The answer is to investigate if any other users received similar emails and to block the sender. These two steps are correct because they follow the principle of containment and scoping in incident response: blocking the sender immediately halts the attack vector, while investigating other recipients helps determine the blast radius and whether the threat has spread across the organization. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this question tests your understanding of the NIST incident response framework’s initial actions, specifically the “Identification” and “Containment” phases. A common trap is choosing “forward the original email” for analysis, but that alters critical email headers and can destroy forensic evidence. Another pitfall is forcing a password reset prematurely, which is only warranted after confirming compromise. Remember the mnemonic “Block and Scope” — first block the sender, then scope the impact by checking other users.
200-201 Security Policies and Procedures Practice Question
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security policies and procedures. 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 security analyst is creating a procedure for responding to a phishing email reported by a user. Which TWO steps should be included?
Why wrong: Remote deletion may interfere with investigation and is not always necessary.
B
Ask the user to forward the original email to the security team.
Why wrong: Forwarding can modify email headers and disrupt forensic analysis; instead, users should report via a dedicated button or forward as attachment.
C
Immediately block the sender's email address at the gateway.
Blocking prevents further phishing attempts from that sender.
D
Require the user to change their password.
Why wrong: Password change is not indicated unless the user clicked a link or provided credentials.
E
Investigate if any other users received similar emails.
Determining the scope helps assess the impact and take broader action.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Immediately block the sender's email address at the gateway.
Blocking the sender (B) and investigating if others received similar emails (D) are standard initial steps. Forwarding original email (A) may alter headers; deleting remotely (C) is not always possible or needed; password change (E) is premature without evidence of compromise.
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.
✗
Delete the email from the user's inbox remotely.
Why it's wrong here
Remote deletion may interfere with investigation and is not always necessary.
✗
Ask the user to forward the original email to the security team.
Why it's wrong here
Forwarding can modify email headers and disrupt forensic analysis; instead, users should report via a dedicated button or forward as attachment.
✓
Immediately block the sender's email address at the gateway.
Why this is correct
Blocking prevents further phishing attempts from that sender.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Require the user to change their password.
Why it's wrong here
Password change is not indicated unless the user clicked a link or provided credentials.
✓
Investigate if any other users received similar emails.
Why this is correct
Determining the scope helps assess the impact and take broader action.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 200-201 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Immediately block the sender's email address at the gateway. — Blocking the sender (B) and investigating if others received similar emails (D) are standard initial steps. Forwarding original email (A) may alter headers; deleting remotely (C) is not always possible or needed; password change (E) is premature without evidence of compromise.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Identify which 200-201 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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