200-201 Security Policies and Procedures Practice Question
A multinational retailer is aligning its security program with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. The CISO wants to prioritize activities that improve the ability to detect and respond to cybersecurity events. Which Function in the NIST CSF Core is specifically described as encompassing activities to identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is conflating Identify, which is about understanding assets and risk before events, with Detect, which is about recognizing that an event is happening.
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
✓
Detect
The NIST CSF Core defines Detect as the Function containing activities to identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event, including continuous monitoring and detection processes. Identify, Protect, and Respond address asset understanding, safeguards, and post-detection actions respectively. For a retailer seeking faster awareness of incidents, strengthening the Detect Function is the direct match.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Protect
Why it's wrong here
Protect covers safeguards that limit or contain the impact of a potential cybersecurity event, including access control, awareness training, and protective technology. It is about preventing or reducing impact, not about recognizing that an event has happened. Choosing Protect for the scenario would leave the retailer without a clear owner for continuous monitoring and analysis, which are the activities that actually surface cybersecurity events.
- ✗
Identify
Why it's wrong here
Identify focuses on understanding the organization's assets, risks, and governance to manage cybersecurity risk, such as asset management, business environment, and risk assessment. It does not describe the ongoing monitoring and analysis that reveals an event is occurring. While Identify is foundational and informs detection priorities, selecting it here confuses pre-event understanding with real-time event discovery, which is the domain of a different Function.
- ✓
Detect
Why this is correct
Detect is the NIST CSF Function that includes activities to identify the occurrence of a cybersecurity event, covering anomalies and events, continuous security monitoring, and detection processes. For the retailer's goal of improving event discovery, Detect is the correct focus because it addresses monitoring, analysis, and timely awareness. Investments in this Function, such as SIEM tuning and endpoint detection, directly strengthen the ability to notice malicious activity quickly.
- ✗
Respond
Why it's wrong here
Respond covers actions taken once a cybersecurity event is detected, including response planning, communications, analysis, mitigation, and improvements. It assumes detection has already occurred and focuses on containing and managing the incident. While the CISO cares about response, the scenario asks specifically about identifying the occurrence of an event, so Respond is the wrong Function to prioritize for that stated capability.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.