- A
Forensic investigator
Why wrong: Forensic investigators focus on evidence collection, not overall coordination.
- B
Communications lead
Why wrong: The communications lead handles external messaging but does not coordinate the entire response.
- C
SOC Tier 1 analyst
Why wrong: Tier 1 analysts triage alerts but do not coordinate the overall response.
- D
Incident manager
The incident manager oversees the response and communication.
Question 121 of 1,000
CISSP Security Operations Practice Question
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.
During a security incident, an organization's SOC team identifies a series of unauthorized access attempts from an external IP address. The incident manager needs to escalate this to the appropriate team. According to the incident response plan, which role is primarily responsible for coordinating the response and communicating with stakeholders?
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
✓
Incident manager
The incident manager leads the response, coordinates resources, and communicates with stakeholders.
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.
- ✗
Forensic investigator
Why it's wrong here
Forensic investigators focus on evidence collection, not overall coordination.
- ✗
Communications lead
Why it's wrong here
The communications lead handles external messaging but does not coordinate the entire response.
- ✗
SOC Tier 1 analyst
Why it's wrong here
Tier 1 analysts triage alerts but do not coordinate the overall response.
- ✓
Incident manager
Why this is correct
The incident manager oversees the response and communication.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which CISSP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Security Operations — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISSP question test?
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: Incident manager — The incident manager leads the response, coordinates resources, and communicates with stakeholders.
What should I do if I get this CISSP question wrong?
Identify which CISSP exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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