mediumMultiple Choice
220-1102 Practice Question: A user complains that their computer is running…
A user complains that their computer is running slowly and they see a USB drive they don't recognize plugged into the front port. What is the first step a technician should take to address this potential security issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to scanning or investigating the drive (options A or B) because they focus on detection rather than containment, but the CompTIA A+ 220-1102 exam emphasizes immediate isolation as the first step in security incident response.
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
✓
Ask the user to unplug the USB drive immediately.
The immediate priority is to contain the potential security threat by physically removing the unknown USB drive. This follows the principle of least privilege and incident response best practices: isolate the suspect device before performing any analysis or remediation. Unplugging the drive stops any ongoing data exfiltration or malware installation, which is the first step in a security incident response.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run a full antivirus scan on the computer.
Why it's wrong here
Scanning is important but should be done after removing the device to prevent further compromise.
- ✗
Check the USB drive's contents to see what it contains.
Why it's wrong here
Opening the drive could trigger malware; it should be isolated first.
- ✓
Ask the user to unplug the USB drive immediately.
Why this is correct
Removing the device stops any ongoing malicious activity and is the first step in containment.
- ✗
Disable the USB ports in the BIOS.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling ports is a longer-term fix but does not address the immediate threat of the unknown device.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Browser Security Settings and Add-ons
Key term
Least privilege
Least privilege is a security principle that means giving users, systems, or programs only the minimum permissions they need to do their job and nothing more.
Key term
Threat
A threat is any potential danger that could harm a computer system, network, or data, whether from a malicious hacker, a natural disaster, or an accidental mistake.
About these practice questions
This 220-1202 question is part of Courseiva's 687-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1202 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 220-1202 exam.