Quick Answer
The answer is containment, as it is the phase that immediately follows detection and analysis in the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle. Once an incident is detected and analyzed, containment is the critical next step because its primary goal is to limit the scope of damage, prevent the threat from spreading further across the network, and buy time for safe eradication and recovery. On the CISSP exam, this sequence tests your understanding of the structured NIST framework, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must prioritize actions after confirming a breach. A common trap is confusing containment with eradication or recovery, but remember that you must stop the bleeding before you can heal the wound. A useful memory tip is the acronym P-D-C-E-P: Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment, Eradication & Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity—just think “contain the fire before you clean up the ashes.”
This CISSP 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.
According to NIST SP 800-61, which phase of incident response immediately follows detection and analysis?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Recovery
Why wrong: Recovery follows eradication.
Preparation
Why wrong: Preparation occurs before the incident.
Eradication
Why wrong: Eradication follows containment and recovery.
Containment
Containment immediately follows detection.
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
According to NIST SP 800-61, the incident response lifecycle consists of four phases: Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. The phase that immediately follows Detection & Analysis is Containment, because once an incident is detected and analyzed, the priority is to limit damage and prevent further spread before eradication and recovery can be safely performed.
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.
Recovery
Why it's wrong here
Recovery follows eradication.
Preparation
Why it's wrong here
Preparation occurs before the incident.
Eradication
Why it's wrong here
Eradication follows containment and recovery.
Containment
Why this is correct
Containment immediately follows detection.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the logical order of the NIST phases, often selecting Eradication because they think removing the threat is the immediate next step, but NIST explicitly places Containment before Eradication to ensure the incident is stabilized first.
Detailed technical explanation
NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 defines Containment as a critical step that includes short-term containment (e.g., isolating affected systems via network segmentation or disabling accounts) and long-term containment (e.g., applying temporary patches). The order is deliberate: without containment, eradication attempts may fail because the attacker could still be active or reinfect systems. In practice, containment strategies often leverage firewall ACLs, VLAN isolation, or EDR quarantine actions to stop lateral movement.
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
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Containment — According to NIST SP 800-61, the incident response lifecycle consists of four phases: Preparation, Detection & Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. The phase that immediately follows Detection & Analysis is Containment, because once an incident is detected and analyzed, the priority is to limit damage and prevent further spread before eradication and recovery can be safely performed.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISSP 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 CISSP exam.
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