SY0-701 Question 259
Single answerInstallation considerations: Site surveys , Heat mapsA security administrator is deploying a new WPA3-Enterprise wireless network in a multitenant office building. The company wants strong coverage inside its suite, but leadership is concerned that the signal may extend into neighboring offices and common hallways, increasing the risk of unauthorized discovery and attack attempts. Which action should the administrator take FIRST to best support a secure access point placement and power configuration?
- A
Perform a wireless site survey and review heat maps before finalizing AP locations and transmit power levels
- B
Disable SSID broadcasting so neighboring tenants cannot detect the wireless network
- C
Increase AP transmit power to ensure all users inside the suite receive the strongest possible signal
- D
Place all APs near exterior walls so signals can be focused back toward the office interior
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is to perform a wireless site survey and analyze heat maps before committing to AP placement and power settings. In real deployments, site surveys are used to understand building materials, interference, client density, and coverage requirements. Heat maps visually show signal strength and can reveal oversaturation, dead zones, and RF leakage into uncontrolled areas such as lobbies, parking lots, or neighboring offices. From a Security+ perspective, this is an installation consideration that directly affects confidentiality and attack exposure: excessive wireless coverage outside the intended area makes the network easier to detect and target. Best practices from wireless design and vendor deployment guidance consistently recommend predictive and/or active site surveys, followed by validation heat maps, to support secure and reliable WLAN implementations.
- A. Correct.
Correct. A wireless site survey combined with heat maps is the best first step for determining where access points should be installed and how their transmit power should be tuned. This helps identify coverage gaps, interference sources, and signal bleed outside the intended area. In a security context, minimizing unnecessary signal propagation beyond controlled space reduces the attack surface by making the network less exposed to nearby unauthorized users.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Disabling SSID broadcasting does not prevent detection by a determined attacker, because wireless management traffic can still reveal the network. It is not an effective primary control for preventing signal exposure into adjacent areas. This option reflects the common misconception that hiding the SSID meaningfully secures a WLAN.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Increasing transmit power may improve coverage in some areas, but it can also worsen signal bleed into hallways or neighboring tenant spaces, exactly the concern raised in the scenario. Stronger signal is not automatically more secure; proper tuning based on a survey is more appropriate.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Placing APs near exterior walls often increases the chance that RF signals will propagate outside the controlled office space. AP placement should be based on measured coverage requirements and environmental factors, not a fixed assumption about wall location.