212-89 First Response Practice Question
As a first responder, you arrive at a compromised workstation showing signs of active malware beaconing. Which action should be performed first according to the Order of Volatility?
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
✓
Perform a physical memory dump using FTK Imager.
Memory (RAM) is the most volatile component and must be captured before it is overwritten or lost during a shutdown.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a bit-stream image of the hard drive.
Why it's wrong here
Hard drive data is less volatile than RAM and should be captured later.
- ✓
Perform a physical memory dump using FTK Imager.
Why this is correct
Capturing volatile RAM is the highest priority in the Order of Volatility.
- ✗
Power down the machine to stop the malware.
Why it's wrong here
Powering down causes immediate loss of volatile data and may trigger anti-forensic measures.
- ✗
Disconnect the network cable from the workstation.
Why it's wrong here
While network isolation is important, volatile memory should be captured first.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 212-89 question from scratch — 206 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official EC-Council exam blueprint
This 212-89 practice question is part of Courseiva's free EC-Council 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 212-89 exam.