This CC practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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 security incident, the incident response team needs to preserve evidence. Which of the following actions should be performed 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.
Notify law enforcement
Why wrong: Law enforcement notification should occur after evidence preservation.
Capture a memory dump
Memory dump captures volatile data crucial for forensic analysis.
Power off the system
Why wrong: Powering off destroys volatile data like running processes and memory contents.
Run antivirus scan
Why wrong: Running antivirus may alter evidence and is not a preservation step.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Capture a memory dump
Capturing a memory dump (volatile data) is the first priority because it contains critical evidence such as running processes, network connections, and encryption keys that will be lost when the system is powered off. The order of volatility dictates that volatile data must be collected before any non-volatile data, and before any actions that could alter system state.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Notify law enforcement
Why it's wrong here
Law enforcement notification should occur after evidence preservation.
Capture a memory dump
Why this is correct
Memory dump captures volatile data crucial for forensic analysis.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Power off the system
Why it's wrong here
Powering off destroys volatile data like running processes and memory contents.
Run antivirus scan
Why it's wrong here
Running antivirus may alter evidence and is not a preservation step.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the principle of order of volatility, and the trap here is that candidates mistakenly think powering off the system preserves evidence, when in fact it destroys the most volatile and valuable forensic data.
Detailed technical explanation
Memory acquisition tools like FTK Imager, LiME, or WinPmem use a kernel driver to read physical memory without altering the system state, often writing to a forensic image file (e.g., .mem or .raw). The order of volatility (RFC 3227) prioritizes capturing CPU registers, cache, and RAM before any persistent storage, as these are lost within seconds of power loss. In a real-world incident, failing to capture memory first could mean losing the decryption keys for a ransomware attack or the in-memory payload of a fileless malware.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Capture a memory dump — Capturing a memory dump (volatile data) is the first priority because it contains critical evidence such as running processes, network connections, and encryption keys that will be lost when the system is powered off. The order of volatility dictates that volatile data must be collected before any non-volatile data, and before any actions that could alter system state.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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