20+ practice questions focused on Incident Response and First Responder Skills — one of the most tested topics on the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator CHFI exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation so you learn why the right answer is correct.
Start Incident Response and First Responder Skills PracticeA first responder arrives at a scene where a computer is powered on and a user is logged in. An incident is suspected. What should the responder do FIRST?
Explanation: The first priority at a live incident scene is to preserve volatile evidence. Photographing the screen captures the current state of the system, including open applications, network connections, and user activity, which can be lost if the system is altered or powered down. This documentation provides a baseline for the investigation and ensures that critical volatile data is recorded before any forensic acquisition begins.
During an incident response, a first responder needs to preserve the integrity of evidence. Which action ensures the best chain of custody?
Explanation: Computing a SHA-256 hash immediately after acquisition creates a cryptographic fingerprint of the image. This hash, when recorded in the chain of custody form, provides verifiable integrity: any subsequent alteration of the image will produce a different hash, proving tampering. While other steps are important, only hashing directly ties the evidence's integrity to a mathematical proof that can be independently verified later.
A first responder is responding to a ransomware incident on a Windows server. Which TWO actions should be performed to preserve evidence? (Choose two.)
Explanation: Powering off the server preserves the encrypted state of the disk and prevents the ransomware from continuing to encrypt additional files or communicate with its command-and-control server. In a ransomware incident, immediate shutdown halts the encryption process and preserves the volatile evidence on disk, such as the ransomware binary and encrypted files, for forensic analysis.
Refer to the exhibit. A first responder runs netstat -ano on a Windows system. Which connection is MOST likely indicative of a potential C2 communication?
Explanation: The connection from a high ephemeral port (49153) to an external IP (203.0.113.50) over HTTPS (port 443) with a short-lived TIME_WAIT state is a classic indicator of potential C2 beaconing. C2 communications often use HTTPS to blend with legitimate traffic, and the TIME_WAIT state suggests brief, periodic connections typical of beaconing, rather than sustained data transfer. The external IP is also in a documentation/test range (203.0.113.0/24), which is commonly used for examples but in a real scenario would be suspicious as an unknown external destination.
Refer to the exhibit. A first responder runs the command on a Linux server. Which process should be considered MOST suspicious and investigated immediately?
Explanation: Without the exhibit, it is impossible to determine which process is most suspicious. Both Python /tmp/.payload.py and Perl /tmp/.script.pl are hidden scripts run from a temporary directory, and nc -lvp 4444 is a classic backdoor listener. In a typical incident response, any of these would warrant immediate investigation, but the question requires a single answer without sufficient context.
+15 more Incident Response and First Responder Skills questions available
Practice all Incident Response and First Responder Skills questions1. Baseline your knowledge
Start with 10 questions to gauge your current understanding of Incident Response and First Responder Skills. This tells you whether you need a concept refresher or just practice.
2. Review every explanation
For each question — right or wrong — read the full explanation. Understanding why an answer is correct is more valuable than knowing the answer itself.
3. Focus on exam traps
Incident Response and First Responder Skills questions on the CHFI frequently use trap wording. Look for subtle differences in answers that test your precision, not just general knowledge.
4. Reach 80% consistently
Do repeated sessions until you score 80%+ three times in a row. Then move to mixed-mode practice to test cross-topic recall under realistic conditions.
The exact number varies per candidate. Incident Response and First Responder Skills is tested as part of the Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator CHFI blueprint. Practicing with targeted Incident Response and First Responder Skills questions ensures you can handle any format or difficulty that appears.
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Difficulty is subjective, but Incident Response and First Responder Skills is a high-priority exam concept tested in multiple ways — direct recall, scenario analysis, and command-output interpretation. Consistent practice is the best way to build confidence.
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