The answer is to minimize the impact of the incident and return affected systems to normal operation. These two objectives form the core of any incident response plan because they focus on containment, eradication, and recovery—ensuring that damage is limited and business functions can resume securely. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this concept tests your understanding of the response phase within the NIST or SIRM frameworks; a common trap is confusing “identifying the root cause” (which is part of analysis) with the primary goal of restoring operations. Remember the memory tip: “Minimize and Restore”—the plan’s job is to stop the bleeding and then heal the wound, not just to investigate how the cut happened.
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.
Which TWO of the following are primary objectives of an incident response plan? (Choose two.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Return affected systems to normal operation
Option B is correct because a primary objective of an incident response plan is to return affected systems to normal operation. This involves containment, eradication, and recovery steps to restore business functions after a security incident, ensuring the organization can resume operations securely.
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.
✗
Ensure business continuity during the incident
Why it's wrong here
BCP handles continuity; IR focuses on response and recovery.
✓
Return affected systems to normal operation
Why this is correct
Recovery is a primary objective of IR.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Collect evidence for legal proceedings
Why it's wrong here
Evidence collection is secondary; containment and recovery are primary.
✓
Minimize the impact of the incident
Why this is correct
Containment and mitigation are core IR objectives.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Identify the root cause of the incident
Why it's wrong here
Root cause analysis is part of lessons learned, not an immediate objective.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between the incident response plan's primary objectives (containment and recovery) and the secondary or post-incident activities (root cause analysis, evidence collection), causing candidates to mistakenly select options like C or E as primary objectives.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The incident response plan follows a structured lifecycle, such as the NIST SP 800-61 framework, which includes preparation, detection & analysis, containment/eradication/recovery, and post-incident activity. The primary objectives align with the containment and recovery phases, where actions like isolating compromised hosts, removing malware, and restoring from clean backups are executed. In a real-world scenario, such as a ransomware attack, the IRP's immediate goal is to contain the spread and restore systems from backups, while root cause analysis and evidence collection occur after the immediate threat is neutralized.
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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
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: Return affected systems to normal operation — Option B is correct because a primary objective of an incident response plan is to return affected systems to normal operation. This involves containment, eradication, and recovery steps to restore business functions after a security incident, ensuring the organization can resume operations securely.
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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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