The correct sequence of incident response phases is isolate, reimage, restore from backup. This order is critical because containment through isolation must happen first to stop the incident from spreading across the network, followed by eradication via reimaging to remove all malicious code from the affected system, and finally recovery by restoring from a clean backup to return operations to a known good state. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this sequence tests your understanding of the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, specifically the containment, eradication, and recovery stages. A common trap is confusing eradication with recovery or skipping isolation, but remember that you cannot safely clean a system that is still connected to the network. A helpful memory tip is the acronym IRR: Isolate first, then Reimage, then Restore.
SSCP Incident Response and Recovery Practice Question
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of incident response and recovery. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Isolate, reimage, restore from backup
The correct sequence is Isolate, reimage, restore from backup because containment (isolation) must occur first to prevent the incident from spreading, followed by eradication (reimaging) to remove the threat, and finally recovery (restoring from backup) to return the system to a known good state. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, where containment, eradication, and recovery are performed in that order.
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.
✓
Isolate, reimage, restore from backup
Why this is correct
Containment before eradication before recovery is standard process.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Reimage, isolate, restore
Why it's wrong here
Reimaging without containment may spread malware.
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Restore, isolate, reimage
Why it's wrong here
Restoring before containment could reintroduce the threat.
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Isolate, restore, reimage
Why it's wrong here
Restoring before eradication may leave malware present.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates mistakenly think restoration can occur before eradication, but in practice, restoring from backup without reimaging leaves the system vulnerable if the backup itself is compromised or if the root cause (e.g., a persistent rootkit) remains in the system firmware or boot sector.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, isolation typically involves disconnecting the network interface (e.g., using `ifconfig down` or disabling the NIC) or applying ACLs to block traffic, while reimaging uses a verified golden image (e.g., via MDT or Clonezilla) to overwrite the compromised OS and files. Restoring from backup must be from a clean backup taken before the incident, verified with checksums (e.g., SHA-256) to ensure integrity; otherwise, the backup may contain dormant malware that re-infects the system.
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.
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: Isolate, reimage, restore from backup — The correct sequence is Isolate, reimage, restore from backup because containment (isolation) must occur first to prevent the incident from spreading, followed by eradication (reimaging) to remove the threat, and finally recovery (restoring from backup) to return the system to a known good state. This aligns with the NIST SP 800-61 incident response lifecycle, where containment, eradication, and recovery are performed in that order.
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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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.
Question Discussion
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