CISM Incident Management Practice Question
Which of the following is the PRIMARY purpose of having a pre-established contract with a digital forensics firm before an incident occurs?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse a secondary benefit (like cost savings or availability) with the primary operational goal of reducing engagement time, which is the core driver in incident management scenarios.
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 reduce the time required to engage the firm during an incident
The primary purpose of a pre-established contract with a digital forensics firm is to eliminate procurement delays during an incident. When an incident occurs, time is critical; having a signed contract in place allows the firm to be engaged immediately without waiting for legal or administrative approvals, which directly supports the incident response goal of minimizing damage and preserving evidence.
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 ensure attorney-client privilege is automatically applied
Why it's wrong here
Privilege requires careful legal handling, not just a contract.
- ✗
To ensure the firm is available 24/7
Why it's wrong here
Availability is important, but the primary purpose is faster engagement.
- ✗
To guarantee a discounted rate
Why it's wrong here
Cost savings are secondary to timely response.
- ✓
To reduce the time required to engage the firm during an incident
Why this is correct
A retainer speeds up the contracting process.
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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.