- A
The attack is a brute-force attempt on the amount field; implement rate limiting.
Why wrong: Brute force involves repeated guesses, not large payloads.
- B
The attack is cross-site scripting; sanitize output.
Why wrong: XSS affects client-side, not server CPU usage.
- C
The attack is a Denial of Service using large payloads; implement input size limits and validation.
Large JSON payloads can exhaust server resources; validation should restrict field sizes.
- D
The attack is SQL injection; use parameterized queries.
Why wrong: SQL injection typically returns database errors, not high CPU from payload size.
Question 601 of 1,000
hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: A financial services organization deploys a new…
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of sscp exam topics. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A financial services organization deploys a new web application that allows customers to check account balances and transfer funds. The application uses a RESTful API with JSON payloads. Shortly after deployment, the security team notices unusual traffic patterns: many requests contain excessively long JSON strings in the 'amount' field, and some of these requests return 500 Internal Server Errors. The application logs show that these requests cause high CPU usage on the application server. The developers confirm that the input validation only checks for negative numbers and characters. Which type of attack is most likely occurring, and what is the best immediate mitigation?
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.
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
✓
The attack is a Denial of Service using large payloads; implement input size limits and validation.
Option C is correct because the symptoms indicate a Denial of Service attack via large payloads that consume server resources. Excessive JSON string length in the 'amount' field causes high CPU usage during parsing and processing, leading to 500 errors. The best immediate mitigation is to implement input size limits and strict validation to reject oversized payloads. Option A is incorrect because brute-force attacks typically involve repeated attempts with different values, not large payloads causing CPU exhaustion; rate limiting would not address the root cause. Option B is incorrect because cross-site scripting (XSS) targets client-side script execution in the browser, not server-side CPU spikes. Option D is incorrect because SQL injection would likely return database error messages or cause data manipulation, not high CPU from JSON parsing.
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.
- ✗
The attack is a brute-force attempt on the amount field; implement rate limiting.
Why it's wrong here
Brute force involves repeated guesses, not large payloads.
- ✗
The attack is cross-site scripting; sanitize output.
Why it's wrong here
XSS affects client-side, not server CPU usage.
- ✓
The attack is a Denial of Service using large payloads; implement input size limits and validation.
Why this is correct
Large JSON payloads can exhaust server resources; validation should restrict field sizes.
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.
- ✗
The attack is SQL injection; use parameterized queries.
Why it's wrong here
SQL injection typically returns database errors, not high CPU from payload size.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which SSCP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The attack is a Denial of Service using large payloads; implement input size limits and validation. — Option C is correct because the symptoms indicate a Denial of Service attack via large payloads that consume server resources. Excessive JSON string length in the 'amount' field causes high CPU usage during parsing and processing, leading to 500 errors. The best immediate mitigation is to implement input size limits and strict validation to reject oversized payloads. Option A is incorrect because brute-force attacks typically involve repeated attempts with different values, not large payloads causing CPU exhaustion; rate limiting would not address the root cause. Option B is incorrect because cross-site scripting (XSS) targets client-side script execution in the browser, not server-side CPU spikes. Option D is incorrect because SQL injection would likely return database error messages or cause data manipulation, not high CPU from JSON parsing.
What should I do if I get this SSCP question wrong?
Identify which SSCP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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