mediumMultiple Choice
200-201 Practice Question: An incident response plan specifies that…
An incident response plan specifies that containment must be completed before eradication. A security analyst identifies a malware infection on a critical server. What should be done first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the strict ordering of the incident response phases (Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, Post-Incident Activity), and the trap here is that candidates confuse eradication actions (like running antivirus or reinstalling the OS) with the required first containment step, leading them to choose a technically plausible but procedurally incorrect answer.
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
✓
Disconnect the server from the network
According to the incident response plan, containment must be completed before eradication. Disconnecting the server from the network (Option A) is the immediate containment action that prevents the malware from spreading laterally to other hosts, preserving the integrity of the network and allowing for forensic analysis. This step aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, where containment is prioritized to limit damage before any eradication or recovery steps are taken.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Disconnect the server from the network
Why this is correct
Containment precedes eradication per the plan, and disconnecting the server from the network isolates the malware, preventing lateral spread or data exfiltration. This is the containment step, satisfying the stem's ordering requirement before any eradication or recovery actions begin.
- ✗
Run antivirus scans
Why it's wrong here
Antivirus scans are eradication, not containment, so running them first breaches the plan's ordering and may let malware spread or destroy volatile evidence. Scanning is tempting because it is the habitual first reflex on an infected host, and it would be right once the server is isolated and the threat is no longer propagating.
- ✗
Notify law enforcement
Why it's wrong here
Notification is an external communication step, not containment; the plan requires isolating the infected server first to halt malware spread before eradication. It tempts because law enforcement involvement matters for legal and evidentiary reasons, but that occurs alongside or after containment, never before it.
- ✗
Reinstall the operating system
Why it's wrong here
Reinstalling the OS is a destructive eradication and recovery step; it wipes volatile memory and logs before containment, destroying evidence and leaving the infection's source untouched. It is tempting as a guaranteed clean rebuild, and would be correct after containment and eradication, once forensic data is preserved.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.