SSCP Question #1291: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

The correct answer is B: Denial of Service. The act of overloading a system's resources to prevent it from providing its intended services to legitimate users is known as a Denial of Service (DoS) attack.

Submitted by krish.m· Apr 18, 2026Security Concepts and Practices

Question

Overloading or congesting a system's resources so that it is unable to provide required services is referred to as:

Options

ASwamping
BDenial of Service
CBandwidth displacement
DA passive attack
EICMP redirect

Explanation

The act of overloading a system's resources to prevent it from providing its intended services to legitimate users is known as a Denial of Service (DoS) attack.

Common mistakes.

A. 'Swamping' is a colloquial term that describes overwhelming a system but is not the formal security term for this type of attack.
C. 'Bandwidth displacement' describes shifting bandwidth usage but does not fully capture the intent or effect of making services unavailable.
D. A passive attack involves monitoring or eavesdropping on data without altering system resources or availability, which is contrary to the active disruption of a DoS attack.
E. ICMP redirect is a network control message used by routers to inform hosts of a more optimal route, not a term for overwhelming system resources to deny service.

Concept tested. Denial of Service (DoS) attack definition

Reference. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/security/fundamentals/ddos-best-practices

Topics

#Denial of Service#DoS attacks#Resource exhaustion#Availability

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