- A
Eradication
Eradication is the correct next step. After containment, the incident response team must remove the threat's root cause (e.g., malware, backdoors) to prevent recurrence. This logically follows isolation of the affected system.
- B
Recovery
Why wrong: Recovery is not the next step. Recovery restores systems to normal operation after eradication has been completed. Attempting recovery before eradication could leave the system vulnerable to reinfection.
- C
Containment
Why wrong: Containment has already been performed by isolating the workstation. Repeating containment would be redundant and delay progression to the next phase.
- D
Lessons Learned
Why wrong: Lessons Learned is the final phase of incident response, conducted after recovery. It involves post-incident review to improve future responses, not immediate next steps.
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 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.
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?
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 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
Eradication
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.
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.
- ✓
Eradication
Why this is correct
Eradication is the correct next step. After containment, the incident response team must remove the threat's root cause (e.g., malware, backdoors) to prevent recurrence. This logically follows isolation of the affected system.
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.
- ✗
Recovery
Why it's wrong here
Recovery is not the next step. Recovery restores systems to normal operation after eradication has been completed. Attempting recovery before eradication could leave the system vulnerable to reinfection.
- ✗
Containment
Why it's wrong here
Containment has already been performed by isolating the workstation. Repeating containment would be redundant and delay progression to the next phase.
- ✗
Lessons Learned
Why it's wrong here
Lessons Learned is the final phase of incident response, conducted after recovery. It involves post-incident review to improve future responses, not immediate next steps.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'Containment' with the final isolation step, forgetting that NIST mandates a separate Eradication phase to eliminate the threat before recovery.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NIST SP 800-61 defines Eradication as the phase where the incident cause is removed, such as deleting malicious files, disabling compromised accounts, or applying patches. In practice, this might involve using tools like Sysinternals Autoruns to remove persistence mechanisms or running a full antivirus scan to ensure no remnants remain. Skipping Eradication can lead to reinfection, as the root cause (e.g., a scheduled task or registry key) may still trigger the malicious behavior.
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
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: Eradication — 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.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 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.
About these practice questions
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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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