CompTIA Updated 220-1202 Exam Questions and Answers by alexia

The correct answer is D. Smishing, which is a form of phishing attack conducted via SMS text messages. The key indicators in this scenario are the unexpected text message and the embedded link prompting the user to reset a password. These attacks rely on urgency and fear to trick users into clicking malicious links or providing credentials.

According to the Quentin Docter – CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide, smishing attacks often impersonate legitimate organizations such as banks, IT departments, or service providers. The attacker claims that an account action is required, such as resetting an expired password, to prompt immediate user response.

The Travis Everett & Andrew Hutz – All-in-One Exam Guide explains that smishing is distinct from other phishing variants based on delivery method. Vishing uses voice calls, spear phishing targets specific individuals via email, and whaling targets high-level executives. Since this attack is delivered via text message, it is classified as smishing.

The Mike Meyers / Mark Soper Lab Manual reinforces that modern attackers increasingly use SMS because users often trust text messages more than emails. This makes smishing a highly effective and common attack vector.

Because the attack uses SMS with a malicious link, smishing is the correct answer.

The correct answer is C. Perform a clean installation . When ransomware has encrypted files and the organization does not pay the ransom, the priority is to remove all traces of malware and rebuild the system from a trusted state. Quentin Docter’s Complete Study Guide explains that in ransomware situations, remediation may not be possible because user files are encrypted. It further states that in cases where no one can be certain what the malware payload has done, the proper remediation might be to sanitize the drive and reinstall the operating system from an image or manually reinstall it. A recovery partition or Windows Recovery Environment repair may leave infected files, settings, persistence mechanisms, or damaged user data behind. Upgrading to Windows 11 does not guarantee malware removal. A clean installation removes the existing compromised OS and provides the best path to full operation, followed by restoring clean data from known-good backups.

The correct answer is C. ping 10.203.10.1. The technician should test whether the computer can communicate with its default gateway. Quentin Docter’s Complete Study Guide explains that the ping command verifies network connectivity using ICMP packets and that a common troubleshooting step is to ping the default gateway. If the gateway responds, the system has basic connectivity to that device. The All-in-One Exam Guide also states that ping is a great way to determine whether a computer can talk to another system by sending packets to an IP address or DNS name. ipconfig is used to view TCP/IP configuration, not to ping an address in that syntax. nslookup checks DNS resolution, which is not the first test for reaching the gateway. net use maps or manages network resources, but it does not directly test gateway communication.

When an OS is no longer receiving updates, it is generally because it has reachedend of life (EOL), meaning the vendor has ceased support.

FromQuentin Docter – CompTIA A+ Complete Study Guide:

“End-of-life refers to the point when an OS vendor no longer issues updates or support. Systems at EOL pose security risks and must be upgraded or isolated.”