easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISM Practice Question: Is the PRIMARY purpose of an incident response…
Which of the following is the PRIMARY purpose of an incident response plan?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISACA often tests the distinction between primary purpose and secondary benefits; candidates mistakenly choose regulatory compliance (Option D) because they confuse a common driver for implementing a plan with its fundamental operational objective.
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 provide a systematic method for responding to incidents
The primary purpose of an incident response plan is to establish a structured, systematic methodology for detecting, containing, eradicating, and recovering from security incidents. This ensures that the organization can minimize damage, reduce recovery time and costs, and preserve evidence for forensic analysis. Without a predefined plan, responses become ad hoc, increasing the likelihood of errors and extended downtime.
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 assign blame for security failures
Why it's wrong here
The plan is not for blame but for improvement.
- ✗
To prevent all security incidents from occurring
Why it's wrong here
Prevention is separate; the plan focuses on response.
- ✓
To provide a systematic method for responding to incidents
Why this is correct
The plan ensures consistent and effective response.
- ✗
To meet regulatory compliance requirements
Why it's wrong here
While compliance is a factor, the primary purpose is effective response.
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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.