CompTIA SY0-701 Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

CompTIA SY0-701 Online Questions & Answers

• Question 821:

  A systems administrator is concerned users are accessing emails through a duplicate site that is not run by the company.

  Which of the following is used in this scenario?

  A. Impersonation
  B. Replication
  C. Phishing
  D. Smishing
  C. Phishing

• Question 822:

  The executive management team is mandating the company develop a disaster recovery plan. The cost must be kept to a minimum, and the money to fund additional internet connections is not available.

  Which of the following would be the best option?

  A. Hot site
  B. Cold site
  C. Failover site
  D. Warm site
  B. Cold site

• Question 823:

  A company experiences a data loss event due to a stolen laptop. In order to prevent future similar events, a security analyst must implement a scalable solution to ensure all data on company laptops remains secure in the event of theft or loss.

  Which of the following should the analyst do next?

  A. Configure the HSM for each device and store recovery keys centrally.
  B. Implement LAPS to ensure secure password rotation for administrative accounts.
  C. Use an MDM platform to manage the devices and force security configurations.
  D. Ensure that each laptop has the secure enclave properly initialized in the BIOS.
  C. Use an MDM platform to manage the devices and force security configurations.

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  Explanation

  The best answer is C. Use an MDM platform to manage the devices and force security configurations. The question asks for a scalable solution to protect data on company laptops if they are stolen or lost. An MDM (Mobile Device Management) platform is the best choice because it allows centralized administration of many endpoints and can enforce security controls across all laptops, such as: full-disk encryption requirements screen lock policies remote wipe capabilities compliance checks device configuration enforcement.

  This makes MDM the most scalable and manageable approach for protecting a fleet of laptops. Why the other options are incorrect:

  A. Configure the HSM for each device and store recovery keys centrally.This is not the most practical or scalable answer for standard laptops, and HSMs are not typically configured individually this way for endpoint theft prevention.

  B.

  Implement LAPS to ensure secure password rotation for administrative accounts.LAPS helps secure local administrator passwords, but it does not directly protect data at rest on a stolen laptop. D. Ensure that each laptop has the secure enclave properly initialized in the BIOS.Hardware-based protections can help, but this is not the best broad, centrally managed, scalable control compared with MDM-enforced policies. From a Security+ perspective, the main protection against data loss from stolen laptops is usually centralized device management with enforced encryption and security controls, making C the best answer.

• Question 824:

  A smart lighting system is deployed in an office building. The devices connect to the corporate Wi-Fi and are managed via a cloud portal.

  Which of the following security techniques reduces risk for these IoT devices?

  A. Assigning static IP addresses to the devices
  B. Updating default credentials and applying network segmentation
  C. Connecting the devices to the guest Wi-Fi to prevent interactions with corporate IT
  D. Allowing the vendor to have remote access for day-to-day management
  B. Updating default credentials and applying network segmentation

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  Explanation

  The best answer is B. Updating default credentials and applying network segmentation. IoT devices often present increased security risk because they may have weak default settings, limited security features, and persistent network connectivity. Two of the most effective ways to reduce this risk are: Updating default credentialsMany IoT devices come with default usernames and passwords that are widely known or easy to guess. Leaving default credentials unchanged creates a major security weakness. Applying network segmentationSegmenting IoT devices onto a separate network or VLAN limits their ability to interact with critical corporate systems. If one device is compromised, segmentation helps contain the threat and reduces lateral movement.

  Why the other options are incorrect:

  Option

  A. Assigning static IP addresses to the devicesStatic IP addresses may help with management and inventory, but they do not significantly reduce the core security risk. Option

  C. Connecting the devices to the guest Wi-Fi to prevent interactions with corporate ITThis may seem helpful, but guest Wi-Fi is typically designed for temporary user access, not secured management of business IoT systems. It is not the best practice compared with a properly segmented and controlled IoT network.

  Option D. Allowing the vendor to have remote access for day-to-day managementRoutine vendor remote access can increase risk if not tightly controlled. Third-party access should be limited, monitored, and secured, not broadly allowed as a default control.

  From the SY0-701 perspective, IoT security commonly emphasizes changing insecure defaults, restricting access, segmentation, and reducing exposure. Therefore, B is the strongest and most complete answer.

• Question 825:

  After an audit, an administrator discovers all users have access to confidential data on a file server.

  Which of the following should the administrator use to restrict access to the data quickly?

  A. Group Policy
  B. Content filtering
  C. Data loss prevention
  D. Access control lists
  D. Access control lists

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  Explanation

  Access control lists (ACLs) are rules that specify which users or groups can access which resources on a file server. They can help restrict access to confidential data by granting or denying permissions based on the identity or role of the user. In this case, the administrator can use ACLs to quickly modify the access rights of the users and prevent them from accessing the data they are not authorized to see.

  References:

  CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-701, 9th Edition, page 308

• Question 826:

  Two companies are in the process of merging. The companies need to decide how to standardize their information security programs.

  Which of the following would best align the security programs?

  A. Shared deployment of CIS baselines
  B. Joint cybersecurity best practices
  C. Both companies following the same CSF
  D. Assessment of controls in a vulnerability report
  C. Both companies following the same CSF

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  Explanation

  A Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) provides a structured approach to standardizing and aligning security programs across different organizations. By both companies adopting the same CSF, they can ensure that their security measures, policies, and practices are consistent, which is essential during a merger when aligning two different security programs.

  References:

  CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Course Content: The course discusses the importance of adopting standardized cybersecurity frameworks (CSF) for aligning security programs during mergers and acquisitions.

• Question 827:

  Which of the following should a security analyst consider when prioritizing remediation efforts against known vulnerabilities?

  A. The impact of reporting to executive management
  B. The overall organizational risk tolerance
  C. Information gathered from open sources
  D. The source of the reported risk
  B. The overall organizational risk tolerance

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  Explanation

  Organizational risk tolerance is the primary factor determining how quickly and aggressively vulnerabilities should be remediated. Security+ SY0-701 explains that organizations have different appetites for risk depending on business needs, regulatory expectations, operational constraints, and financial impact.

  A company with low risk tolerance may prioritize almost every vulnerability and remediate quickly.

  A company with high risk tolerance may delay or accept some lower-impact risks.

  This consideration directly influences patch prioritization, resource allocation, and mitigation timelines.

  Option A-executive reporting-does not influence technical prioritization.

  Option C-open-source intelligence-helps identify vulnerabilities but does not determine urgency.

  Option D-the source of the reported risk-is irrelevant; what matters is severity and business impact.

  Thus, B: The overall organizational risk tolerance is the key factor for prioritizing remediation.

• Question 828:

  An administrator investigating an incident is concerned about the downtime of a critical server due to a failed drive.

  Which of the following would the administrator use to estimate the time needed to fix the issue?

  A. MTTR
  B. MTBF
  C. RTO
  D. RPO
  A. MTTR

• Question 829:

  An analyst wants to move data from production to the UAT server to test the latest release.

  Which of the following strategies should the analyst use to protect sensitive data from being viewed by the testing team?

  A. Data masking
  B. Data tokenization
  C. Data obfuscation
  D. Data encryption
  A. Data masking

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  Explanation

  The best answer is A. Data masking. When production data is copied into a UAT (User Acceptance Testing) environment, sensitive information should be protected so that testers cannot view real confidential values such as personal data, account numbers, or other regulated information. Data masking replaces sensitive data with realistic but fictional or hidden values while preserving the format and usability of the data for testing. This makes it ideal for non-production environments where the application still needs data that looks real, but the testing team should not be able to see actual sensitive information. Why the other options are incorrect:

  B. Data tokenizationTokenization replaces sensitive values with tokens, but it is more commonly used to protect data in operational processing systems, such as payment environments. It is not the best fit here compared with masking for UAT visibility concerns.

  C. Data obfuscationObfuscation is a broader term and can mean making data harder to understand, but data masking is the more precise and standard control for protecting test data from being viewed.

  D. Data encryptionEncryption protects data at rest or in transit, but once authorized testers access and use the UAT system, the application may decrypt and display the data. That does not solve the problem of testers viewing sensitive values. From a Security+ perspective, when moving production data into development, test, or UAT environments, the preferred control to prevent exposure of real sensitive data is data masking.

• Question 830:

  A company is concerned about employees unintentionally introducing malware into the network. The company identified fifty employees who clicked on a link embedded in an email sent by the internal IT department.

  Which of the following should the company implement to best improve its security posture?

  A. Social engineering training
  B. SPF configuration
  C. Simulated phishing campaign
  D. Insider threat awareness
  C. Simulated phishing campaign

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  Explanation

  A simulated phishing campaign involves sending fake phishing emails to employees to assess their susceptibility and raise awareness. By conducting such simulations, the company can identify vulnerable users, provide targeted training, and improve employees' ability to recognize phishing attempts. This approach directly addresses the risk of employees unintentionally introducing malware through malicious links in emails.