CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1002) — Question 374

An office computer has been infected with malware.
Which of the following steps should be taken FIRST?

Answer options

• A. Back up the hard drive
• B. Educate the user
• C. Quarantine the infected computer
• D. Run antivirus software

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct first step is to quarantine the infected computer to prevent the malware from spreading to other systems. Backing up the hard drive can lead to further issues if the malware is also copied, educating the user is important but not immediate, and running antivirus software should be done after the computer is isolated to avoid network contamination.