The answer is to immediately contact the bank to attempt to reverse the wire transfer. This is the correct first step because in CEO fraud phishing incidents, time is the most critical factor; wire transfers can often be reversed within a narrow window—typically 24 to 48 hours—by contacting the financial institution directly, making fund recovery possible before the attacker moves the money. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of incident response prioritization under the NIST framework, specifically the containment and eradication phase where swift action to stop financial loss takes precedence over internal reporting or forensic analysis. A common trap is choosing to notify the board first due to the 24-hour policy, but that policy assumes the incident is already contained; here, the immediate threat to the asset (the funds) must be addressed first. Memory tip: think “Stop the bleed before you count the wounds”—in CEO fraud, the bank call is the tourniquet.
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.
GreenTech Inc. is a mid-sized company with 500 employees. The company uses Microsoft Exchange Online for email and has implemented a security policy that requires all employees to report suspicious emails to the security team. The security team uses a phishing simulation tool to train employees. In the past month, several employees have reported receiving emails that appear to be from the CEO requesting urgent wire transfers. The security team has blocked the sender domains and updated the email filters. However, one employee fell for the latest scam and transferred $50,000 to an account before reporting it. The security incident response plan states that any monetary loss must be reported to the board within 24 hours. The security analyst receives the report on Monday morning. What should the analyst do first based on the policy and best practices?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Immediately contact the bank to attempt to reverse the wire transfer
Option A is correct because time is critical; attempting to reverse the transfer may recover the funds. Option B is delayed and may miss the reversal window. Option C is secondary. Option D is overly disruptive.
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.
✗
Disable email access for all employees to prevent further attacks
Why it's wrong here
This is too drastic and would disrupt business operations.
✗
Launch a full forensic investigation to identify the source
Why it's wrong here
Investigation can occur after containment and recovery.
✗
Notify the board within the 24-hour window as per policy
Why it's wrong here
Reporting is important but should follow immediate recovery attempts.
✓
Immediately contact the bank to attempt to reverse the wire transfer
Why this is correct
Swift action can help recover the funds before they are withdrawn.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "first" in the question point toward this answer.
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 contact the bank to attempt to reverse the wire transfer — Option A is correct because time is critical; attempting to reverse the transfer may recover the funds. Option B is delayed and may miss the reversal window. Option C is secondary. Option D is overly disruptive.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "first". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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