A cybersecurity team quarantines a virtual machine (VM) that has triggered alerts. However, this action does not stop the threat. Similar alerts are occurring for other VMs in the same broadcast domain. Which of the following steps in the incident response process should the team take next?
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
The scenario indicates the threat is still active and is appearing across multiple VMs in the same broadcast domain (suggesting lateral movement or propagation within that Layer 2 segment). Since quarantine of a single VM did not stop the threat, the appropriate next step is to broaden containment by isolating the affected subnet / network segment to prevent further spread.
The Sybex CySA+ Study Guide emphasizes that after identifying an incident in progress, responders should move into containment and that containment activities include segmentation and isolation:
Exact extract (Sybex Study Guide):
''After identifying a potential incident in progress, responders should take immediate action to contain the damage... Potential containment activities include network segmentation, isolation, and removal of affected systems.''
It also explains how segmentation (quarantine VLAN) is used to contain compromised systems and protect other systems:
Exact extract (Sybex Study Guide):
''During the early stages of an incident... [responders] built a separate virtual LAN (VLAN) to contain those systems... Putting the systems on this network segment provides some degree of isolation...''
Because the activity is occurring across the broadcast domain, isolating just one VM isn't enough; the team should continue containment by isolating the subnet/segment where the issue is spreading (Option D). Moving to eradication (Option C) before containment is effective risks continued spread and loss of control.
A vulnerability manager analyzes suspicious data after scanning a database. Which of the following should the manager do to prioritize the remediation tasks?
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From Exact Extract:
The key phrase is ''analyzes suspicious data after scanning''. Before you can prioritize remediation, you must first ensure the scan results are valid---i.e., determine whether the findings are true positives vs. false positives. That validation step is a core part of vulnerability management because it prevents wasting time remediating issues that do not actually exist and ensures your prioritization decisions are based on accurate findings.
The All-in-One CySA+ CS0-003 guide explicitly states that after receiving vulnerability scan data, the analyst's review process must focus on validating reported vulnerabilities (true/false positives). It also directly ties this to remediation/prioritization.
Exact extract (All-in-One Exam Guide):
''It is up to the analyst to review and make sense of vulnerability data and findings... The two most important outcomes of the review process are to determine the validity of reported vulnerabilities...''
It further emphasizes the importance of differentiating true positives from false positives for remediation and prioritization:
Exact extract (All-in-One Exam Guide):
''Distinguishing true positives from false positives... can be a tricky part of vulnerability remediation and prioritization.''
So, Option B (determine true/false positives) is the best action specifically to prioritize remediation tasks based on scan results.
Why the other options are not best:
A: Sending to IR may be appropriate if there is evidence of an active incident, but the question is framed as post-scan vulnerability management (not confirmed incident handling). Validation comes first.
C: Tickets and timeframes are important (often driven by SLAs/SLOs), but setting those correctly depends on confirming the findings are real and understanding severity/impact first.
D: Compensating controls and risk register entries are appropriate when remediation is not immediately feasible, but again you must confirm validity and then prioritize based on risk/impact.
Reference (CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 documents / study guides used):
Mya Heath et al., CompTIA CySA+ All-in-One Exam Guide (CS0-003): validating vulnerability scan results; true/false positives; link to remediation prioritization
During a training exercise, a security analyst must determine the vulnerabilities to prioritize. The analyst reviews the following vulnerability scan output:

Which of the following issues should the analyst address first?
Allowing anonymous read access to /etc/passwd is a critical vulnerability because it can expose user account details, aiding attackers in password cracking and privilege escalation.
Option B (Anonymous FTP access) is a risk, but /etc/passwd exposure is more critical as it directly affects user authentication.
Option C (Defender updates disabled) is important, but it does not present an immediate attack vector like credential exposure.
Option D (less escape exploit) is significant, but it requires user interaction, making it less immediate than a global credential leak.
Thus, A is the correct answer, as it represents an immediate, high-impact security risk.
The Chief Information Security Officer for an organization recently received approval to install a new EDR solution. Following the installation, the number of alerts that require remediation by an analyst has tripled. Which option best should the organization utilize to best centralize the workload for the internal security team? (Select two).
SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response) and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) are solutions that can help centralize the workload for the internal security team by collecting, correlating, and analyzing alerts from different sources, such as EDR. SOAR can also automate and streamline incident response workflows, while SIEM can provide dashboards and reports for security monitoring and compliance. Reference: What is EDR? Endpoint Detection & Response, How Does the Cyber Kill Chain Protect Against Attacks?; What is EDR Solution?, EDR solutions secure diverse endpoints through central monitoring
Which of the following is the best use of automation in cybersecurity?
Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Automation in cybersecurity is best utilized to improve the speed and accuracy of incident detection, analysis, and response. Tools like SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) streamline workflows, allowing analysts to focus on more complex tasks while reducing response times. This ensures quicker containment and mitigation of threats.
CompTIA CySA+ Study Guide (Chapter 1: Cybersecurity Automation, Page 28)
CompTIA CySA+ Practice Tests (Domain 1.3 Tools for Malicious Activity, Page 13)
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