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SY0-501 · Question #529

SY0-501 Question #529: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

The correct answer is A: Policy violation. The data breach most likely occurred because Joe violated company policy by sending confidential emails over an unsecure public Wi-Fi network without a VPN, leading to the interception of communications.

Submitted by lukas.cz· Mar 4, 2026

Question

Joe, a salesman, was assigned to a new project that requires him to travel to a client site. While waiting for a flight, Joe decides to connect to the airport wireless network without connecting to a VPN, and then sends confidential emails to fellow colleagues. A few days later, the company experiences a data breach. Upon investigation, the company learns Joe's emails were intercepted. Which of the following MOST likely caused the data breach?

Options

  • APolicy violation
  • BSocial engineering
  • CInsider threat
  • DZero--day attack

Explanation

The data breach most likely occurred because Joe violated company policy by sending confidential emails over an unsecure public Wi-Fi network without a VPN, leading to the interception of communications.

Common mistakes.

  • B. Social engineering involves psychological manipulation to trick individuals into divulging information or performing actions, which is not what occurred as Joe intentionally chose to use an unsecure connection.
  • C. While Joe is an insider, the scenario describes negligence leading to interception via an unsecure connection, rather than a malicious misuse of internal access or privileges, making policy violation a more precise cause.
  • D. A zero-day attack exploits a previously unknown software vulnerability, which is not indicated by the interception of emails over an unsecure public Wi-Fi network.

Concept tested. Security Policy Adherence and Secure Communication Practices

Reference. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/compliance/regulatory/security-and-compliance-overview

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