SSCP Incident Response and Recovery Practice Question
During a forensic investigation, a responder must collect evidence from a live Windows system. Which of the following represents the correct order for collecting volatile data?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to think disk imaging is the most critical step and should be done first, but the SSCP exam tests the principle that volatile data (memory) must be captured before any non-volatile collection to prevent evidence loss.
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
✓
Memory dump, network connections, process list, disk image
Volatile data must be collected in order of decreasing volatility to avoid losing critical evidence. Memory (RAM) is the most volatile, followed by network connections and process lists (which change rapidly), and finally disk images (persistent storage). This order ensures that transient data is captured before it disappears.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Disk image, memory dump, process list, network connections
Why it's wrong here
Disk is non-volatile and should be collected after volatile data.
- ✓
Memory dump, network connections, process list, disk image
Why this is correct
Correct. Memory is the most volatile data.
- ✗
Process list, memory dump, disk image, network connections
Why it's wrong here
Memory should be first.
- ✗
Network connections, memory dump, process list, disk image
Why it's wrong here
Memory is most volatile and should be captured first.
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About these practice questions
One of 920 original SSCP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.