- A
Restore the systems from the most recent backup
Why wrong: Restoring is part of recovery, not verification.
- B
Change all user passwords associated with the systems
Why wrong: Password reset is an eradication step, not a verification step.
- C
Run a full antivirus and anti-malware scan on the restored systems
Scanning ensures no malware remains in the restored data.
- D
Apply all security patches to the operating system
Why wrong: Patching is important but does not verify cleanliness; it prevents future exploits.
- E
Monitor the systems for any signs of reinfection or anomalous behavior for a period of time
Monitoring helps detect if the malware persists or if the system is compromised again.
Question 825 of 1,000
SSCP Incident Response and Recovery Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of incident response and recovery. 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.
An organization has suffered a ransomware attack that encrypted files on several file servers. The incident response team is planning recovery. Which TWO actions should be performed to verify that the restored systems are clean before returning them to production? (Select TWO)
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
✓
Run a full antivirus and anti-malware scan on the restored systems
Option C is correct because running a full antivirus and anti-malware scan on the restored systems ensures that no remnants of the ransomware (e.g., dormant payloads, modified registry keys, or backdoor executables) remain in the restored data. Even if the backup was taken before the infection, the restore process could reintroduce malware if the backup itself was compromised or if the ransomware had persisted in the system state. A thorough scan validates that the restored environment is free of known malicious signatures and behavioral indicators.
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.
- ✗
Restore the systems from the most recent backup
Why it's wrong here
Restoring is part of recovery, not verification.
- ✗
Change all user passwords associated with the systems
Why it's wrong here
Password reset is an eradication step, not a verification step.
- ✓
Run a full antivirus and anti-malware scan on the restored systems
Why this is correct
Scanning ensures no malware remains in the restored data.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Apply all security patches to the operating system
Why it's wrong here
Patching is important but does not verify cleanliness; it prevents future exploits.
- ✓
Monitor the systems for any signs of reinfection or anomalous behavior for a period of time
Why this is correct
Monitoring helps detect if the malware persists or if the system is compromised again.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume restoring from a clean backup (Option A) is sufficient to guarantee a clean system, but the SSCP exam emphasizes that backups must be verified as malware-free and that additional validation steps (scanning and monitoring) are required before returning systems to production.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Ransomware often modifies system files, disables security services, or installs persistence mechanisms (e.g., scheduled tasks, WMI subscriptions) that survive a simple file-level restore. A full antivirus scan uses signature-based, heuristic, and behavioral analysis to detect such artifacts, while monitoring for anomalous behavior (Option E) over a period (e.g., 24–72 hours) can reveal stealthy indicators like unexpected outbound connections to C2 servers or file encryption attempts that scans might miss. In real-world incidents, attackers may use 'time-bomb' payloads that activate after a delay, making post-restoration monitoring critical.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
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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Incident Response and Recovery — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Incident Response and Recovery — This question tests Incident Response and Recovery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Run a full antivirus and anti-malware scan on the restored systems — Option C is correct because running a full antivirus and anti-malware scan on the restored systems ensures that no remnants of the ransomware (e.g., dormant payloads, modified registry keys, or backdoor executables) remain in the restored data. Even if the backup was taken before the infection, the restore process could reintroduce malware if the backup itself was compromised or if the ransomware had persisted in the system state. A thorough scan validates that the restored environment is free of known malicious signatures and behavioral indicators.
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
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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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