- A
Implementing stricter access control policies
Why wrong: Access control reduces risk but does not directly improve detection speed.
- B
Conducting more frequent tabletop exercises
Why wrong: Tabletop exercises improve response, not detection speed.
- C
Deploying additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) sensors with automated alerting
Correct. Enhanced detection tools reduce MTTD.
- D
Increasing the frequency of full system backups
Why wrong: Backups reduce recovery time, not detection.
Question 226 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.
During a post-incident review, the incident response team identifies that the mean time to detect (MTTD) was 14 days. Which improvement would most directly reduce MTTD?
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
✓
Deploying additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) sensors with automated alerting
Deploying additional EDR sensors with automated alerting directly reduces the time between an incident's occurrence and its detection by providing continuous monitoring and immediate notification of suspicious activities. This shortens the MTTD because automated alerts eliminate the delay inherent in manual log review or periodic checks, enabling the incident response team to react within minutes rather than days.
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.
- ✗
Implementing stricter access control policies
Why it's wrong here
Access control reduces risk but does not directly improve detection speed.
- ✗
Conducting more frequent tabletop exercises
Why it's wrong here
Tabletop exercises improve response, not detection speed.
- ✓
Deploying additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) sensors with automated alerting
Why this is correct
Correct. Enhanced detection tools reduce MTTD.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increasing the frequency of full system backups
Why it's wrong here
Backups reduce recovery time, not detection.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse detection speed (MTTD) with prevention or recovery metrics, mistakenly thinking that improving backups (Option D) or access controls (Option A) will help detect incidents faster, when in fact they address different phases of the incident response lifecycle.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
EDR sensors operate by collecting telemetry from endpoints (e.g., process creation, network connections, file system changes) and correlating this data against threat intelligence or behavioral analytics in near real-time. Automated alerting triggers when a rule or machine learning model matches a known indicator of compromise (IoC) or anomalous behavior, such as a PowerShell process spawning from an Office application (a common lateral movement technique). In a real-world scenario, without EDR, a stealthy ransomware deployment might go undetected for weeks until a user reports file encryption; with EDR, the initial execution of the dropper would generate an alert within seconds, reducing MTTD from days to minutes.
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?
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: Deploying additional endpoint detection and response (EDR) sensors with automated alerting — Deploying additional EDR sensors with automated alerting directly reduces the time between an incident's occurrence and its detection by providing continuous monitoring and immediate notification of suspicious activities. This shortens the MTTD because automated alerts eliminate the delay inherent in manual log review or periodic checks, enabling the incident response team to react within minutes rather than days.
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.
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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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