The answer is the Team Manager and the Technical Lead. According to NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2, these two roles are considered core to the incident response team because they provide the essential dual structure of strategic oversight and hands-on technical execution. The Manager coordinates resources, communication, and the overall response process, while the Technical Lead drives the actual analysis, containment, and eradication of the threat. On the CISSP exam, this distinction tests your understanding of NIST’s formal IRT framework, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must identify which roles are mandatory versus optional. A common trap is confusing the Technical Lead with a general analyst or adding roles like Legal or PR as core—remember, NIST keeps the core lean. For a quick memory tip, think “Manager for the map, Technical Lead for the mop” to recall that one directs strategy and the other cleans up the technical mess.
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.
Your organization is forming an incident response team (IRT). According to NIST SP 800-61, which TWO roles are considered core to the incident response team?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Technical Lead
NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 identifies the Team Manager and the Technical Lead as core roles within an incident response team. The Manager oversees the response process, allocates resources, and coordinates communication, while the Technical Lead drives the technical analysis, containment, and eradication efforts. These two roles are essential for both strategic direction and hands-on technical execution during an incident.
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.
✗
Public Relations
Why it's wrong here
PR handles external communication but is a support role, not core.
✓
Technical Lead
Why this is correct
The technical lead drives forensic analysis and containment, a core role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Manager
Why this is correct
The manager is responsible for coordinating resources and communication, a core role.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Legal Counsel
Why it's wrong here
Legal counsel provides advice but is not a core IRT role; typically a support function.
✗
Human Resources
Why it's wrong here
HR is involved in employee-related issues but is not a core IRT role.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'supporting roles' (like PR, Legal, HR) with 'core roles,' but NIST SP 800-61 strictly limits core IRT to Manager and Technical Lead to ensure rapid, focused technical response without bureaucratic delays.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 defines the core IRT as having a Manager (strategic decision-maker) and a Technical Lead (hands-on analyst). The Manager ensures the team follows the incident response plan, coordinates with external stakeholders, and manages resources, while the Technical Lead performs forensic acquisition, log analysis, and containment actions. In practice, the Technical Lead often uses tools like Wireshark for packet capture or Volatility for memory analysis, while the Manager tracks incident timelines and escalations.
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 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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CISSP 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: Technical Lead — NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 identifies the Team Manager and the Technical Lead as core roles within an incident response team. The Manager oversees the response process, allocates resources, and coordinates communication, while the Technical Lead drives the technical analysis, containment, and eradication efforts. These two roles are essential for both strategic direction and hands-on technical execution during an incident.
What should I do if I get this CISSP 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.
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Question Discussion
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