CAS-004 Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is using a SOAR platform to automate response to phishing emails reported by users. The playbook should perform the following actions in order: (1) extract indicators from the email, (2) query threat intelligence feeds for reputation, (3) if malicious, block the sender's domain at the email gateway and delete the email from all user inboxes. Which type of playbook step is most appropriate for step 3?
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
✓
Action step
In SOAR, an action step performs a specific operation like blocking a domain or deleting emails. Conditional steps would check conditions, but the playbook already determined the email is malicious, so an action is needed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Playbook trigger
Why it's wrong here
Trigger is the event that starts the playbook.
- ✗
Output step
Why it's wrong here
Output steps provide data to other systems, not direct remediation.
- ✓
Action step
Why this is correct
Action steps execute automated tasks such as API calls to block or delete.
- ✗
Conditional step
Why it's wrong here
Conditional steps are for branching logic; the playbook has already decided to act.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CAS-005 question is part of Courseiva's 968-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 CAS-005 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 CAS-005 exam.