easyMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: That they received a suspicious email with an…
A user reports that they received a suspicious email with an attachment claiming to be an invoice. What should the user do?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that deleting a suspicious email is sufficient, but the correct incident response procedure requires preserving evidence and reporting to the security team for analysis and containment.
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
✓
Report the email to the security team without opening the attachment
The user should immediately report the suspicious email to the security team without opening the attachment. Opening the attachment could trigger a malicious payload, such as a macro-enabled document or executable, that exploits vulnerabilities in the email client or operating system. The security team can analyze the email headers, attachment hash, and sender domain using tools like sandboxing or threat intelligence feeds to determine if it is a phishing attempt or malware delivery.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Report the email to the security team without opening the attachment
Why this is correct
Reporting preserves the original message and headers for the security team to analyse, block the sender and warn other recipients, while avoiding attachment execution prevents malware detonation. Opening or forwarding the attachment risks compromise and destroys forensic evidence.
- ✗
Reply to the email and ask for confirmation
Why it's wrong here
Replying confirms the address is live and engages the attacker, and a legitimate-looking response cannot verify a forged sender. Reporting to the security team preserves headers and the attachment for analysis. Replying is intended for genuine business correspondence where the sender's identity is already established and trusted.
- ✗
Delete the email immediately
Why it's wrong here
Deleting may lose evidence needed for investigation.
- ✗
Open the attachment to check what it contains
Why it's wrong here
Opening the attachment executes or renders attacker-controlled content, potentially triggering malware or a credential-harvesting page. The user must report it unopened instead. Opening attachments is legitimate only when the sender is verified and the file was expected as part of normal business.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Key term
Malware
Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause damage, disrupt operations, steal data, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.
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.
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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.