- A
Identify what went well and what could be improved
Correct. Lessons learned captures successes and areas for improvement.
- B
Update the incident response plan and runbooks
Correct. Updates to plans and runbooks are key outcomes.
- C
Delete all evidence to free up storage
Why wrong: Evidence should be retained for legal or analysis purposes.
- D
Assign blame for the incident
Why wrong: Blame is counterproductive; the focus is on process improvement.
- E
Restore affected systems to production
Why wrong: Recovery occurs before the lessons learned meeting.
Question 538 of 1,000
What Are the Primary Objectives of a Lessons Learned Meeting After an Incident?
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.
After a security incident, the response team holds a lessons learned meeting. Which TWO are primary objectives of this meeting? (Select two.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
✓
Identify what went well and what could be improved
The primary objectives of a lessons learned meeting after a security incident are to identify what went well and what could be improved, and to update the incident response plan and runbooks based on those findings. This meeting focuses on process improvement and documentation updates to enhance future response efforts, not on operational tasks like evidence handling or system restoration.
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.
- ✓
Identify what went well and what could be improved
Why this is correct
Correct. Lessons learned captures successes and areas for improvement.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Update the incident response plan and runbooks
Why this is correct
Correct. Updates to plans and runbooks are key outcomes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Delete all evidence to free up storage
Why it's wrong here
Evidence should be retained for legal or analysis purposes.
- ✗
Assign blame for the incident
Why it's wrong here
Blame is counterproductive; the focus is on process improvement.
- ✗
Restore affected systems to production
Why it's wrong here
Recovery occurs before the lessons learned meeting.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse operational recovery tasks (like restoring systems or deleting evidence) with the strategic, process-improvement objectives of the lessons learned meeting, which are solely focused on analyzing the response and updating documentation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The lessons learned meeting is a formal debriefing that typically follows the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, specifically the post-incident activity phase. During this meeting, the team reviews the timeline of events, evaluates the effectiveness of detection and containment measures, and identifies gaps in the incident response plan (IRP) and runbooks. Real-world scenarios, such as a ransomware attack, often reveal that runbooks lack specific steps for isolating encrypted systems or that communication protocols failed, leading to actionable updates.
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: Identify what went well and what could be improved — The primary objectives of a lessons learned meeting after a security incident are to identify what went well and what could be improved, and to update the incident response plan and runbooks based on those findings. This meeting focuses on process improvement and documentation updates to enhance future response efforts, not on operational tasks like evidence handling or system restoration.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SSCP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. After a security incident, the incident response team holds a lessons learned meeting. What is the PRIMARY outcome of this meeting?
medium- A.Permanently delete all evidence related to the incident
- B.Inform the media about the incident details
- ✓ C.Identify improvements to the incident response process
- D.Assign blame for the incident
Why C: The primary outcome of a lessons learned meeting is to identify improvements to the incident response process. This meeting focuses on analyzing what worked well and what did not, leading to actionable changes in policies, procedures, and tools to enhance future incident handling. It is a key component of the continuous improvement cycle mandated by frameworks like NIST SP 800-61.
Variation 2. What is the PRIMARY purpose of a lessons learned meeting after an incident?
easy- A.To assign blame for the incident
- B.To satisfy regulatory compliance requirements
- C.To calculate the financial cost of the incident
- ✓ D.To identify improvements in the incident response process
Why D: The primary purpose of a lessons learned meeting is to analyze the incident response process to identify what worked well and what did not, enabling the team to update procedures, playbooks, and tools to improve future responses. This aligns with the continuous improvement cycle mandated by frameworks like NIST SP 800-61, which emphasizes post-incident activity to refine detection and remediation capabilities.
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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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