The correct answer is insufficient off-site storage because storing backup tapes in the same building as the servers eliminates geographic separation, a core disaster recovery principle. If a single event—like a fire, flood, or physical breach—destroys the building, both the primary data and the backups are lost simultaneously, rendering the tapes useless. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this scenario tests your understanding of backup strategy fundamentals, often appearing in tabletop exercise questions to highlight the trap of confusing “backup exists” with “backup is recoverable.” A common memory tip: think of the phrase “one roof, zero recovery”—if all copies share the same physical location, you have no true off-site protection. Always remember that a viable backup must be stored in a separate, geographically distinct facility to survive a site-wide disaster.
ISC2 CC Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response Practice Question
This CC practice question tests your understanding of business continuity, dr & incident response. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
During a tabletop exercise, the IT team realizes that the backup tapes are stored in the same building as the servers. Which risk does this highlight?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Insufficient off-site storage
Storing backup tapes in the same building as the primary servers violates the fundamental principle of geographic separation for disaster recovery. If a fire, flood, or physical security breach destroys the building, both the primary data and the backup tapes are lost simultaneously, rendering the backups useless. This directly indicates a lack of off-site storage, which is a core requirement for a viable backup strategy.
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.
✓
Insufficient off-site storage
Why this is correct
Backups should be stored off-site to survive a site-level disaster; storing them on-site creates a single point of failure.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Single point of failure
Why it's wrong here
While related, the specific risk is inadequate off-site storage.
✗
Lack of redundancy
Why it's wrong here
Redundancy refers to multiple components; backup storage location is a different concern.
✗
Inadequate segregation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Segregation of duties is about personnel roles, not physical storage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between 'lack of redundancy' (duplicate hardware) and 'insufficient off-site storage' (geographic separation of backups), trapping candidates who confuse high-availability concepts with disaster recovery requirements.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In disaster recovery planning, the 3-2-1 backup rule mandates at least three copies of data, on two different media types, with one copy stored off-site. Off-site storage should be at a distance sufficient to survive a regional disaster (e.g., >50 miles for many compliance frameworks like PCI DSS or HIPAA). Even if backup tapes are in a fireproof safe in the same building, a total building collapse or flood will destroy both the primary storage and the tapes, making recovery impossible.
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 security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CC question in full detail.
Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response — This question tests Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Insufficient off-site storage — Storing backup tapes in the same building as the primary servers violates the fundamental principle of geographic separation for disaster recovery. If a fire, flood, or physical security breach destroys the building, both the primary data and the backup tapes are lost simultaneously, rendering the backups useless. This directly indicates a lack of off-site storage, which is a core requirement for a viable backup strategy.
What should I do if I get this CC question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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