CISM Incident Management Practice Question
During a data breach investigation, the incident response team discovers that a backup was encrypted by ransomware. The team needs to determine the sequence of events leading to the encryption. Which of the following documentation is MOST critical to preserve for potential litigation?
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
✓
The chain of custody for the backup media
Chain of custody documentation is essential to prove the integrity and admissibility of digital evidence in court.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The communication logs between team members
Why it's wrong here
Less critical than evidence handling documentation.
- ✓
The chain of custody for the backup media
Why this is correct
Chain of custody ensures evidence integrity.
- ✗
The forensic tools used in the investigation
Why it's wrong here
Tool lists are less critical than chain of custody.
- ✗
The incident response plan version used during the incident
Why it's wrong here
While important, it is not the most critical for litigation.
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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.