Quick Answer
The answer is Containment, Eradication, and Recovery. These three are essential components of an effective incident response plan because NIST SP 800-61 defines the incident response lifecycle as four phases: Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity, with the third phase explicitly grouping these three actions together as a single, integrated step. On the CISSP exam, this tests your understanding of the NIST framework’s specific structure, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must sequence actions after detection. A common trap is to mistakenly list “Preparation” as a phase that occurs during an active incident, but it is actually the foundational phase established beforehand. To remember the three core response actions, use the mnemonic “CER” — Containment stops the spread, Eradication removes the threat, and Recovery restores operations.
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.
Which THREE of the following are essential components of an effective incident response plan according to NIST SP 800-61?
Preparation
Foundational phase.
Notification
Why wrong: Notification is part of communication, not a separate phase.
Detection and Analysis
Key phase for identifying incidents.
Vulnerability scanning
Why wrong: Scanning is proactive, not part of response plan.
Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
Core response actions.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Preparation
Option A is correct because NIST SP 800-61 defines the incident response lifecycle as having four phases: Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. Preparation is the foundational phase that establishes the incident response capability, including creating policies, forming a team, and acquiring necessary tools before any incident occurs.
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.
Preparation
Why this is correct
Foundational phase.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Notification
Why it's wrong here
Notification is part of communication, not a separate phase.
Detection and Analysis
Why this is correct
Key phase for identifying incidents.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Vulnerability scanning
Why it's wrong here
Scanning is proactive, not part of response plan.
Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
Why this is correct
Core response actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Notification as a formal phase because it appears in many incident response frameworks (e.g., SANS PICERL), but NIST SP 800-61 does not list it as a core phase; instead, it is a task within other phases.
Detailed technical explanation
NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2 explicitly structures incident response into four phases: Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. The Detection and Analysis phase involves correlating alerts from sources like SIEM systems (e.g., Splunk, ArcSight) and analyzing indicators of compromise (IoCs) such as unusual outbound traffic or file hash matches. In a real-world scenario, failing to have a proper Preparation phase (e.g., no pre-defined playbooks or forensic tools) can delay containment of a ransomware outbreak, allowing lateral movement across the network.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
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: Preparation — Option A is correct because NIST SP 800-61 defines the incident response lifecycle as having four phases: Preparation, Detection and Analysis, Containment/Eradication/Recovery, and Post-Incident Activity. Preparation is the foundational phase that establishes the incident response capability, including creating policies, forming a team, and acquiring necessary tools before any incident occurs.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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