hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A SOC analyst is investigating an incident where…
A SOC analyst is investigating an incident where an employee's workstation was compromised via a phishing email. The analyst has captured the following indicators: the email originated from a known malicious domain, the attachment was a macro-enabled document, and the macro executed a PowerShell command that downloaded a payload from a remote server. Which TWO actions should the analyst take immediately as part of the incident response process? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between immediate containment actions (isolate, block at gateway) and later forensic or administrative steps (analyze macro, contact law enforcement, delete emails) to see if candidates understand the priority of stopping the threat first.
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
✓
Isolate the workstation from the network.
Isolating the workstation from the network is a critical containment step in incident response. It immediately stops the compromised system from communicating with the attacker's command-and-control server, preventing further data exfiltration or lateral movement. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 containment strategy, which prioritizes stopping the spread of an incident before deeper analysis.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Contact law enforcement immediately.
Why it's wrong here
Law enforcement contact is not an immediate step in initial containment.
- ✓
Isolate the workstation from the network.
Why this is correct
Isolation contains the threat and prevents spread.
- ✗
Analyze the macro code in a sandbox.
Why it's wrong here
Analysis is important but not immediate; containment takes priority.
- ✓
Block the malicious domain at the email gateway.
Why this is correct
Blocking the domain prevents additional emails from reaching users.
- ✗
Delete the phishing email from all mailboxes.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the email destroys evidence; preserve it.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Access Control Fundamentals
Key term
Phishing
Phishing is a type of cyber attack where criminals impersonate legitimate organizations or individuals to trick victims into revealing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal data.
Key term
Containment
Containment is the incident response phase where security teams isolate a compromised system or network to prevent the threat from spreading further while preserving evidence.
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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.