This CS0-003 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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.
During an incident response, the team identifies that a workstation was compromised via a phishing email. Which of the following should be performed immediately after containment?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Eradicate the malware from the workstation.
Option D is correct because, immediately after containment, the priority is to eradicate the malware from the workstation to prevent reinfection or lateral movement. Containment isolates the system, but eradication removes the malicious artifacts (e.g., registry keys, scheduled tasks, or malicious binaries) to ensure the system is clean before recovery. This step aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, where eradication follows containment to eliminate the threat's foothold.
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.
✗
Notify law enforcement about the phishing campaign.
Why it's wrong here
Law enforcement notification is not immediate; it depends on legal obligations.
✗
Collect forensic evidence from the workstation.
Why it's wrong here
Evidence collection should be performed before containment to preserve data.
✗
Conduct a root cause analysis of the phishing email.
Why it's wrong here
Root cause analysis is part of post-incident review, not immediate.
✓
Eradicate the malware from the workstation.
Why this is correct
Eradication follows containment to remove the threat.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the order of the incident response phases (containment, eradication, recovery, lessons learned) and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly choose 'Collect forensic evidence' (Option B) because they confuse the need for evidence with the immediate priority of removing the active threat after containment.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Eradication often involves using tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or Sysinternals Autoruns to remove persistence mechanisms such as scheduled tasks (schtasks), registry Run keys (HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run), or WMI event subscriptions. In a real-world scenario, a phishing email might deploy a Cobalt Strike beacon; after containment via network isolation, the responder must delete the beacon's executable and associated artifacts to prevent the attacker from reconnecting if the system is reconnected prematurely. Failure to eradicate thoroughly can lead to reinfection even after containment, as seen in attacks like Emotet where malware re-establishes persistence via PowerShell scripts.
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
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CS0-003 question in full detail.
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Eradicate the malware from the workstation. — Option D is correct because, immediately after containment, the priority is to eradicate the malware from the workstation to prevent reinfection or lateral movement. Containment isolates the system, but eradication removes the malicious artifacts (e.g., registry keys, scheduled tasks, or malicious binaries) to ensure the system is clean before recovery. This step aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, where eradication follows containment to eliminate the threat's foothold.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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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