Which phase is aimed at returning to normal operations after an incident?

• A. Restoration to Normal Operations
• B. Response
• C. Discovery
• D. Verification

Answer: (A)

The focus here is on bringing services back online and resuming normal business operations after an incident. This phase, often called restoration or recovery, centers on restoring data and systems, validating that everything works correctly, and performing tests and monitoring to ensure stability. It’s the period where you move from containment and remediation to a steady return to normal functioning, while documenting what happened and what was done for future improvements.

The other options don’t fit as the primary aim. Response covers the immediate actions taken while the incident is active to limit impact and communicate with stakeholders. Discovery is about recognizing that an incident has occurred. Verification involves confirming that changes are correct and systems meet requirements, which happens as part of the recovery process but isn’t the phase whose main goal is returning to normal operations.