Question

Difficulty: EasyMalware Detection, Removal, and Prevention

A technician is tasked with removing a malware infection from a workstation. According to the standard CompTIA 7-step malware remediation process, in what sequence should the technician perform the following steps?

  1. 1Quarantine the infected system
  2. 2Disable System Restore in Windows
  3. 3Remediate the infected system by updating anti-malware software and scanning
  4. 4Enable System Restore and create a new restore point
  5. 5Educate the end user

Answer

The correct sequence following the CompTIA 7-step malware removal process is: Quarantine the infected system -> Disable System Restore in Windows -> Remediate the infected system by updating anti-malware software and scanning -> Enable System Restore and create a new restore point -> Educate the end user.
The standard CompTIA 7-step malware removal process follows a specific order: 1. Identify malware symptoms, 2. Quarantine infected system, 3. Disable System Restore, 4. Remediate infected systems (update anti-malware / scan and remove), 5. Schedule updates and run scans, 6. Enable System Restore and create a restore point, 7. Educate the end user. Arranging the actions starting with quarantine and ending with user education strictly aligns with this methodology.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Isolate the compromised computer from the network.
System is quarantined, preventing malware spread.
Quarantine is step 2 of the remediation framework.
2
Disable System Restore.
Prevents Windows from saving infected files in restore points.
Disabling System Restore is step 3 of the remediation framework.
3
Update signatures and perform malware removal.
Infected files are identified, cleaned, or deleted.
Remediation is step 4 of the remediation framework.
4
Re-enable System Restore and create a clean restore point.
Restores system protection capabilities with clean state.
Enabling System Restore is step 6 of the remediation framework.
5
Provide security awareness guidance to the user.
Reduces future infection risks.
User education is step 7 (the final step) of the remediation framework.

Key Concept

CompTIA 7-step Best Practice Methodology for Malware Remediation
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