CISM Incident Management Practice Question
An organization is updating its incident response playbook after a ransomware attack. Which of the following should be included as a key step in the ransomware playbook?
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 affected systems from the network
Ransomware playbooks should include isolating infected systems to prevent spread, as containment is a priority.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reboot all servers to clear the ransomware
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting may not remove ransomware and could cause data loss; forensic preservation is needed first.
- ✗
Immediately pay the ransom demand
Why it's wrong here
Paying ransom is discouraged and may not be effective; containment is the first step.
- ✓
Isolate affected systems from the network
Why this is correct
Isolation prevents further encryption and spread of ransomware.
- ✗
Notify all customers immediately
Why it's wrong here
Customer notification is part of crisis communication but not the initial technical response.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.