows Security Log) with Logon Type 3 (Network logon) and a non-zero workstation name or source network address confirms the attempts originated remotely, not from the console. This indicates a remote attacker is systematically trying to guess the Administrator password.
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.
✗
A local user typed wrong password at the console
Why it's wrong here
Logon Type 3 is network, not console.
✓
A remote attacker attempted to log on as Administrator
Why this is correct
Logon Type 3 and source IP indicate remote attempt.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An attacker used a nonexistent account
Why it's wrong here
The account 'Administrator' exists; failure is due to bad password.
✗
The Administrator account is locked out
Why it's wrong here
Only a failed logon, not lockout.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Logon Type 3 (network) with interactive logon (Type 2) or assume any failed logon for Administrator means a local user, but the presence of a remote IP address and Logon Type 3 specifically indicates a remote brute-force attack.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Windows Security Log Event ID 4625 records logon failures with detailed fields: LogonType (3 = network, 2 = interactive, 10 = remote interactive), Status (0xC000006D = bad username/password, 0xC0000064 = no such user), and Source Network Address (IP of the remote host). In a real-world scenario, a security analyst would correlate these events with firewall logs to identify the attacking IP and potentially block it, while also checking for additional indicators like RDP or SMB traffic on port 3389 or 445.
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.
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
Class
First Octet Range
Default Mask
Networks
Hosts per Network
A
1–126
/8 (255.0.0.0)
126
16,777,214
B
128–191
/16 (255.255.0.0)
16,384
65,534
C
192–223
/24 (255.255.255.0)
2,097,152
254
D
224–239
N/A
Multicast groups
—
E
240–255
N/A
Reserved / experimental
—
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A remote attacker attempted to log on as Administrator — The event log shows multiple failed logon attempts for the built-in Administrator account from a remote IP address (e.g., 10.0.0.5) using different passwords, which is a classic brute-force attack pattern. Event ID 4625 (Windows Security Log) with Logon Type 3 (Network logon) and a non-zero workstation name or source network address confirms the attempts originated remotely, not from the console. This indicates a remote attacker is systematically trying to guess the Administrator password.
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.
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Question Discussion
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