- A
Write-once storage to prevent modification
Write-once storage ensures logs cannot be altered after creation.
- B
Digital signing of logs to verify authenticity
Digital signatures confirm that logs have not been tampered with and verify the source.
- C
Minimizing log retention to reduce storage costs
Why wrong: Minimizing retention can hinder forensic investigations; appropriate retention is needed.
- D
Ensuring logs are retained for a period consistent with legal and regulatory requirements
Retention must meet compliance and forensic needs, typically at least one year.
- E
Aggregating logs from all sources into one centralized repository
Why wrong: While aggregation aids analysis, it does not directly ensure integrity; centralized storage must still be protected.
Question 15 of 1,000
SSCP Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of risk identification, monitoring, and analysis. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A company is implementing a new SIEM. Which THREE factors are most important to ensure log integrity and usefulness for forensic investigations? (Choose THREE.)
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
✓
Write-once storage to prevent modification
Write-once storage (e.g., WORM drives or append-only storage systems) prevents modification or deletion of log data after it is written. This immutability is critical for forensic investigations because it ensures that logs cannot be tampered with by an attacker or an insider, preserving the original evidence exactly as it was recorded.
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.
- ✓
Write-once storage to prevent modification
Why this is correct
Write-once storage ensures logs cannot be altered after creation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Digital signing of logs to verify authenticity
Why this is correct
Digital signatures confirm that logs have not been tampered with and verify the source.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Minimizing log retention to reduce storage costs
Why it's wrong here
Minimizing retention can hinder forensic investigations; appropriate retention is needed.
- ✓
Ensuring logs are retained for a period consistent with legal and regulatory requirements
Why this is correct
Retention must meet compliance and forensic needs, typically at least one year.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Aggregating logs from all sources into one centralized repository
Why it's wrong here
While aggregation aids analysis, it does not directly ensure integrity; centralized storage must still be protected.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse operational convenience (centralized aggregation) with security controls (integrity and authenticity), leading them to select Option E instead of recognizing that integrity requires write-once or cryptographic protections.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Digital signing of logs typically uses asymmetric cryptography (e.g., RSA or ECDSA) to create a hash of each log entry or batch, which is then signed with a private key. This allows verification of authenticity and integrity using the corresponding public key, ensuring that logs have not been altered in transit or at rest. In practice, protocols like syslog with TLS (RFC 5425) or CEF with signed hashes are used to implement this.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — This question tests Risk Identification, Monitoring, and Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Write-once storage to prevent modification — Write-once storage (e.g., WORM drives or append-only storage systems) prevents modification or deletion of log data after it is written. This immutability is critical for forensic investigations because it ensures that logs cannot be tampered with by an attacker or an insider, preserving the original evidence exactly as it was recorded.
What should I do if I get this SSCP 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.
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