- A
To approve technical containment actions
Why wrong: Technical actions are decided by the IR team, not legal counsel.
- B
To preserve attorney-client privilege and avoid creating damaging records
Legal counsel helps maintain privilege and prevent statements that could be used against the organization.
- C
To coordinate with external forensics firms
Why wrong: Coordination with forensics is an operational matter, not the primary role of legal in sitreps.
- D
To ensure compliance with regulatory notification deadlines
Why wrong: Regulatory deadlines are important but not the primary reason for counsel involvement in sitreps.
Question 142 of 905
CISM Incident Management Practice Question
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.
During a P1 (critical) incident, the incident response manager has been providing hourly situation reports (sitreps) to executives. What is the primary reason for involving legal counsel in these communications?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
✓
To preserve attorney-client privilege and avoid creating damaging records
Legal counsel involvement helps protect communications under attorney-client privilege and avoids speculation that could create liability.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
To approve technical containment actions
Why it's wrong here
Technical actions are decided by the IR team, not legal counsel.
- ✓
To preserve attorney-client privilege and avoid creating damaging records
Why this is correct
Legal counsel helps maintain privilege and prevent statements that could be used against the organization.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
- ✗
To coordinate with external forensics firms
Why it's wrong here
Coordination with forensics is an operational matter, not the primary role of legal in sitreps.
- ✗
To ensure compliance with regulatory notification deadlines
Why it's wrong here
Regulatory deadlines are important but not the primary reason for counsel involvement in sitreps.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: authentication is not authorization
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Authentication checks who the user is.
- Authorization controls what the user is allowed to do after login.
- Privilege levels affect access to EXEC and configuration commands.
- AAA, TACACS+ and RADIUS can separate login success from command access.
TExam Day Tips
- Do not assume successful login means full administrative access.
- Look for words such as cannot enter configuration mode, privilege level, authorization or command access.
- Separate login problems from permission problems before choosing the answer.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related CISM questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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Incident Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISM question test?
Incident Management — This question tests Incident Management — Authentication checks who the user is..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: To preserve attorney-client privilege and avoid creating damaging records — Legal counsel involvement helps protect communications under attorney-client privilege and avoids speculation that could create liability.
What should I do if I get this CISM question wrong?
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related CISM questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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