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CISM Practice Question: During an incident, the response team collects…
During an incident, the response team collects volatile data from a compromised server. Which of the following should be collected FIRST to minimize loss of evidence?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the order of volatility (OOV) principle, mistakenly prioritizing non-volatile data like event logs or disk contents because they seem more stable, but the exam tests the understanding that volatile data must be captured first to prevent its permanent loss.
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
✓
Contents of RAM
Volatile data, such as the contents of RAM, is lost when a system is powered off. The first priority during incident response is to capture this data because it contains running processes, network connections, encryption keys, and malware that exist only in memory. Collecting RAM first ensures that this critical evidence is preserved before any other actions that might alter the system state.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Contents of RAM
Why this is correct
RAM is volatile and will be lost if the system is powered off.
- ✗
Contents of hard drive
Why it's wrong here
Hard drive data is non-volatile and can be collected later.
- ✗
Event logs
Why it's wrong here
Event logs are stored on disk and are less volatile.
- ✗
Network configuration
Why it's wrong here
Network config can be obtained from backup or reconfigured.
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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.