hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: The incident response lead for a medium-sized…
You are the incident response lead for a medium-sized financial services company. The company uses a hybrid infrastructure with on-premises servers (Active Directory, file shares, and a SQL database) and cloud services (Office 365, Azure VMs). At 2:00 PM on a Tuesday, the helpdesk receives multiple calls that users cannot access the file shares. Simultaneously, the SOC alerts on unusual outbound traffic from the domain controller (DC) to an external IP on port 443. The DC is also running a scheduled antivirus scan. The file server (FS) shows no signs of compromise but is responding slowly. The backup system reports that last night's backup of the DC failed due to a 'volume shadow copy error'. The backup of the FS succeeded. You need to take immediate action. What should you do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates see a failed backup and slow file server and jump to recovery actions (restore or scan), failing to recognize that the DC's outbound traffic and VSS error are the highest-priority indicators of an active breach requiring immediate containment.
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
✓
Isolate the domain controller from the network.
The domain controller (DC) is showing signs of active compromise: unusual outbound traffic on port 443 (likely C2 communication) and a failed backup due to a volume shadow copy error (indicating attempted destruction of forensic evidence). Isolating the DC first stops the attacker's command-and-control channel and prevents lateral movement, which is the highest priority in incident response. Running a scan or restoring other systems before containment risks allowing the attacker to spread or destroy more data.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run a full malware scan on the domain controller.
Why it's wrong here
Scanning may alert the attacker and does not stop data exfiltration.
- ✗
Restore the file server from last night's backup.
Why it's wrong here
The file server is not confirmed compromised; focus on the DC.
- ✓
Isolate the domain controller from the network.
Why this is correct
Immediate containment stops the attack and preserves evidence.
- ✗
Disable the domain controller's antivirus to improve performance.
Why it's wrong here
This could allow further malware activity.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.