At GlobalTech, the SOC team detects a suspicious ransomware outbreak affecting multiple endpoints. After successfully isolating the infected systems from the network, the Digital Forensics team…

The correct answer is B. Evidence gathering and forensic analysis. The described activities-acquiring RAM dumps, extracting event logs, and collecting PCAPs-are evidence gathering and forensic analysis. This phase focuses on preserving and analyzing artifacts to understand what happened, how it happened, and what the scope is. RAM capture can…

Security Incident Response

Question

At GlobalTech, the SOC team detects a suspicious ransomware outbreak affecting multiple endpoints. After successfully isolating the infected systems from the network, the Digital Forensics team begins their investigation. They deploy a forensics workstation to acquire RAM dumps, extract Windows Event Logs, and collect network PCAP files from the compromised hosts. Which phase of the Incident Response lifecycle is currently underway?

Options

ARecovery
BEvidence gathering and forensic analysis
CContainment
DEradication

How the community answered

(26 responses)

B
96% (25)
C
4% (1)

Explanation

The described activities-acquiring RAM dumps, extracting event logs, and collecting PCAPs-are evidence gathering and forensic analysis. This phase focuses on preserving and analyzing artifacts to understand what happened, how it happened, and what the scope is. RAM capture can reveal in- memory indicators such as encryption keys, injected code, running processes, network connections, and credential material that may not be present on disk. Windows Event Logs provide timelines for process creation, logons, privilege changes, and service activity. PCAP data supports validation of lateral movement, C2 communication, and exfiltration paths. Containment has already occurred in the scenario (infected endpoints were isolated), and eradication would involve removing ransomware, closing persistence, patching exploited paths, and ensuring the threat cannot return. Recovery is restoring systems and data to normal operations. In SOC practice, evidence collection should occur as early as safely possible (often immediately after containment) to avoid losing volatile artifacts, which is why the forensic team is acting now. Therefore, the current phase is evidence gathering and forensic analysis.

Topics

#incident response lifecycle#evidence gathering#forensic analysis#ransomware

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