- A
Immediately disconnect the user's workstation from the network.
Why wrong: Containment should follow classification and decision.
- B
Rebuild the user's workstation from a known-good image.
Why wrong: Recovery comes later.
- C
Classify the incident and determine if escalation is needed.
Correct. Classification and escalation are part of detection and analysis.
- D
Ignore the event as it may be a false positive.
Why wrong: The unusual IP suggests potential compromise; should not be ignored.
Question 57 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 the detection and analysis phase, an analyst receives a user report of unusual system behavior. The analyst reviews logs and finds several failed login attempts followed by a successful login from an unusual IP address. What is the next step?
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
✓
Classify the incident and determine if escalation is needed.
Option C is correct because, during the detection and analysis phase of incident response, the primary goal is to assess the validity and scope of a potential security event before taking action. The analyst has observed indicators of a possible brute-force attack (failed logins followed by a successful login from an unusual IP), which requires classification to determine if it meets the criteria for a security incident. Escalation may be needed to involve a higher-tier incident response team or to initiate formal containment procedures, as per NIST SP 800-61 guidelines.
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.
- ✗
Immediately disconnect the user's workstation from the network.
Why it's wrong here
Containment should follow classification and decision.
- ✗
Rebuild the user's workstation from a known-good image.
Why it's wrong here
Recovery comes later.
- ✓
Classify the incident and determine if escalation is needed.
Why this is correct
Correct. Classification and escalation are part of detection and analysis.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Ignore the event as it may be a false positive.
Why it's wrong here
The unusual IP suggests potential compromise; should not be ignored.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the detection and analysis phase with the containment phase, leading them to choose immediate disconnection (Option A) instead of first classifying the incident and determining the need for escalation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In practice, the analyst should first correlate the failed login timestamps with the successful login timestamp to determine if the successful login was the result of a brute-force attack (e.g., using tools like Hydra or Medusa). The unusual IP address should be checked against threat intelligence feeds (e.g., AlienVault OTX, VirusTotal) and geolocation databases to assess its reputation. Additionally, the analyst should examine the user's subsequent activity logs (e.g., process creation, network connections) to determine if the account was used for lateral movement or data exfiltration, which would elevate the incident severity.
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.
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
| Class | First Octet Range | Default Mask | Networks | Hosts per Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–126 | /8 (255.0.0.0) | 126 | 16,777,214 |
| B | 128–191 | /16 (255.255.0.0) | 16,384 | 65,534 |
| C | 192–223 | /24 (255.255.255.0) | 2,097,152 | 254 |
| D | 224–239 | N/A | Multicast groups | — |
| E | 240–255 | N/A | Reserved / experimental | — |
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
What to study next
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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: Classify the incident and determine if escalation is needed. — Option C is correct because, during the detection and analysis phase of incident response, the primary goal is to assess the validity and scope of a potential security event before taking action. The analyst has observed indicators of a possible brute-force attack (failed logins followed by a successful login from an unusual IP), which requires classification to determine if it meets the criteria for a security incident. Escalation may be needed to involve a higher-tier incident response team or to initiate formal containment procedures, as per NIST SP 800-61 guidelines.
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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