This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of incident response and management. 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.
A company's IDS generated an alert for a SQL injection attempt against a web server. The web application firewall (WAF) is already in place. What is the best action?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Update the WAF rules
Why wrong: Updating rules might help, but verification should come first.
Block the source IP at the firewall
Why wrong: Blocking without verification may impact legitimate users.
Shut down the web server
Why wrong: Shutting down is disruptive and unnecessary unless compromise is confirmed.
Verify if the attack succeeded by checking server logs
Determines if the WAF blocked the injection or if further action is needed.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Verify if the attack succeeded by checking server logs
Option B is correct because the first step is to verify whether the attack succeeded by checking the server logs. Premature blocking or shutdown may be unnecessary.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Update the WAF rules
Why it's wrong here
Updating rules might help, but verification should come first.
Block the source IP at the firewall
Why it's wrong here
Blocking without verification may impact legitimate users.
Shut down the web server
Why it's wrong here
Shutting down is disruptive and unnecessary unless compromise is confirmed.
Verify if the attack succeeded by checking server logs
Why this is correct
Determines if the WAF blocked the injection or if further action is needed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which CS0-003 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Incident Response and Management — This question tests Incident Response and Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Verify if the attack succeeded by checking server logs — Option B is correct because the first step is to verify whether the attack succeeded by checking the server logs. Premature blocking or shutdown may be unnecessary.
Identify which CS0-003 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 23, 2026
This CS0-003 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 CS0-003 exam.
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