Free Cisco 350-701 Exam Actual Questions & Explanations

Last updated on: Jul 29, 2026
Author: Charlotte Suzuki (Cisco Security Certification Specialist)

About the 350-701 Exam

The Cisco 350-701 exam, titled Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies, validates your ability to design, deploy, and manage security solutions across Cisco infrastructure. This exam is essential for professionals pursuing Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Security, Cisco Certified Network Professional, and Cisco Certified Network Professional Security certifications. It assesses both foundational knowledge and hands-on operational skills required in modern security environments. This page provides a structured study roadmap, practical topic breakdowns, and preparation guidance to help you approach the exam with confidence.

350-701 Exam Syllabus & Core Topics

Use this topic map to guide your study for Cisco 350-701 (Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies) within the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert Security, Cisco Certified Network Professional, and Cisco Certified Network Professional Security path.

  • Security Concepts: Understand fundamental security principles, threat modeling, and defense-in-depth strategies. You must identify attack vectors, evaluate risk frameworks, and apply security best practices to organizational environments.
  • Securing the Cloud: Deploy and manage security controls for cloud infrastructure and hybrid deployments. This includes configuring cloud access security brokers, managing identity federation, and enforcing data protection policies across cloud platforms.
  • Content Security: Implement filtering and inspection technologies to detect and prevent malicious content. Configure URL filtering, file reputation services, and advanced threat protection to block known and emerging threats.
  • Endpoint Protection and Detection: Deploy endpoint security agents, configure threat detection policies, and respond to endpoint-based incidents. Learn to manage endpoint visibility, isolate compromised devices, and coordinate detection across the security ecosystem.
  • Secure Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement: Implement network access control, manage device posture checks, and enforce segmentation policies. Configure visibility tools to monitor network behavior and apply dynamic access policies based on user identity and device compliance.

Question Formats & What They Test

The 350-701 exam combines multiple-choice questions with scenario-based items to evaluate both conceptual understanding and practical decision-making in real-world security operations.

  • Multiple Choice: Test core security definitions, feature behavior, configuration options, and key terminology. Questions assess your ability to recall and recognize correct security practices and technology capabilities.
  • Scenario-Based Items: Present real-world security challenges that require you to analyze conditions, evaluate trade-offs, and recommend the best operational or planning decision. These items test your ability to apply knowledge to complex, multi-layered situations.
  • Configuration-Focused Questions: Assess your understanding of how to configure security policies, manage access rules, and deploy protection mechanisms. You may need to identify correct command sequences, parameter values, or policy settings.

Questions progress in difficulty and emphasize practical application, ensuring that passing candidates can implement and operate security solutions in production environments.

Preparation Guidance

Effective preparation requires a structured study plan that maps exam topics to measurable weekly goals and includes regular practice with realistic questions. Allocate time proportionally to each domain, with extra focus on areas where you have less hands-on experience. Integrate practical lab work alongside study materials to reinforce configuration skills and operational workflows.

  • Divide Security Concepts, Securing the Cloud, Content Security, Endpoint Protection and Detection, and Secure Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement into weekly study blocks. Track your progress and adjust pacing based on comprehension and practice test scores.
  • Work through practice question sets regularly; review detailed explanations for both correct and incorrect answers to identify knowledge gaps and reinforce weak areas.
  • Connect security features and concepts across planning, threat detection, incident response, and policy enforcement workflows. Understanding how components interact in real deployments strengthens retention and application.
  • Complete a timed, full-length practice exam one week before your test date. Use this to refine pacing, identify remaining weak spots, and build test-day confidence.

Explore other Cisco certifications: view all Cisco exams.

Get the PDF & Practice Test

Strengthen your preparation with up-to-date resources from validexamdumps.com. These materials align to 350-701 and cover practical scenarios with clear explanations.

  • Q&A PDF with explanations: Topic-mapped questions that clarify why correct options are right and others aren't.
  • Practice Test: Realistic items, timed and untimed modes, progress tracking, and detailed review.
  • Focused coverage: Aligned to Security Concepts, Securing the Cloud, Content Security, Endpoint Protection and Detection, and Secure Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement so you study what matters most.
  • Regular reviews: Content refreshes that reflect syllabus and product changes.

Visit the exam page to download the PDF, Online Practice Test, or get Bundle Discount offer for both formats: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which topics carry the most weight on the 350-701 exam?

Secure Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement and Endpoint Protection and Detection typically account for a significant portion of the exam. However, all five domains are tested, so balanced preparation across all topics is essential. Review the official exam blueprint to confirm current topic weightings.

How do the five exam domains connect in real security operations?

In practice, these domains work together as an integrated security strategy. Security Concepts provide the foundation; Securing the Cloud and Content Security protect data and applications; Endpoint Protection detects threats at device level; and Secure Network Access enforces policies at network entry points. Understanding these connections helps you answer scenario-based questions that require cross-domain reasoning.

How much hands-on lab experience do I need before taking the exam?

Hands-on experience with Cisco security appliances (firewalls, IPS, threat defense) and cloud security tools significantly improves both understanding and retention. Prioritize labs that cover policy configuration, threat detection workflows, and access control enforcement. Even simulated lab environments help build confidence in configuration tasks and troubleshooting scenarios.

What are common mistakes that cause candidates to lose points?

Frequent errors include misunderstanding the difference between detection and prevention mechanisms, confusing cloud security models, and overlooking policy enforcement order. Additionally, candidates often rush scenario-based questions without fully analyzing all conditions. Read each question carefully, identify what is being asked, and consider how multiple security domains might apply before selecting your answer.

What is an effective review strategy in the final week before the exam?

Focus on weak topic areas identified in practice tests rather than re-reading all study materials. Complete one full-length timed practice exam to assess readiness and pacing. Review explanations for questions you missed, and spend time on scenario-based items that require multi-step reasoning. Get adequate sleep the night before the exam to ensure mental clarity.

Question No. 1

Where are individual sites specified to be block listed in Cisco Umbrella?

Show Answer Hide Answer
Correct Answer: C

Question No. 2

[Security Concepts]

Refer to the exhibit.

An organization is using DHCP Snooping within their network. A user on VLAN 41 on a new switch is

complaining that an IP address is not being obtained. Which command should be configured on the switch

interface in order to provide the user with network connectivity?

Show Answer Hide Answer
Correct Answer: D

To understand DHCP snooping we need to learn about DHCP spoofing attack first.

DHCP spoofing is a type of attack in that the attacker listens for DHCP Requests from clients and answers them with fake DHCP Response before the authorized DHCP Response comes to the clients. The fake DHCP Response often gives its IP address as the client default gateway -> all the traffic sent from the client will go through the attacker computer, the attacker becomes a ''man-in-the-middle''.

The attacker can have some ways to make sure its fake DHCP Response arrives first. In fact, if the attacker is ''closer'' than the DHCP Server then he doesn't need to do anything. Or he can DoS the DHCP Server so that it can't send the DHCP Response.

DHCP snooping can prevent DHCP spoofing attacks. DHCP snooping is a Cisco Catalyst feature that

determines which switch ports can respond to DHCP requests. Ports are identified as trusted and untrusted.

Only ports that connect to an authorized DHCP server are trusted, and allowed to send all types of DHCP

messages. All other ports on the switch are untrusted and can send only DHCP requests. If a DHCP response is seen on an untrusted port, the port is shut down.

The port connected to a DHCP server should be configured as trusted port with the ''ip dhcp snooping trust'' command. Other ports connecting to hosts are untrusted ports by default.

In this question, we need to configure the uplink to ''trust'' (under interface Gi1/0/1) as shown below.


Question No. 3

[Endpoint Protection and Detection]

What does Cisco AMP for Endpoints use to help an organization detect different families of malware?

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Correct Answer: A

ETHOS is the Cisco file grouping engine. It allows us to group families of files together so if we see variants of

a malware, we mark the ETHOS hash as malicious and whole families of malware are instantly detected.


Question No. 4

[Content Security]

How does Cisco Advanced Phishing Protection protect users?

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Correct Answer: B

Cisco Advanced Phishing Protection provides sender authentication and BEC detection capabilities. It uses advanced machine learning techniques, real-time behavior analytics, relationship modeling, and telemetry to protect against identity deception-based threats.


Question No. 5

[Secure Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement]

Based on the NIST 800-145 guide, which cloud architecture may be owned, managed, and operated by one or more of the organizations in the community, a third party, or some combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises?

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Correct Answer: D

According to the NIST 800-145 guide1, a community cloud is a cloud infrastructure that is provisioned for exclusive use by a specific community of consumers from organizations that have shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be owned, managed, and operated by one or more of the organizations in the community, a third party, or some combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises. A community cloud is different from a hybrid cloud, which is a composition of two or more distinct cloud infrastructures (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities, but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load balancing between clouds). A private cloud is a cloud infrastructure that is provisioned for exclusive use by a single organization comprising multiple consumers (e.g., business units). It may be owned, managed, and operated by the organization, a third party, or some combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises. A public cloud is a cloud infrastructure that is provisioned for open use by the general public. It may be owned, managed, and operated by a business, academic, or government organization, or some combination of them. It exists on the premises of the cloud provider.Reference:=

Some possible references are:

1: NIST SP 800-145, The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing,12: Evaluation of Cloud Computing Services Based on NIST SP 800-145,33: What Is Community Cloud? Definition, Architecture, Examples, and Best Practices,6