The correct answer is to preserve forensic evidence before taking any recovery actions. This is because during an ongoing ransomware incident, volatile data such as encryption keys in memory, active process artifacts, and live network connections can be destroyed if recovery steps like disconnecting cables or restoring backups are taken prematurely. Evidence preservation in incident response ensures that critical forensic data is captured to identify the ransomware variant, understand the attack vector, and support legal proceedings. On the Certified Information Security Manager CISM exam, this question tests your understanding of the incident response lifecycle, specifically the priority of containment versus investigation. A common trap is assuming that immediate disconnection or recovery is the next step after isolation, but the CISM framework emphasizes that forensic integrity must come first to avoid destroying evidence. Remember the mnemonic "ICE" — Isolate, Capture Evidence, then Eradicate.
CISM Incident Management Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of incident management. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 ransomware incident, the incident response team identifies that the encryption process is still ongoing. The CISO decides to isolate affected systems to prevent further spread. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate next step?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Preserve forensic evidence before taking any recovery actions.
Option D is correct because preserving forensic evidence is critical before any recovery actions, especially during an ongoing ransomware incident. The encryption process may still be active, and taking immediate recovery steps (like disconnecting cables or restoring backups) could destroy volatile data (e.g., encryption keys in memory, process artifacts, network connections) that are essential for understanding the attack vector, identifying the ransomware variant, and supporting legal or law enforcement actions. The CISO's decision to isolate systems helps contain the spread, but the next priority must be evidence preservation to ensure a thorough investigation and potential prosecution.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Disconnect all network cables to stop the encryption.
Why it's wrong here
While isolation is important, preserving evidence should come first if possible.
✗
Contact law enforcement before any internal actions.
Why it's wrong here
Initial containment and evidence preservation should precede external notification.
✗
Restore systems from the most recent backup immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Restoring without preserving evidence may destroy forensic data and hinder investigation.
✓
Preserve forensic evidence before taking any recovery actions.
Why this is correct
Preserving evidence ensures that the incident can be investigated properly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse immediate containment (disconnecting cables) with the forensic imperative to preserve volatile evidence, leading them to choose Option A, but CISM emphasizes that evidence preservation takes precedence over hasty recovery actions during an active incident.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In ransomware incidents, the encryption process often involves a symmetric key (e.g., AES-256) generated in memory, which is then encrypted with an attacker-controlled public key (e.g., RSA-2048). If the system is still encrypting, the symmetric key may reside in RAM or kernel memory; a hard shutdown (as in Option A) would lose this key, making decryption impossible without the attacker's private key. Forensic preservation typically involves capturing a memory dump (e.g., using LiME or WinPmem) and creating a forensic image of the disk (e.g., with dd or FTK Imager) before any recovery actions, ensuring that artifacts like the ransomware binary, encryption keys, and network indicators (e.g., C2 IPs, IOCs) are retained for analysis and potential decryption.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Incident Management — This question tests Incident Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Preserve forensic evidence before taking any recovery actions. — Option D is correct because preserving forensic evidence is critical before any recovery actions, especially during an ongoing ransomware incident. The encryption process may still be active, and taking immediate recovery steps (like disconnecting cables or restoring backups) could destroy volatile data (e.g., encryption keys in memory, process artifacts, network connections) that are essential for understanding the attack vector, identifying the ransomware variant, and supporting legal or law enforcement actions. The CISO's decision to isolate systems helps contain the spread, but the next priority must be evidence preservation to ensure a thorough investigation and potential prosecution.
What should I do if I get this CISM question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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 →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. During an incident, the incident response team needs to preserve evidence for legal proceedings. Which of the following is the MOST important action to take?
easy
✓ A.Create a forensic image of affected systems using write-blockers.
B.Document the incident in a free-form text.
C.Take screenshots of system logs.
D.Notify law enforcement immediately.
Why A: Option A is correct because creating a forensic image with write-blockers ensures evidence integrity. Option B is wrong because screenshots can be altered. Option C is wrong because structured documentation is needed. Option D is wrong because law enforcement is notified after evidence preservation.
Variation 2. During incident investigation, which evidence preservation method is most important?
easy
A.Take screenshots of the attack
B.Interview witnesses immediately
✓ C.Create a forensic image of affected drives
D.Reboot the system to capture memory
Why C: Creating a forensic image preserves a bit-by-bit copy of the drive for analysis without altering evidence.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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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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