SY0-701 Question 285
Single answerMonitoring/asset trackingA security administrator discovers that several company laptops are appearing on the wireless network after hours, but those devices are not listed in the organization's current asset inventory. The administrator needs to quickly identify unmanaged devices, determine whether they are company-owned, and improve ongoing visibility of assets connecting to the network. Which action would BEST address this requirement?
- A
Implement a NAC solution that validates device identity and checks connecting systems against an authorized asset inventory
- B
Disable the wireless network after business hours so untracked devices cannot connect
- C
Rely on quarterly manual spreadsheet-based inventory reviews to reconcile discovered devices
- D
Configure full-disk encryption on all laptops to ensure only approved devices access the wireless network
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is to implement NAC because the scenario focuses on monitoring and asset tracking, not simply hardening endpoints or limiting availability. In Security+ contexts, asset management depends on maintaining an accurate inventory and correlating discovered devices with authorized assets. NAC supports this by identifying endpoints at connection time, often using authentication, profiling, and policy enforcement to determine whether a device should be allowed access. This aligns with common security best practices such as maintaining an up-to-date hardware inventory, continuously monitoring network-connected assets, and detecting unmanaged or rogue devices. Guidance from sources such as NIST cybersecurity practices emphasizes knowing what assets exist in the environment and monitoring them continuously, rather than relying only on periodic manual processes.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Network Access Control (NAC) is designed to identify devices as they connect, enforce policy decisions, and compare connecting endpoints against known or approved asset records. In this scenario, NAC provides both monitoring and asset-tracking value by helping detect unmanaged or unauthorized devices in real time and improving continuous visibility beyond a static inventory list.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Disabling wireless after hours may reduce exposure during that time window, but it does not solve the underlying problem of identifying unmanaged devices, validating ownership, or maintaining accurate asset visibility. It is a restrictive workaround rather than an asset-monitoring and tracking solution.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Manual quarterly reviews are too infrequent for a dynamic environment where devices can appear on the network at any time. This approach may help with administrative recordkeeping, but it does not provide timely detection or continuous monitoring of rogue, unmanaged, or missing assets.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Full-disk encryption protects data at rest on a device, but it does not verify whether a system is an authorized asset before it connects to the network. A candidate might choose this because it is a common laptop security control, but it does not directly address asset tracking or network-based device identification.