- A
Reimage all affected workstations immediately to restore operations.
Why wrong: 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.
- B
Isolate the entire finance department network segment and preserve forensic evidence.
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.
- C
Run a full antivirus scan on the workstations to remove the ransomware.
Why wrong: 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.
- D
Restore the encrypted files from the latest backup without further investigation.
Why wrong: 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.
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).
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 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?
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.
Option B is correct because 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.
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.
- ✗
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.
- ✓
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
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.
- ✗
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.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ransomware incidents, preserving forensic evidence includes capturing memory dumps (using tools like FTK Imager or LiME), collecting system logs (Windows Event Logs, Sysmon), and taking bit-for-bit disk images before any remediation. The isolation step should be performed at the network layer (e.g., VLAN segmentation or disabling switch ports) rather than just disconnecting cables, to ensure the adversary cannot pivot via alternate paths like Wi-Fi or VPN tunnels. Real-world attacks like Ryuk and Conti have used living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) to spread laterally, making network isolation critical.
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 security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
What to study next
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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: Isolate the entire finance department network segment and preserve forensic evidence. — Option B is correct because 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.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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