CISM Incident Management Practice Question
An organization's incident response plan includes a ransomware playbook. After detecting ransomware on a critical server, which of the following should be the FIRST action according to best practices?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common pitfall in CISM is believing that notification of executives or legal counsel is the first step in ransomware response. However, the CISM framework prioritizes immediate containment actions like isolation to prevent lateral movement before any communication.
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
✓
Disconnect the server from the network and isolate it.
The immediate priority in ransomware containment is to prevent lateral movement and further encryption of systems. Disconnecting the server from the network (e.g., unplugging the Ethernet cable or disabling the virtual switch port) stops the ransomware from communicating with its command-and-control (C2) server and encrypting additional network shares. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response containment strategy, which emphasizes isolation before any other action.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Notify the CEO and legal counsel before taking any action.
Why it's wrong here
Immediate containment actions should not be delayed for notification.
- ✓
Disconnect the server from the network and isolate it.
Why this is correct
Containment is the priority to limit damage.
- ✗
Pay the ransom immediately to regain access.
Why it's wrong here
Paying ransom is not recommended and should only be considered after exhausting other options.
- ✗
Immediately reboot the server to remove the ransomware.
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting may trigger additional encryption or loss of evidence.
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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.