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ISC2 CC Practice Question: A security analyst discovers that a user's…
A security analyst discovers that a user's account has been used to access sensitive data outside of normal business hours from an unfamiliar IP address. The user claims they were not logged in at that time. Which security operations process should be initiated first?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that immediate account disabling or password reset is the correct first response, but the CC exam emphasizes that initiating the incident response process is the foundational step to ensure proper handling, evidence preservation, and coordination.
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
✓
Initiate the incident response process
The scenario describes a potential security incident—unauthorized access to sensitive data from an unfamiliar IP address outside business hours—which requires immediate activation of the incident response process. The first step in any security operations workflow is to follow the organization's incident response plan (NIST SP 800-61) to contain, analyze, and remediate the threat. Jumping to forensic analysis, password resets, or account disabling without a coordinated incident response can destroy evidence or fail to address the root cause.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Perform a forensic analysis of the user's workstation
Why it's wrong here
Forensic analysis of the workstation presumes the compromise originated there, yet the unfamiliar IP indicates external access; imaging the endpoint first delays containment while the attacker retains access. It is tempting because forensics preserves evidence, and it would be correct after triage confirms endpoint involvement rather than an external session.
- ✗
Reset the user's password and enforce multi-factor authentication
Why it's wrong here
Resetting the password and enforcing multi-factor authentication is containment, which should follow triage and evidence preservation; doing it first may lock out the attacker but also destroys session artefacts and alerts them. It is tempting because credential reset is a standard remediation, and it would be correct once the incident is confirmed as account compromise.
- ✗
Disable the user account immediately
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the account destroys volatile evidence such as active sessions, tokens and attacker persistence, and does not determine whether the activity was malicious; containment follows triage, not precedes it. It is tempting because account lockout is a familiar immediate response, and it would be right once compromise is confirmed and evidence preserved.
- ✓
Initiate the incident response process
Why this is correct
Anomalous access from an unfamiliar IP outside business hours, with the user denying it, indicates possible credential compromise. Initiating incident response first enables containment, evidence preservation and scoping before any account remediation, satisfying the need to handle a suspected security incident systematically.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Security Operations Basics
Key term
Organization
An Organization is a top-level container in Google Cloud that represents your company or entities and serves as the root node for all your cloud resources, policies, and access control.
Key term
Threat
A threat is any potential danger that could harm a computer system, network, or data, whether from a malicious hacker, a natural disaster, or an accidental mistake.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.