SSCP Incident Response and Recovery Practice Question
A security team is conducting a lessons learned meeting after a major security incident. The team identifies that the incident response plan was not followed because team members were unsure of their roles. Which of the following should be the PRIMARY outcome of this meeting to address the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on punitive actions or technology purchases instead of the root cause, which is a process and people issue that requires clear role definition and training.
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
✓
Update the incident response plan with clearer role definitions and provide additional training.
The primary outcome of a lessons learned meeting is to identify improvements and implement changes to prevent recurrence. Since the issue was unclear roles, updating the incident response plan with clear role definitions and providing training directly addresses the deficiency. This aligns with best practices for continuous improvement in incident response.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Outsource all incident response activities to a third-party provider.
Why it's wrong here
Outsourcing might be a strategic decision, but it does not directly address the internal confusion about roles. It could introduce new challenges such as coordination and knowledge transfer. The immediate outcome should be to fix the internal process by clarifying roles and training staff, rather than transferring responsibility externally.
- ✗
Purchase a new SIEM solution to improve detection capabilities.
Why it's wrong here
The issue is not detection but response execution due to unclear roles. A new SIEM would not resolve the confusion about responsibilities. While technology can aid incident response, the primary outcome should focus on people and processes, as the problem is a lack of role clarity, not detection gaps.
- ✗
Immediately terminate the employees who failed to follow the plan.
Why it's wrong here
Termination is a punitive measure that does not address the systemic issue of unclear roles. It may also discourage reporting and create a culture of fear, hindering future incident response. The primary outcome should be process improvement, not punishment, unless negligence or malice is proven, which is not indicated here.
- ✓
Update the incident response plan with clearer role definitions and provide additional training.
Why this is correct
The lessons learned meeting should result in actionable improvements. If roles were unclear, updating the plan to define responsibilities and training personnel accordingly directly addresses the root cause. This ensures future responses are more effective and aligns with the post-incident activity phase of NIST SP 800-61, which emphasizes revising policies and procedures based on findings.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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.