Quick Answer
The answer is to protect evidence, as this is the initial step in incident response according to established frameworks like NIST SP 800-61. Preserving forensic data immediately after detection is critical because volatile data—such as RAM contents, active network connections, and running processes—can be lost within seconds if the system is powered down or altered. This step ensures the integrity of logs, memory dumps, and disk images for later analysis, which is essential for determining the scope and root cause of the incident. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this concept tests your understanding of the incident response lifecycle, where many candidates mistakenly jump to containment or eradication first. A common trap is assuming you should immediately disconnect the system, but that can destroy volatile evidence; instead, you must secure the data before taking any other action. Remember the mnemonic “PEC” for Protect, Examine, Contain—protect evidence always comes first.
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 suspects a security incident. Which initial step should the incident response team take?
Contain the incident
Why wrong: Containment should occur after evidence preservation.
Protect evidence
Preserving volatile evidence is the first priority to support forensic analysis.
Identify the attacker
Why wrong: Identification of the attacker is part of the investigation, not the initial step.
Notify law enforcement
Why wrong: Law enforcement notification typically occurs after initial containment and evidence collection.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Protect evidence
The initial step in incident response is to protect evidence (Option B) because preserving forensic data ensures the integrity of logs, memory dumps, and disk images for later analysis. According to NIST SP 800-61, the first priority after detection is to secure volatile data (e.g., RAM, network connections) before it is lost, which is critical for determining the scope and root cause of the incident.
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.
Contain the incident
Why it's wrong here
Containment should occur after evidence preservation.
Protect evidence
Why this is correct
Preserving volatile evidence is the first priority to support forensic analysis.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Identify the attacker
Why it's wrong here
Identification of the attacker is part of the investigation, not the initial step.
Notify law enforcement
Why it's wrong here
Law enforcement notification typically occurs after initial containment and evidence collection.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the urgency of containment with the priority of evidence preservation, often selecting 'Contain the incident' because it seems immediately necessary, but the SSCP emphasizes that evidence must be secured first to support legal and forensic processes.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, protecting evidence involves creating a forensic image using tools like `dd` or `FTK Imager` with write-blockers to prevent modification of the original media. In a real-world scenario, failing to capture volatile memory (e.g., via `memdump` or `LiME`) before powering down a compromised server could lose critical artifacts like encryption keys or in-memory malware, making root cause analysis impossible.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Incident Response and Recovery — This question tests Incident Response and Recovery — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Protect evidence — The initial step in incident response is to protect evidence (Option B) because preserving forensic data ensures the integrity of logs, memory dumps, and disk images for later analysis. According to NIST SP 800-61, the first priority after detection is to secure volatile data (e.g., RAM, network connections) before it is lost, which is critical for determining the scope and root cause of the incident.
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 25, 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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