ISC2 CC Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response Practice Question
A security analyst receives an alert of unusual network traffic from an internal host to an external IP known for command-and-control. After isolating the host, what should be the next step?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that immediate containment (like wiping or reimaging) is the priority, but the trap here is that the CC exam emphasizes the incident response process order: isolate, then preserve evidence, then analyze, then remediate — skipping evidence preservation violates standard forensic procedures.
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
✓
Preserve forensic evidence and analyze
Preserving forensic evidence and analyzing the host is the correct next step because incident response methodology (e.g., NIST SP 800-61) requires containment followed by evidence collection and analysis to determine the scope of compromise, identify indicators of compromise (IOCs), and understand the attack vector. Wiping or reimaging destroys volatile data (e.g., memory, running processes, network connections) and artifacts (e.g., registry keys, prefetch files, event logs) that are critical for attribution and remediation. Analysis may involve memory forensics (using tools like Volatility) and disk forensics to extract malware samples, C2 communication logs, and lateral movement traces.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Wipe the host and reinstall OS
Why it's wrong here
Premature; may destroy evidence needed for investigation.
- ✓
Preserve forensic evidence and analyze
Why this is correct
Preserving and analyzing evidence is critical to understand the compromise and prevent future incidents.
- ✗
Reimage the host from backup
Why it's wrong here
Reimaging may be done after analysis; doing it immediately could destroy evidence.
- ✗
Notify law enforcement
Why it's wrong here
Internal investigation should occur first; law enforcement may be notified later if necessary.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
Event
An event is any identifiable occurrence or action in a computer system, network, or application that can be logged, monitored, or analyzed for security or operational purposes.
Key term
Attack vector
An attack vector is the specific path or method a cyber attacker uses to gain unauthorized access to a computer system or network.
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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.