easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: Refer to the exhibit
Exhibit
Event ID 4625: An account failed to log on. Logon Type: 10 Account Name: Administrator Source Network Address: 192.168.1.200 Failure Reason: Unknown user name or bad password.
Refer to the exhibit. A security administrator notices repeated events with the same failure reason for the Administrator account. What is the MOST likely type of attack?
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
✓
Brute force
(Brute force) is correct because repeated failed logins for a single account (Administrator) indicate an attacker systematically trying different passwords. Option A (Spear phishing) is wrong; it involves targeted deceptive messages, not repeated login attempts. Option B (Password spraying) is wrong; it uses a few common passwords across many accounts, not many attempts on one account. Option D (Denial of service) is wrong; it aims to disrupt service, not gain access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Phishing involves social engineering, not repeated logins.
- ✗
Password spraying
Why it's wrong here
Password spraying targets many accounts with a few passwords.
- ✓
Brute force
Why this is correct
Multiple failed attempts for one account is characteristic of brute force.
- ✗
Denial of service
Why it's wrong here
DoS would aim to overwhelm the system, not to log in.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SSCP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Based on the exhibit, which type of attack is most likely occurring?
medium- ✓ A.Brute force attack
- B.Man-in-the-middle attack
- C.Denial of service attack
- D.Social engineering attack
Why A: 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.
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.