Quick Answer
The correct answer is the external cybersecurity consultant on retainer. This is because incident response leadership demands specialized expertise in containment, eradication, and forensic analysis—skills that a small business’s general IT administrator typically lacks, while the CEO’s role is strategic oversight, not technical command. On the Certified Information Security Manager CISM exam, this scenario tests your understanding of governance and resource management in resource-constrained environments, often appearing as a trap where test-takers mistakenly choose the IT administrator due to proximity to systems. The key distinction is that leadership of a technical incident requires certified incident handlers, not internal staff without formal training. For small businesses without a dedicated team, the retainer consultant fills the critical gap in expertise, ensuring proper chain of custody and regulatory compliance. Memory tip: Think “Retainer for the Retainer”—the external expert is retained to retain control of the incident.
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of incident management. 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 small business without a dedicated incident response team experiences a suspected breach. Who should be primarily responsible for leading the incident response efforts?
The CEO of the company.
Why wrong: Incorrect: CEO should oversee but not lead technical response.
The IT administrator who discovered the breach.
Why wrong: Incorrect: May lack incident response training and objectivity.
The external cybersecurity consultant on retainer.
Correct: Brings specialized skills and experience.
The legal counsel.
Why wrong: Incorrect: Legal counsel advises on legal matters, not incident response.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The external cybersecurity consultant on retainer.
Option B is correct because external cybersecurity consultants have the expertise needed. The IT administrator may lack training, the CEO is management, and legal counsel provides advice, not leadership.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The CEO of the company.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: CEO should oversee but not lead technical response.
The IT administrator who discovered the breach.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: May lack incident response training and objectivity.
The external cybersecurity consultant on retainer.
Why this is correct
Correct: Brings specialized skills and experience.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
The legal counsel.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Legal counsel advises on legal matters, not incident response.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the CISM exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which CISM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Incident Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Incident Management — This question tests Incident Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: The external cybersecurity consultant on retainer. — Option B is correct because external cybersecurity consultants have the expertise needed. The IT administrator may lack training, the CEO is management, and legal counsel provides advice, not leadership.
Identify which CISM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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 →
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISM practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CISM exam.
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