The answer is to document the finding and escalate to the incident response team. This is correct because standard incident response frameworks, such as NIST SP 800-61 and the Cisco IR model, prioritize preservation of evidence and formal chain of custody over immediate remediation; documenting and escalating ensures the potential encryption policy violation is recorded by trained responders who can assess risk and scope without destroying forensic data. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this question tests your understanding of the first phase of incident response—preparation and detection—and the common trap is to jump to remediation like enabling encryption or notifying the manager directly, which bypasses proper procedure. Remember the memory tip: when you spot a policy violation, your first step is never to fix it—it’s to flag it.
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.
A company's security policy requires that all laptops accessing the corporate network must have full-disk encryption enabled. During a routine audit, an analyst discovers that a manager's laptop does not have encryption enabled. What is the most appropriate first step according to standard security incident response procedures?
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Document the finding and escalate to the incident response team.
Option B is correct because the first step in standard incident response procedures (as defined by NIST SP 800-61 and Cisco's IR framework) is to document the finding and escalate to the incident response team. This ensures that the potential policy violation is formally recorded and that trained responders can assess the risk, determine if sensitive data was exposed, and coordinate remediation without prematurely destroying evidence or causing operational disruption.
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 laptop from the network immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Immediate disconnection may disrupt business operations and is not the first step without assessment.
✓
Document the finding and escalate to the incident response team.
Why this is correct
Proper procedure is to document and escalate; the IR team will handle remediation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Install encryption software on the laptop without notifying the user.
Why it's wrong here
Unauthorized changes violate change management and may cause data loss.
✗
Wipe the laptop and reinstall the operating system.
Why it's wrong here
This is an extreme measure that should only be taken after a full investigation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'immediate containment' and 'proper escalation' in incident response, trapping candidates who confuse a policy violation with an active security breach requiring urgent network disconnection.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, full-disk encryption (e.g., BitLocker with TPM, FileVault, or LUKS) operates at the block device level, encrypting all data at rest. During an incident, the first priority is to preserve the state of the system—including the unencrypted disk—to allow forensic acquisition of the raw image before any remediation. In a real-world scenario, an analyst might use tools like `dd` or FTK Imager to create a bit-for-bit copy of the drive before applying any encryption, ensuring that any policy violation or data exposure can be investigated without altering the evidence.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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 — 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: Document the finding and escalate to the incident response team. — Option B is correct because the first step in standard incident response procedures (as defined by NIST SP 800-61 and Cisco's IR framework) is to document the finding and escalate to the incident response team. This ensures that the potential policy violation is formally recorded and that trained responders can assess the risk, determine if sensitive data was exposed, and coordinate remediation without prematurely destroying evidence or causing operational disruption.
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.
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Question Discussion
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