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CISM Practice Question: Which THREE of the following are key phases of…
Which THREE of the following are key phases of the incident management lifecycle according to NIST or ISO? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The ISACA CISM exam often tests candidates by including plausible-sounding operational activities (like Encryption or Board reporting) as distractors, leading them to confuse security controls or governance tasks with the formal lifecycle phases defined by NIST and ISO standards.
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
✓
Detection & Analysis
Detection & Analysis is the phase where potential security incidents are identified through monitoring tools, alerts, and user reports, and then analyzed to confirm the incident, assess its scope, and prioritize response actions. This phase is explicitly defined in both NIST SP 800-61 (Computer Security Incident Handling Guide) and ISO/IEC 27035 as the second step after preparation, ensuring that incidents are accurately recognized before containment begins.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Detection & Analysis
Why this is correct
Detection & Analysis is a key phase in both NIST SP 800-61 and ISO/IEC 27035, where incidents are identified and assessed.
- ✗
Encryption
Why it's wrong here
Encryption is a security control, not a phase in the incident management lifecycle according to NIST or ISO.
- ✗
Board reporting
Why it's wrong here
Board reporting is a governance activity, not a formal phase in the incident management lifecycle defined by NIST or ISO.
- ✓
Containment, Eradication & Recovery
Why this is correct
Containment, Eradication & Recovery is a critical phase in the incident management lifecycle, covering actions to limit damage and restore operations.
- ✓
Preparation
Why this is correct
Preparation is the foundational first phase in the incident management lifecycle according to both NIST and ISO standards.
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About these practice questions
One of 871 original CISM practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.