Quick Answer
The answer is Preparation, as it is the first of the four phases defined by NIST SP 800-61 for the incident response process. The standard explicitly groups Containment, Eradication, and Recovery into a single phase, making it one of the four distinct stages alongside Detection and Analysis and Post-Incident Activity. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this question tests your ability to recall the official NIST incident response phases list rather than a generic five- or six-step model. A common trap is assuming Containment, Eradication, and Recovery are separate phases, but NIST treats them as one combined step. To remember, think of the acronym PDCP: Preparation, Detection, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident.
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 THREE are phases of the incident response process according to NIST SP 800-61?
Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
Third phase.
Risk Assessment
Why wrong: Not an IR phase.
Detection and Analysis
Second phase.
Preparation
First phase of IR.
Vendor Management
Why wrong: Not an IR phase.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
Option A is correct because NIST SP 800-61 defines the incident response process as four phases: Preparation; Detection and Analysis; Containment, Eradication, and Recovery; and Post-Incident Activity. The 'Containment, Eradication, and Recovery' phase is explicitly grouped together as a single phase in the standard, making A a correct choice.
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.
Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
Why this is correct
Third phase.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Risk Assessment
Why it's wrong here
Not an IR phase.
Detection and Analysis
Why this is correct
Second phase.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Preparation
Why this is correct
First phase of IR.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Vendor Management
Why it's wrong here
Not an IR phase.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests whether candidates recognize that 'Containment, Eradication, and Recovery' is a single phase in NIST SP 800-61, not three separate phases, and that 'Risk Assessment' and 'Vendor Management' are common distractors because they appear in other security frameworks but are not part of the incident response process.
Detailed technical explanation
NIST SP 800-61 Revision 2 explicitly outlines the four phases: Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. The Containment, Eradication, and Recovery phase is a single phase because these actions are often iterative and intertwined—for example, containment may involve isolating a compromised host via network segmentation (e.g., VLAN access control lists), while eradication removes the root cause (e.g., malware removal), and recovery restores systems from verified backups. In practice, a security operations center (SOC) might use playbooks that combine these steps to minimize dwell time.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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FAQ
Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response — This question tests Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Containment, Eradication, and Recovery — Option A is correct because NIST SP 800-61 defines the incident response process as four phases: Preparation; Detection and Analysis; Containment, Eradication, and Recovery; and Post-Incident Activity. The 'Containment, Eradication, and Recovery' phase is explicitly grouped together as a single phase in the standard, making A a correct choice.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
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Variation 1. According to the NIST 800-61 incident response lifecycle, after containment and eradication have been performed, what is the next phase?
hardWhy A: According to the NIST 800-61 incident response lifecycle, the phases are Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment/Eradication, and Recovery. After containment (isolating the threat) and eradication (removing malware, patching vulnerabilities), the next phase is Recovery, where systems are carefully restored to normal operations, often using clean backups and verifying system integrity before reconnecting to the network.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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