Quick Answer
The correct answer is to deploy a data loss prevention (DLP) solution. This is the next best step because DLP provides automated, policy-based monitoring and control of data in motion, at rest, and in use, allowing the organization to inspect content for sensitive patterns—such as credit card numbers or proprietary file headers—and block unauthorized transfers to personal cloud storage, directly addressing the root cause of the incident rather than relying on manual enforcement. On the CISSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the Domain 2 (Asset Security) concept that technical controls must follow administrative actions; a common trap is choosing user training first, but after an incident, the priority is deploying a preventive technical control to stop recurrence immediately. Remember the mnemonic "DLP After Leak, Policy Before Talk"—deploy the technical solution first, then reinforce with training.
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security operations. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
An organization discovers that an employee has been using a personal cloud storage account to share confidential files. After revoking access, what is the NEXT best step to prevent recurrence?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Block access to all cloud storage sites
Why wrong: May impact business needs and is not a complete solution.
Deploy a data loss prevention (DLP) solution
DLP provides ongoing protection.
Discipline the employee
Why wrong: Discipline addresses past behavior, not future.
Retrain all employees on data handling policy
Why wrong: Training is important but not sufficient alone.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Deploy a data loss prevention (DLP) solution
Deploying a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution is the next best step because it provides automated, policy-based monitoring and control of data in motion, at rest, and in use. DLP can inspect content for sensitive patterns (e.g., credit card numbers, proprietary file headers) and block unauthorized transfers to personal cloud storage, addressing the root cause of the incident rather than relying on manual enforcement.
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.
Block access to all cloud storage sites
Why it's wrong here
May impact business needs and is not a complete solution.
Deploy a data loss prevention (DLP) solution
Why this is correct
DLP provides ongoing protection.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Discipline the employee
Why it's wrong here
Discipline addresses past behavior, not future.
Retrain all employees on data handling policy
Why it's wrong here
Training is important but not sufficient alone.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often choose retraining (D) because it seems like a proactive people-focused control, but the CISSP emphasizes that technical controls (like DLP) are necessary to enforce policy and prevent recurrence, especially after a security incident involving data exfiltration.
Detailed technical explanation
A DLP solution typically uses deep content inspection via pattern matching, regular expressions, file fingerprinting, and machine learning classifiers to identify sensitive data. For example, it can detect a credit card number using the Luhn algorithm or a file with a specific hash from a confidential document database. In a real-world scenario, DLP can be configured with a rule that blocks uploads to personal cloud storage URLs (e.g., *.dropbox.com) while allowing corporate-approved services like SharePoint, and it can log the attempt for audit and incident response.
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: Deploy a data loss prevention (DLP) solution — Deploying a Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution is the next best step because it provides automated, policy-based monitoring and control of data in motion, at rest, and in use. DLP can inspect content for sensitive patterns (e.g., credit card numbers, proprietary file headers) and block unauthorized transfers to personal cloud storage, addressing the root cause of the incident rather than relying on manual enforcement.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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