Question 900 of 1,013
What Should You Do After Disconnecting Ransomware-Affected Workstations?
A security analyst detects that multiple workstations in the finance department are displaying ransom notes and files are being encrypted. The analyst has disconnected the affected workstations from the network. Which of the following should the analyst do next according to the incident response procedure?
Quick Answer
The correct next step after disconnecting ransomware-affected workstations is to isolate the entire finance department network segment and preserve forensic evidence. This is because containment in incident response is a phased process: disconnecting individual machines stops immediate encryption, but the ransomware may have already established persistence or be using lateral movement tools to spread to other hosts on the same subnet. Isolating the entire segment prevents that spread while preserving the volatile data and logs needed for root-cause analysis, aligning with the NIST SP 800-61 framework’s emphasis on evidence preservation before eradication. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this question tests your understanding of the containment phase within the incident response process—specifically that containment is not complete until you’ve stopped both the symptom (encrypted files) and the vector (network access). A common trap is jumping straight to eradication or recovery, which would destroy forensic evidence. Memory tip: think “Contain the segment, not just the symptom”—or simply remember the mnemonic C.I.P. (Contain, Isolate, Preserve).
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to recovery actions (reimaging or restoring backups) too early, forgetting that the incident response process requires containment and evidence preservation before eradication and recovery.
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
✓
Isolate the entire finance department network segment and preserve forensic evidence.
The immediate next step in the incident response procedure after containment (disconnecting affected workstations) is to isolate the affected network segment to prevent lateral movement and preserve forensic evidence. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response framework, which prioritizes containment, eradication, and recovery in that order, and emphasizes evidence preservation before any remediation actions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reimage all affected workstations immediately to restore operations.
Why it's wrong here
Reimaging destroys potential forensic evidence needed to understand the attack vector and may not prevent recurrence. This should only occur after evidence is collected and analysis is complete.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question stated that the incident has been fully contained, evidence has been collected, and the priority is to restore business operations quickly, then reimaging affected workstations would be appropriate.
- ✓
Isolate the entire finance department network segment and preserve forensic evidence.
Why this is correct
Isolating the segment prevents lateral movement of the ransomware. Preserving forensic evidence allows for a thorough investigation to identify the initial infection vector and prevent future incidents.
- ✗
Run a full antivirus scan on the workstations to remove the ransomware.
Why it's wrong here
Antivirus scans are often ineffective against modern ransomware that uses advanced encryption and may modify system files. Scanning could alter volatile data critical for forensic analysis.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct in a scenario where a workstation is suspected of being infected with malware but no encryption or ransom note has appeared yet, and the analyst needs to identify and remove the threat before it executes.
- ✗
Restore the encrypted files from the latest backup without further investigation.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring without investigation does not address the root cause. The backup itself could be compromised, and the attack vector may still be active, leading to reinfection.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the incident response team has already fully contained the threat, collected all necessary forensic evidence, and confirmed that the backup is clean and uncompromised, restoring from backup would be the appropriate recovery step.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SY0-701 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Isolate the entire finance department network segment and preserve forensic evidence.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Isolating the segment prevents lateral movement of the ransomware. Preserving forensic evidence allows for a thorough investigation to identify the initial infection vector and prevent future incidents.
✗Reimage all affected workstations immediately to restore operations.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Reimaging immediately destroys volatile evidence and may violate forensic chain of custody; the incident response procedure requires preserving evidence before remediation.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that the incident has been fully contained, evidence has been collected, and the priority is to restore business operations quickly, then reimaging affected workstations would be appropriate.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think restoring operations quickly is the top priority, not realizing that forensic preservation is critical for understanding the attack and preventing recurrence.
✗Run a full antivirus scan on the workstations to remove the ransomware.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Running a full antivirus scan after ransomware has already encrypted files and displayed ransom notes is ineffective because the primary goal is to contain the incident and preserve evidence, not to attempt remediation that may destroy forensic data.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct in a scenario where a workstation is suspected of being infected with malware but no encryption or ransom note has appeared yet, and the analyst needs to identify and remove the threat before it executes.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may default to a common troubleshooting step (antivirus scan) without recognizing that ransomware incidents require containment and evidence preservation first, as per incident response procedures.
✗Restore the encrypted files from the latest backup without further investigation.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Restoring from backup without further investigation would destroy forensic evidence and skip critical steps like identifying the attack vector and containing the threat, which could allow the ransomware to spread again.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the incident response team has already fully contained the threat, collected all necessary forensic evidence, and confirmed that the backup is clean and uncompromised, restoring from backup would be the appropriate recovery step.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think restoring from backup is the fastest way to recover operations, overlooking the need for proper investigation and containment to prevent recurrence.
Analysis generated from the official SY0-701blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SY0-701
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A security analyst detects unusual outbound traffic from a workstation that appears to be communicating with a known malicious IP address. The analyst immediately isolates the workstation from the network. Which of the following is the NEXT step in the incident response process according to NIST SP 800-61?
medium- ✓ A.Eradication
- B.Recovery
- C.Containment
- D.Lessons Learned
Why A: According to NIST SP 800-61, the incident response process follows a sequence: Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment, Eradication, Recovery, and Lessons Learned. Since the analyst has already performed containment by isolating the workstation, the next step is Eradication, which involves removing the threat (e.g., malware, backdoors) from the affected system. This ensures the root cause is eliminated before moving to recovery.
Variation 2. A SOC analyst detects that a user's workstation is sending large volumes of data to an unusual external IP address during non-business hours. The analyst has already isolated the workstation by disconnecting it from the network. What is the NEXT step in the incident response process?
medium- A.Reimage the workstation to remove any malware
- ✓ B.Perform a forensic analysis of the workstation to collect evidence
- C.Reset the user's password to prevent further unauthorized access
- D.Notify law enforcement immediately
Why B: After isolating the workstation, the next step in the incident response process is to perform forensic analysis to collect evidence. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 framework, where containment (isolation) is followed by eradication and recovery, but evidence collection must occur before any destructive actions like reimaging. The forensic analysis preserves volatile data (e.g., memory, network connections) and non-volatile data (e.g., disk artifacts) to determine the scope and cause of the data exfiltration.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
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