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.
Which THREE of the following are common elements of an incident response policy?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Procedures for containment and eradication
Option B is correct because containment and eradication are core phases of the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle. Containment limits the scope of the incident (e.g., isolating a compromised host via VLAN access control lists), while eradication removes the root cause (e.g., deleting malware, patching vulnerabilities). These procedures are explicitly documented in an incident response policy to ensure consistent, repeatable actions during a security event.
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.
✗
Data classification levels
Why it's wrong here
Data classification is handled by a separate policy.
✓
Procedures for containment and eradication
Why this is correct
Core steps in incident response.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Roles and responsibilities of the incident response team
Why this is correct
Defines who does what during an incident.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Acceptable use of company resources
Why it's wrong here
Acceptable use is a different policy domain.
✓
Definition of what constitutes a security incident
Why this is correct
Clear definitions are essential for identification.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between an incident response policy (which includes definitions, roles, and procedures) and other security policies like data classification or acceptable use, leading candidates to mistakenly include elements from adjacent policies.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The incident response policy is the high-level document that mandates the organization's approach to incidents, often referencing the NIST SP 800-61 framework. Under the hood, the policy must define what constitutes an incident (Option E) to trigger the process, assign roles (Option C) to ensure accountability (e.g., who runs the IR team, who contacts legal), and specify containment/eradication procedures (Option B) to minimize damage. In a real-world scenario, a ransomware outbreak would require immediate containment by blocking C2 traffic at the firewall, then eradication by restoring from clean backups—steps that must be pre-approved in the policy to avoid delays.
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 help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
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: Procedures for containment and eradication — Option B is correct because containment and eradication are core phases of the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle. Containment limits the scope of the incident (e.g., isolating a compromised host via VLAN access control lists), while eradication removes the root cause (e.g., deleting malware, patching vulnerabilities). These procedures are explicitly documented in an incident response policy to ensure consistent, repeatable actions during a security event.
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.
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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