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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
Disconnecting is a containment action that prevents further spread.
- ✗
Run antivirus scans
Why it's wrong here
Scanning is eradication, which should follow containment.
- ✗
Notify law enforcement
Why it's wrong here
Notification may be required but is not a containment action.
- ✗
Reinstall the operating system
Why it's wrong here
Reinstallation is an eradication step, not containment.
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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.