- A
Restoring backups of affected servers
Why wrong: This is a technical recovery task.
- B
Approving external communications and public statements
The CMT oversees communication strategy.
- C
Analyzing log files to identify the attack vector
Why wrong: This is a technical investigation task.
- D
Conducting technical forensic analysis of compromised systems
Why wrong: This is the role of forensic investigators, not the CMT.
- E
Making strategic decisions about business continuity activation
The CMT decides whether to activate BC/DR plans.
Question 798 of 905
CISM Incident Management Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of incident management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO of the following are key responsibilities of the crisis management team (CMT) during a major cybersecurity incident?
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
✓
Approving external communications and public statements
Option B is correct because the crisis management team (CMT) is responsible for high-level strategic decisions, including approving external communications and public statements to manage reputation and legal exposure during a major cybersecurity incident. This aligns with the CMT's role in coordinating response efforts and ensuring consistent messaging, as defined in incident management frameworks like NIST SP 800-61.
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.
- ✗
Restoring backups of affected servers
Why it's wrong here
This is a technical recovery task.
- ✓
Approving external communications and public statements
Why this is correct
The CMT oversees communication strategy.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Analyzing log files to identify the attack vector
Why it's wrong here
This is a technical investigation task.
- ✗
Conducting technical forensic analysis of compromised systems
Why it's wrong here
This is the role of forensic investigators, not the CMT.
- ✓
Making strategic decisions about business continuity activation
Why this is correct
The CMT decides whether to activate BC/DR plans.
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 confusing the strategic responsibilities of the CMT with the tactical or operational tasks of the technical incident response team, leading candidates to select hands-on actions like log analysis or backup restoration instead of high-level decision-making roles.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The CMT operates at the strategic level, making decisions about business continuity activation (Option E) and resource allocation, while technical teams execute tasks like log analysis (e.g., using SIEM tools like Splunk) and forensic imaging (e.g., with FTK Imager). In a real-world scenario, such as a ransomware attack, the CMT would approve a public statement about data exfiltration while the technical team isolates systems and restores from backups, ensuring separation of duties to avoid conflicts of interest.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISM question test?
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: Approving external communications and public statements — Option B is correct because the crisis management team (CMT) is responsible for high-level strategic decisions, including approving external communications and public statements to manage reputation and legal exposure during a major cybersecurity incident. This aligns with the CMT's role in coordinating response efforts and ensuring consistent messaging, as defined in incident management frameworks like NIST SP 800-61.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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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