The correct answer includes both a step-by-step procedure for containment, eradication, and recovery, as well as contact information for law enforcement. These two elements are essential because the procedure forms the operational backbone of the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, ensuring that every security event is handled with consistent, repeatable actions that minimize damage and restore normal operations. The law enforcement contact information is equally critical, as regulations like GDPR and state breach notification laws require timely reporting of crimes such as data breaches or ransomware attacks, and it preserves the chain of custody for any legal proceedings. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this question tests your understanding of the policy-level components that support the technical incident response process, not just the tools or playbooks. A common trap is to confuse operational procedures with policy elements—remember that a policy sets the mandatory framework (including legal contacts), while the step-by-step procedure is the how-to guide. Memory tip: think “Cops and Steps”—law enforcement contacts for the cops, and containment-eradication-recovery for the steps.
200-201 Security Policies and Procedures Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security policies and procedures. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is creating an incident response policy. Which TWO elements should be included to ensure proper handling of security incidents?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Contact information for law enforcement
Option A is correct because an incident response policy must include contact information for law enforcement to ensure timely reporting of crimes such as data breaches or ransomware attacks, as required by regulations like GDPR or state breach notification laws. This enables proper legal handling and chain-of-custody preservation. Option C is correct because a step-by-step procedure for containment, eradication, and recovery is the core operational framework of the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, ensuring consistent and effective response actions.
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.
✓
Contact information for law enforcement
Why this is correct
Having contact information for law enforcement is a key part of an incident response communication plan.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A list of employee performance metrics
Why it's wrong here
Performance metrics are part of evaluation, not a required policy element.
✓
A step-by-step procedure for containment, eradication, and recovery
Why this is correct
Detailed procedures are essential for executing the incident response process consistently.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
A schedule for quarterly vulnerability scans
Why it's wrong here
Vulnerability scanning is part of ongoing security management, separate from incident response policy.
✗
List of approved vendors for forensic tools
Why it's wrong here
Vendor lists are operational details, not a high-level policy element.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between proactive security controls (like vulnerability scans or vendor lists) and reactive incident response procedures, causing candidates to mistakenly include operational or procurement details as policy elements.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The incident response policy should align with frameworks like NIST SP 800-61, which defines four phases: Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment Eradication & Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. The containment step often involves isolating affected systems using network segmentation (e.g., VLAN ACLs) or disabling compromised accounts via IAM tools, while eradication may require removing malware using endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions like CrowdStrike or SentinelOne. A real-world scenario: during a ransomware outbreak, the policy's step-by-step procedure guides the team to first disconnect the infected host from the network (containment), then wipe and reimage the system (eradication), and finally restore data from verified backups (recovery).
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 practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
Security Policies and Procedures — This question tests Security Policies and Procedures — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Contact information for law enforcement — Option A is correct because an incident response policy must include contact information for law enforcement to ensure timely reporting of crimes such as data breaches or ransomware attacks, as required by regulations like GDPR or state breach notification laws. This enables proper legal handling and chain-of-custody preservation. Option C is correct because a step-by-step procedure for containment, eradication, and recovery is the core operational framework of the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, ensuring consistent and effective response actions.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company wants to ensure that employees report security incidents immediately. Which policy element is most important to include?
easy
A.Specify encryption standards for data at rest
B.List acceptable uses of company resources
✓ C.Define mandatory reporting procedures and contact information
D.Require complex passwords for all accounts
Why C: Option C is correct because the core purpose of an incident response policy is to ensure timely reporting. Without mandatory reporting procedures and clear contact information, employees may delay or fail to report security incidents, increasing dwell time and potential damage. This directly supports the incident response lifecycle (NIST SP 800-61) by establishing a clear chain of communication for initial detection and reporting.
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
Question Discussion
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This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco 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 200-201 exam.
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