212-89 Certification Exam Guide + Practice Questions

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Comprehensive 212-89 certification exam guide covering exam overview, skills measured, preparation tips, and practice questions with detailed explanations.

212-89 Exam Guide

This 212-89 exam focuses on practical knowledge and real-world application scenarios related to the subject area. It evaluates your ability to understand core concepts, apply best practices, and make informed decisions in realistic situations rather than relying solely on memorization.

This page provides a structured exam guide, including exam focus areas, skills measured, preparation recommendations, and practice questions with explanations to support effective learning.

 

Exam Overview

The 212-89 exam typically emphasizes how concepts are used in professional environments, testing both theoretical understanding and practical problem-solving skills.

 

Skills Measured

  • Understanding of core concepts and terminology
  • Ability to apply knowledge to practical scenarios
  • Analysis and evaluation of solution options
  • Identification of best practices and common use cases

 

Preparation Tips

Successful candidates combine conceptual understanding with hands-on practice. Reviewing measured skills and working through scenario-based questions is strongly recommended.

 

Practice Questions for 212-89 Exam

The following practice questions are designed to reinforce key 212-89 exam concepts and reflect common scenario-based decision points tested in the certification.

Question#1

Which of the following is the ECIH phase that involves removing or eliminating the root cause of an incident and closing all attack vectors to prevent similar incidents in the future?

A. Recovery
B. Containment
C. Eradication
D. Vulnerability management phase

Explanation:
Eradication is the phase in the incident response process where the root cause of an incident is removed or eliminated, and all attack vectors are closed to prevent similar incidents in the future. This step follows the containment phase, where the immediate threat is isolated to prevent further damage, and precedes the recovery phase, where normal operations are restored. Eradication involves thoroughly removing malware, unauthorized access mechanisms, or any other elements used in the attack, and securing any vulnerabilities that were exploited. The goal is to ensure that the threat cannot re-emerge and that the systems are secure before they are returned to operational status.
Reference: The EC-Council's Incident Handler (ECIH v3) certification guide outlines the incident response process, including the specific tasks involved in the eradication phase, to ensure that incident handlers are prepared to effectively remove threats from an organization's environment.

Question#2

In an online retail company, a severe security incident occurred where attackers exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the website's backend. This exploit allowed the theft of thousands of customers' credit card details.
While the tech team races to patch the vulnerability, what should be the primary focus of the IH&R team?

A. Coordinating with financial institutions to monitor suspicious transactions.
B. Commencing legal actions against the attackers.
C. Immediately emailing all customers advising them to cancel cards.
D. Analyzing server logs using Incident Response Automation and Orchestration tools to understand the breach's origin.

Explanation:
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (ECIH-aligned):
In the ECIH Incident Handling lifecycle, once a breach is detected, the IH&R team must focus on analysis and scoping to understand how the attack occurred, what systems were affected, and whether the attacker still has access.
Option D is correct because analyzing logs with Incident Response Automation and Orchestration (IRAO) tools allows rapid correlation of events, identification of attacker entry points, and determination of breach scope. ECIH stresses that zero-day incidents require deep forensic and timeline analysis to ensure complete containment and prevent recurrence.
Options A and C are important but depend on accurate breach understanding.
Option B is premature without full incident context.
Therefore, log analysis and origin tracing is the correct primary focus.

Question#3

FinTechHub, a financial tech startup, experienced a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attack on their main application. Post the incident the team is keen on implementing proactive measures to handle such vulnerabilities.
What should be their primary focus to prevent future XSS attacks?

A. Deploy a network-based intrusion detection system (IDS).
B. Sanitize and validate all user inputs across the application.
C. Regularly patch and update the server operating system.
D. Implement rate limiting on the application.

Explanation:
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (ECIH-aligned):
Cross-Site Scripting attacks occur when untrusted input is processed and rendered by an application without proper validation or encoding. ECIH web application security guidance identifies input validation and output encoding as the most effective primary defense against XSS.
Option B is correct because sanitizing and validating all user input ensures that malicious scripts are neutralized before being stored or rendered. This addresses the root cause of XSS vulnerabilities.
Option A is a detection control, not a prevention mechanism.
Option C improves system security but does not prevent application-level XSS flaws.
Option D addresses abuse and DoS scenarios, not script injection.
Therefore, focusing on input validation is the most effective proactive control against XSS, as emphasized in the ECIH curriculum.

Question#4

You are talking to a colleague who Is deciding what information they should include in their organization’s logs to help with security auditing.
Which of the following items should you tell them to NOT log?

A. Timestamp
B. Session ID
C. Source IP eddross
D. userid

Explanation:
Logging User IDs (D) can pose privacy concerns and may conflict with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which emphasizes the protection of personal data and privacy. Therefore, while logging details such as Timestamps, Session IDs, and Source IP addresses are essential for security auditing to track when events occur, who is initiating sessions, and from where, care must be taken with User IDs. The handling of personally identifiable information (PII) must comply with privacy laws and organizational policies to safeguard individual privacy rights.
Reference: Security best practices and compliance frameworks discussed in the ECIH v3 certification guide incident handlers on what information should and should not be logged, emphasizing the need to balance security auditing requirements with privacy and regulatory obligations.

Question#5

After unearthing malware within their AI-based prediction systems, Future Tech Corp realized that their business projections were skewed. This malware was not just altering data but was equipped with machine learning capabilities, evolving its methods.
With access to a dedicated AI security module and a database restoration tool, what's the primary step?

A. Restore the database to a point before malware infiltration.
B. Deploy the AI-security module to counteract and remove the evolved malware.
C. Disable the AI prediction system and rely on manual predictions temporarily.
D. Inform business partners about potentially skewed projections.

Explanation:
Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (ECIH-aligned):
This incident involves adaptive malware embedded within an AI system, actively evolving its behavior. The ECIH malware incident handling methodology prioritizes containment and eradication of the threat before recovery actions. Restoring data without removing the malware risks immediate reinfection and continued manipulation.
Option B is correct because deploying the AI-security module directly targets the malware’s adaptive mechanisms, allowing responders to detect, contain, and eradicate the malicious logic within the AI environment. ECIH emphasizes using appropriate, context-aware security controls that match the technology stack involved in the incident. For AI-driven environments, specialized tools are necessary to counter threats that traditional controls may not detect.
Option A is premature and unsafe prior to eradication.
Option C disrupts business operations without resolving the threat.
Option D is a communication step that should follow containment and validation.
Therefore, neutralizing the evolved malware using the AI-security module is the correct primary step.

Disclaimer

This page is for educational and exam preparation reference only. It is not affiliated with EC-Council, ECIH, or the official exam provider. Candidates should refer to official documentation and training for authoritative information.

Exam Code: 212-89Q & A: 272 Q&AsUpdated:  2026-02-24

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