- A
Disconnect the server from the network immediately to contain the threat.
Why wrong: Containment occurs after initial triage and prioritization.
- B
Escalate the incident to Tier 3 for advanced malware analysis.
Why wrong: Escalation happens after triage if needed.
- C
Perform initial triage and prioritize the incident based on severity and impact.
Triage is the first step to assess the incident's scope and urgency.
- D
Notify legal counsel and PR to prepare for potential data breach.
Why wrong: Notification occurs after the incident is confirmed and prioritized.
Question 378 of 1,000
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.
During the Detection and Analysis phase of incident response, a SOC Tier 1 analyst identifies a potential malware infection on a critical server. What is the FIRST action the analyst should take according to NIST SP 800-61 Rev 2?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
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 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
✓
Perform initial triage and prioritize the incident based on severity and impact.
According to NIST SP 800-61 Rev 2, the first step in the Detection and Analysis phase is to perform initial triage and prioritize the incident based on severity and impact. This ensures that resources are allocated appropriately before any containment or escalation actions are taken. Option C is correct because triage is the foundational action that determines the urgency and scope of the response.
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.
- ✗
Disconnect the server from the network immediately to contain the threat.
Why it's wrong here
Containment occurs after initial triage and prioritization.
- ✗
Escalate the incident to Tier 3 for advanced malware analysis.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation happens after triage if needed.
- ✓
Perform initial triage and prioritize the incident based on severity and impact.
Why this is correct
Triage is the first step to assess the incident's scope and urgency.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Notify legal counsel and PR to prepare for potential data breach.
Why it's wrong here
Notification occurs after the incident is confirmed and prioritized.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that immediate containment (disconnecting the network) is the first action, but NIST explicitly prioritizes triage and prioritization to avoid destroying evidence or overreacting.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NIST SP 800-61 Rev 2 defines the Detection and Analysis phase as the point where alerts are validated and prioritized using criteria such as functional impact, information impact, and recoverability. Triage involves correlating indicators of compromise (IOCs) with asset criticality and threat intelligence, often using a SIEM to assign a severity score (e.g., 1–5). A real-world scenario: a suspicious PowerShell execution on a domain controller might be high-severity due to potential lateral movement, but triage first confirms whether it's a false positive from legitimate admin activity.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Security Policies and Procedures — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Security Policies and Procedures practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All 200-201 questions
1,000 questions across all exam domains
- →
Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
200-201 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related 200-201 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Security Monitoring practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Security Monitoring.
Network Intrusion Analysis practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Network Intrusion Analysis.
Security Policies and Procedures practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Security Policies and Procedures.
Host-Based Analysis practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Host-Based Analysis.
Security Concepts practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Security Concepts.
200-201 fundamentals practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to 200-201 fundamentals.
200-201 scenario practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to 200-201 scenario.
200-201 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise 200-201 questions linked to 200-201 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free 200-201 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-201 question test?
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: Perform initial triage and prioritize the incident based on severity and impact. — According to NIST SP 800-61 Rev 2, the first step in the Detection and Analysis phase is to perform initial triage and prioritize the incident based on severity and impact. This ensures that resources are allocated appropriately before any containment or escalation actions are taken. Option C is correct because triage is the foundational action that determines the urgency and scope of the response.
What should I do if I get this 200-201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.