ISC2 CC Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response Practice Question
Exhibit
BackupPolicy: Source: /srv/db Destination: s3://backup-bucket/daily/ Schedule: 0 2 * * * Encryption: AES-256 Retention: 30 days Tests: Quarterly
Refer to the exhibit. An administrator needs to restore a database file from two weeks ago, but the backup log shows success. What is the most likely reason the file cannot be restored?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that a successful backup log guarantees all intended data was backed up, when in reality the backup source configuration determines what is actually captured.
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
✓
The backup source did not include that file
The backup log only records the success or failure of the backup job as a whole, not the inclusion of every individual file. If the database file was not selected in the backup source configuration (e.g., a file-level backup job that excluded the database directory or a volume shadow copy that did not include the file), the backup would complete successfully without backing up that file. When the administrator attempts to restore, the file is missing from the backup set, even though the job log shows success.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The retention policy deleted it
Why it's wrong here
Retention deletion would remove the recovery point, yet the backup log still reports success for that job, so the file exists in the catalogue. Retention policies govern how long recovery points are kept; they would be the cause only if the retention window were shorter than two weeks.
- ✗
The schedule was incorrect
Why it's wrong here
An incorrect schedule would prevent the backup running at all, producing a missed or failed job rather than a successful log entry. Schedules define when jobs execute; a wrong schedule is the cause when backups are absent or stale, not when a logged-successful restore fails.
- ✓
The backup source did not include that file
Why this is correct
Successful backup logs only confirm the job ran; they do not prove the file was selected. If the backup source or selection list omitted that database file, no restore point exists, regardless of job status.
- ✗
The encryption key changed
Why it's wrong here
A changed encryption key would render the backup unreadable, but the stem gives no key rotation and the backup log records success, so decryption is not the failure. Key rotation matters when restoring encrypted backups after a KMS or key-version change; here the retention window is the actual constraint.
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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.