The answer is to activate the disaster recovery plan. When a backup system fails during a DR exercise, the immediate priority is not to troubleshoot the hardware or contact vendors, but to initiate the predefined DRP, which contains the coordinated steps for escalation, communication, and alternative recovery methods. This ensures the organization can still meet its recovery time and point objectives by switching to a secondary strategy, such as restoring from off-site tapes or failing over to a warm site, rather than improvising under pressure. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this question tests your understanding of incident response hierarchy and the critical distinction between operational troubleshooting and strategic disaster recovery activation—a common trap is choosing to “fix the storage array” first, which wastes precious time. Remember the memory tip: “Plan before you fix”—always activate the DRP before addressing the failed component.
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 disaster recovery exercise, the backup systems are not available because the storage array failed. Which of the following should be done FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Activate the disaster recovery plan
When backup systems are unavailable due to a storage array failure, the first action must be to activate the disaster recovery plan (DRP). The DRP is the predefined, documented set of procedures that guides the organization through the recovery process, including escalation, communication, and alternative recovery methods. Without activating the plan, subsequent steps like contacting vendors or restoring from tape lack coordination and may violate recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
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.
✓
Activate the disaster recovery plan
Why this is correct
The DR plan includes procedures for such failures and guides next steps.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Contact the vendor
Why it's wrong here
Vendor contact is part of the DR plan, but not the first step.
✗
Restore from offsite tape
Why it's wrong here
Restoring from tape assumes the media is available and may not be appropriate without assessment.
✗
Order replacement hardware
Why it's wrong here
Ordering hardware is a long-term action; immediate actions require the DR plan.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the principle that the disaster recovery plan must be activated before any technical recovery action is taken, trapping candidates who jump to a specific recovery step like restoring from tape or contacting a vendor without first following the documented process.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The DRP typically includes a documented activation trigger, such as a storage array failure, and defines the chain of command, communication protocols, and step-by-step recovery procedures. In real-world scenarios, failing to activate the plan first can lead to wasted effort, such as restoring from tape to a failed array or ordering incompatible hardware, which increases downtime and violates RTOs. The plan also specifies whether to use synchronous replication, asynchronous replication, or tape-based recovery, depending on the RPO.
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: Activate the disaster recovery plan — When backup systems are unavailable due to a storage array failure, the first action must be to activate the disaster recovery plan (DRP). The DRP is the predefined, documented set of procedures that guides the organization through the recovery process, including escalation, communication, and alternative recovery methods. Without activating the plan, subsequent steps like contacting vendors or restoring from tape lack coordination and may violate recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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