CS0-003 Incident Response and Management Practice Question
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.
An incident responder is collecting evidence from a compromised Linux server. The server is still running. Which order of collection adheres to the order of volatility?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Memory → network connections → swap space → disk.
Option C is correct because the order of volatility (OOV) dictates that the most volatile data (memory/registers) must be collected first, followed by network connections, then swap space, and finally disk. Memory contains running processes and encryption keys that vanish on power loss; network connections change rapidly; swap space persists longer but is still more volatile than disk. This sequence ensures maximum preservation of ephemeral evidence before it is lost.
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.
✗
Memory → network connections → disk → swap space.
Why it's wrong here
Disk is less volatile than swap, so disk should not come before swap.
✗
Disk → memory → network connections → swap space.
Why it's wrong here
Disk is the least volatile and should be collected last.
✓
Memory → network connections → swap space → disk.
Why this is correct
This order follows the standard order of volatility: memory, network connections, swap, disk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Network connections → memory → disk → swap space.
Why it's wrong here
Memory must be collected before network connections.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that swap space is less volatile than disk because it is on disk, but swap is actually more volatile due to frequent overwriting by the kernel's paging mechanism.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the order of volatility follows the principle that data in CPU registers and cache (volatile) is lost within nanoseconds, while RAM contents persist until power is cut or the system is rebooted. Network connections (e.g., /proc/net/tcp, ss output) can be re-queried but may change between collection steps; swap space (e.g., /dev/sda2) contains paged-out memory that can be overwritten by the kernel's memory manager. In a real-world scenario, an incident responder might use `lime` or `fmem` to dump memory first, then `netstat -anp` for connections, then `dd` to capture swap, and finally `dd` or `sleuthkit` for disk imaging.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CS0-003 question in full detail.
Incident Response and Management — This question tests Incident Response and Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Memory → network connections → swap space → disk. — Option C is correct because the order of volatility (OOV) dictates that the most volatile data (memory/registers) must be collected first, followed by network connections, then swap space, and finally disk. Memory contains running processes and encryption keys that vanish on power loss; network connections change rapidly; swap space persists longer but is still more volatile than disk. This sequence ensures maximum preservation of ephemeral evidence before it is lost.
What should I do if I get this CS0-003 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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