- A
Document the evidence and include it in the final report without immediate notification.
Why wrong: Immediate notification is required for ongoing attacks.
- B
Attempt to trace and engage the attacker to gather more information.
Why wrong: This could be dangerous and is outside the tester's role.
- C
Immediately report the evidence to the client and recommend involving law enforcement.
This is the correct course of action to address the active threat.
- D
Ignore the evidence and continue with the planned test scope.
Why wrong: The tester has a duty to report such discoveries.
Question 27 of 1,000
PT0-002 Reporting and Communication Practice Question
This PT0-002 practice question tests your understanding of reporting and communication. 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 a penetration test, the tester discovers evidence of an ongoing cyber attack by an external threat actor on the client's network. What is the tester's responsibility?
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
✓
Immediately report the evidence to the client and recommend involving law enforcement.
Option C is correct because the tester's primary responsibility is to protect the client's assets and data. Upon discovering evidence of an ongoing cyber attack, immediate notification allows the client to activate incident response procedures, potentially containing the threat and minimizing damage. Recommending law enforcement involvement is appropriate when criminal activity is suspected, as the tester is not authorized to conduct forensic investigation or engage with the attacker.
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.
- ✗
Document the evidence and include it in the final report without immediate notification.
Why it's wrong here
Immediate notification is required for ongoing attacks.
- ✗
Attempt to trace and engage the attacker to gather more information.
Why it's wrong here
This could be dangerous and is outside the tester's role.
- ✓
Immediately report the evidence to the client and recommend involving law enforcement.
Why this is correct
This is the correct course of action to address the active threat.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Ignore the evidence and continue with the planned test scope.
Why it's wrong here
The tester has a duty to report such discoveries.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the tester's role with that of a law enforcement officer or incident responder, incorrectly believing they should investigate or engage the attacker, when in fact the tester must stop all testing and immediately notify the client.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a penetration test, the rules of engagement (RoE) document often includes a 'critical findings' clause requiring immediate notification of any evidence of active exploitation or unauthorized access. This aligns with incident response frameworks like NIST SP 800-61, which emphasize early detection and containment. The tester should preserve the evidence (e.g., packet captures, log entries) and hand it over to the client's incident response team, avoiding any actions that could alter system state or violate chain-of-custody requirements.
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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Reporting and Communication — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PT0-002 question test?
Reporting and Communication — This question tests Reporting and Communication — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Immediately report the evidence to the client and recommend involving law enforcement. — Option C is correct because the tester's primary responsibility is to protect the client's assets and data. Upon discovering evidence of an ongoing cyber attack, immediate notification allows the client to activate incident response procedures, potentially containing the threat and minimizing damage. Recommending law enforcement involvement is appropriate when criminal activity is suspected, as the tester is not authorized to conduct forensic investigation or engage with the attacker.
What should I do if I get this PT0-002 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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PT0-002 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 PT0-002 exam.
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