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.
Which TWO actions are part of the containment phase of incident response?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Applying temporary patches
During the containment phase of incident response, the immediate priority is to stop the incident from spreading or causing further damage. Applying temporary patches (C) can quickly close a vulnerability that is being exploited, while isolating affected systems (D) prevents lateral movement and further compromise. Both actions are short-term measures to contain the threat before eradication and recovery begin.
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.
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Restoring from backups
Why it's wrong here
Restoration is part of the recovery phase.
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Analyzing root cause
Why it's wrong here
Root cause analysis is part of the analysis phase.
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Applying temporary patches
Why this is correct
Temporary patches can contain the vulnerability while permanent fixes are developed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Isolating affected systems
Why this is correct
Isolation prevents the incident from spreading.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Preserving evidence
Why it's wrong here
Evidence preservation occurs before containment to ensure data integrity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the distinction between containment actions (immediate stop-gap measures) and recovery or analysis actions, so candidates mistakenly select 'restoring from backups' or 'analyzing root cause' as containment steps.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In practice, isolating affected systems often involves using VLAN access control lists (VACLs) or 802.1X port authentication to quarantine a host at the network edge, while temporary patches might be deployed via a change management process using tools like WSUS or SCCM to apply a hotfix. A real-world scenario is the 2017 NotPetya outbreak, where rapid isolation of infected Windows systems via SMB port blocking (TCP 445) was critical to containment, and temporary patches like the Microsoft MS17-010 security update were applied to prevent further exploitation.
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 security team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
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: Applying temporary patches — During the containment phase of incident response, the immediate priority is to stop the incident from spreading or causing further damage. Applying temporary patches (C) can quickly close a vulnerability that is being exploited, while isolating affected systems (D) prevents lateral movement and further compromise. Both actions are short-term measures to contain the threat before eradication and recovery begin.
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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