The answer is business impact analysis, backup procedures, and restoration. These three are common components of a disaster recovery plan because they form the core lifecycle of preparedness and recovery: the BIA identifies which systems and data are most critical to the business, backup procedures define how that data is copied and stored securely off-site or in the cloud, and restoration ensures those backups can be reliably brought back online after a disruptive event. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this question tests your understanding of the DRP’s operational structure rather than just its policy language—a common trap is confusing a BIA with a risk assessment, but remember that the BIA specifically focuses on business impact and recovery priorities, not threat identification. A helpful memory tip is to think of the three as “Identify, Protect, Recover” to keep BIA, backup, and restoration straight.
ISC2 CC Security Operations Practice Question
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.
Which THREE of the following are common components of a disaster recovery plan?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Backup procedures
Backup procedures are a core component of a disaster recovery plan (DRP) because they ensure that critical data can be restored after a disruptive event. This includes defining backup frequency, storage locations (e.g., off-site or cloud), and the specific data to be backed up. Without documented backup procedures, recovery of systems and data would be uncoordinated and unreliable.
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.
✓
Backup procedures
Why this is correct
Backups are essential for restoring data after a disaster.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Restoration of operations in a secondary site
Why this is correct
DR plans include procedures to resume operations at an alternate site.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Password policy
Why it's wrong here
Password policy is an access control measure, not specific to disaster recovery.
✗
Employee background checks
Why it's wrong here
Background checks are part of personnel security, not disaster recovery.
✓
Business impact analysis
Why this is correct
BIA identifies critical functions and recovery priorities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between disaster recovery components (backup, BIA, alternate sites) and general security controls (password policies, background checks), so candidates mistakenly include the latter because they are also part of overall security operations.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A disaster recovery plan typically includes backup procedures, restoration of operations at a secondary site (e.g., a hot or cold site), and a business impact analysis (BIA) to prioritize recovery objectives. The BIA identifies critical systems and their recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs), which directly inform backup frequency and site failover strategies. In practice, a DRP is tested through tabletop exercises or full failover drills to validate that RTOs and RPOs are achievable.
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.
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Backup procedures — Backup procedures are a core component of a disaster recovery plan (DRP) because they ensure that critical data can be restored after a disruptive event. This includes defining backup frequency, storage locations (e.g., off-site or cloud), and the specific data to be backed up. Without documented backup procedures, recovery of systems and data would be uncoordinated and unreliable.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.