hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: Which TWO of the following are key indicators of…
Which TWO of the following are key indicators of a potential data exfiltration attempt?
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
✓
Unusual outbound traffic to a known malicious IP address
Unusual outbound traffic to a known malicious IP address (B) is a direct sign of data being sent to an attacker. Sudden increase in database read operations by a single user (E) could indicate data harvesting. Failed login attempts (A) indicate brute force but not exfiltration. Firewall rule changes (C) are more about network changes. Successful logins from unusual geolocations (D) indicate compromised credentials, not necessarily exfiltration itself.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Large number of failed login attempts from multiple accounts
Why it's wrong here
Failed logins suggest brute force or credential stuffing, not data exfiltration.
- ✓
Unusual outbound traffic to a known malicious IP address
Why this is correct
This is a direct indicator of data being sent to an external threat actor.
- ✗
Multiple firewall rule changes in a short period
Why it's wrong here
This is related to network configuration changes, not a direct exfiltration signal.
- ✗
Successful logins from unusual geolocations for multiple users
Why it's wrong here
This indicates possible credential compromise or lateral movement, not exfiltration.
- ✓
Sudden increase in database read operations by a single user account
Why this is correct
A spike in reads could indicate bulk data extraction.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SSCP question from scratch — 920 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.