SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of risk identification, monitoring and analysis. 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.
Oct 15 09:23:45 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:46 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:47 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:48 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:49 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Refer to the exhibit. A security analyst reviews these logs from a server. What immediate risk is most indicated by this log pattern?
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Oct 15 09:23:45 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:46 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:47 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:48 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
Oct 15 09:23:49 server01 sshd[1234]: Failed password for root from 192.168.1.100 port 22 ssh2
A
Insider threat from user root
Why wrong: The source IP is likely external; internal root would not need to brute-force.
B
Active brute-force attack against the SSH service
Multiple failed attempts in quick succession indicate a brute-force attempt.
C
Malware infection on the server
Why wrong: No evidence of malware in these logs.
D
Misconfigured SSH settings allowing root login
Why wrong: While root login may be misconfigured, the immediate risk is the ongoing attack.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Active brute-force attack against the SSH service
The log pattern shows repeated failed SSH authentication attempts from multiple IP addresses in rapid succession, which is the classic signature of an ongoing brute-force attack. No successful login is observed, so the immediate risk is that the attack is still in progress, trying to gain unauthorized access.
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.
✗
Insider threat from user root
Why it's wrong here
The source IP is likely external; internal root would not need to brute-force.
✓
Active brute-force attack against the SSH service
Why this is correct
Multiple failed attempts in quick succession indicate a brute-force attempt.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Malware infection on the server
Why it's wrong here
No evidence of malware in these logs.
✗
Misconfigured SSH settings allowing root login
Why it's wrong here
While root login may be misconfigured, the immediate risk is the ongoing attack.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between a vulnerability (e.g., misconfigured SSH allowing root login) and an active threat (the brute-force attack succeeding), where candidates mistakenly choose the root cause instead of the immediate risk.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SSH brute-force attacks typically use tools like Hydra or Medusa that cycle through common usernames (e.g., root) and password lists. The log pattern of many 'Failed password' entries from varied source IPs followed by a 'Accepted password' entry indicates the attacker found a valid credential. In real-world scenarios, attackers often use distributed botnets to evade IP-based rate limiting, making it critical to implement fail2ban or similar tools that dynamically block IPs after a threshold of failures.
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.
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: Active brute-force attack against the SSH service — The log pattern shows repeated failed SSH authentication attempts from multiple IP addresses in rapid succession, which is the classic signature of an ongoing brute-force attack. No successful login is observed, so the immediate risk is that the attack is still in progress, trying to gain unauthorized access.
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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