The answer is to take a forensic image of the server’s memory and disk for analysis, then rebuild the server from a known good backup. This is the best course of action because it directly addresses the core tension in any ransomware containment strategy: preserving evidence for legal and insurance obligations while restoring operations as quickly as possible. By imaging the isolated server first, you secure volatile data and disk artifacts that could reveal the attack vector and scope, satisfying the cyber insurance policy’s timely notification and preservation requirements. Then, rebuilding from the 1:00 AM backup—taken just one hour before the suspicious communication began—minimizes data loss and ensures a clean recovery. On the CISM exam, this scenario tests your ability to balance evidence collection with business continuity under the Incident Response Process domain. A common trap is to immediately power off the server, which destroys memory evidence, or to skip imaging and restore directly, risking legal non-compliance. Remember the mnemonic: **Image First, Rebuild Second**—preserve the crime scene before cleaning up.
CISM Incident Management Practice Question
This CISM practice question tests your understanding of incident management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
You are the incident response manager for a multinational corporation that processes sensitive financial data. The company has a mature security operations center (SOC) that monitors network traffic, endpoints, and cloud services. At 2:00 AM local time, the SOC alerts you to a critical incident: an internal server (IP 10.10.10.50) is communicating with an external IP address (198.51.100.23) known to be associated with a ransomware group. The server hosts a financial database that is replicated to a secondary site every 6 hours. The last successful replication was at 1:00 AM. The SOC has already isolated the server from the network by blocking its outbound traffic at the firewall. However, the server is still running. The initial investigation suggests that the communication started 30 minutes ago. The database contains customer PII and transactional data. Your incident response plan includes steps for containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident review. The CEO is being notified and expects a recommendation on the best course of action. The company has a cyber insurance policy that requires timely notification and preservation of evidence. The legal department advises that any action that could destroy evidence must be carefully considered. Which of the following is the BEST course of action?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Take a forensic image of the server's memory and disk for analysis, then rebuild the server from a known good backup.
Option A is correct because it balances forensic preservation (memory and disk imaging) with recovery from a known good backup, ensuring evidence is intact for legal and insurance requirements while restoring operations. The server is isolated, so imaging can be done safely without risk of further compromise, and the 1:00 AM backup (just one hour before the 2:00 AM communication started) is likely clean, minimizing data loss.
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.
✓
Take a forensic image of the server's memory and disk for analysis, then rebuild the server from a known good backup.
Why this is correct
Forensic imaging preserves evidence, and rebuilding ensures a clean system.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Reconnect the server to the network and attempt to negotiate with the attacker if ransomware is detected.
Why it's wrong here
Negotiation is not recommended and reconnecting could spread the infection.
✗
Immediately wipe the server and restore from the 1:00 AM backup to minimize downtime.
Why it's wrong here
Wiping destroys evidence and may not address the root cause.
✗
Leave the server isolated but running to monitor the attacker's actions and gather intelligence.
Why it's wrong here
This risks further compromise or data loss if ransomware activates.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISACA often tests the misconception that immediate eradication (wiping) is faster and safer, but the trap here is that destroying evidence before forensic imaging violates legal and insurance requirements, and the isolated server can be safely imaged without risk of spread.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Forensic imaging of memory (using tools like LiME or FTK Imager) captures volatile data such as encryption keys, running processes, and network connections, which are lost on shutdown. Disk imaging preserves file system artifacts like MFT records and prefetch files for timeline analysis. The 6-hour replication cycle means the 1:00 AM backup is only one hour before the 2:00 AM communication, so the backup likely predates any ransomware encryption, making it a reliable restore point.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
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: Take a forensic image of the server's memory and disk for analysis, then rebuild the server from a known good backup. — Option A is correct because it balances forensic preservation (memory and disk imaging) with recovery from a known good backup, ensuring evidence is intact for legal and insurance requirements while restoring operations. The server is isolated, so imaging can be done safely without risk of further compromise, and the 1:00 AM backup (just one hour before the 2:00 AM communication started) is likely clean, minimizing data loss.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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