- A
Create an EBS snapshot of the root volume.
A snapshot preserves the root volume data.
- B
Create an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) of the compromised instance.
An AMI captures the state of the instance for forensic analysis.
- C
Isolate the instance by modifying the security group to deny all traffic.
Isolation prevents the ransomware from spreading.
- D
Stop the instance to preserve its state.
Why wrong: Stopping may lose volatile memory data; better to snapshot first.
- E
Delete the compromised instance immediately.
Why wrong: Deleting destroys evidence.
Question 878 of 1,748
SCS-C02 Threat Detection and Incident Response Practice Question
This SCS-C02 practice question tests your understanding of threat detection and incident response. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company's security team is implementing an incident response plan for a potential ransomware attack on their EC2 instances. Which THREE steps should the team take to preserve forensic evidence while containing the incident?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create an EBS snapshot of the root volume.
Option A is correct because creating an EBS snapshot of the root volume preserves the exact disk state at the time of the incident, including any ransomware artifacts, file system metadata, and encryption keys. This snapshot can be used for offline forensic analysis without altering the original evidence, as it captures the block-level data of the volume.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Create an EBS snapshot of the root volume.
Why this is correct
A snapshot preserves the root volume data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Create an Amazon Machine Image (AMI) of the compromised instance.
Why this is correct
An AMI captures the state of the instance for forensic analysis.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Isolate the instance by modifying the security group to deny all traffic.
Why this is correct
Isolation prevents the ransomware from spreading.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Stop the instance to preserve its state.
Why it's wrong here
Stopping may lose volatile memory data; better to snapshot first.
- ✗
Delete the compromised instance immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting destroys evidence.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'stopping' an instance with 'preserving state,' but stopping triggers a graceful shutdown that can alter evidence, whereas an EBS snapshot captures the live disk state without halting the instance.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
EBS snapshots are point-in-time, crash-consistent copies stored in Amazon S3, and they capture the entire block-level state including deleted files (if not overwritten) and encryption metadata. In a ransomware scenario, the snapshot can be used to mount the volume on a forensics instance in an isolated environment to extract indicators of compromise (IOCs) like ransomware binaries, ransom notes, or encryption logs without risking further spread. The snapshot also preserves the volume's encryption context if AWS KMS keys are used, which is critical for decrypting the evidence later.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Threat Detection and Incident Response — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Threat Detection and Incident Response practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All SCS-C02 questions
1,748 questions across all exam domains
- →
AWS Certified Security Specialty SCS-C02 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
SCS-C02 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related SCS-C02 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Threat Detection and Incident Response practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Threat Detection and Incident Response.
Security Logging and Monitoring practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Security Logging and Monitoring.
Identity and Access Management practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Identity and Access Management.
Management and Security Governance practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Management and Security Governance.
Infrastructure Security practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Infrastructure Security.
Data Protection practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to Data Protection.
SCS-C02 fundamentals practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 fundamentals.
SCS-C02 scenario practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 scenario.
SCS-C02 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise SCS-C02 questions linked to SCS-C02 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free SCS-C02 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SCS-C02 question test?
Threat Detection and Incident Response — This question tests Threat Detection and Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create an EBS snapshot of the root volume. — Option A is correct because creating an EBS snapshot of the root volume preserves the exact disk state at the time of the incident, including any ransomware artifacts, file system metadata, and encryption keys. This snapshot can be used for offline forensic analysis without altering the original evidence, as it captures the block-level data of the volume.
What should I do if I get this SCS-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More SCS-C02 practice questions
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to enforce that all Amazon S3 buckets a…
- A company is designing a multi-tier web application on AWS. The web tier must be accessible from the internet, but the a…
- A company is migrating a legacy application to AWS. The application requires two-way communication between the web serve…
- A security engineer is troubleshooting connectivity issues between an Amazon EC2 instance in a VPC and an on-premises se…
- A security engineer is reviewing the SQS queue policy shown in the exhibit. The queue is subscribed to an SNS topic in t…
- A company uses AWS Organizations with multiple accounts. The security team wants to ensure that all IAM users in the pro…
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This SCS-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SCS-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.