A cybersecurity analyst has identified an ongoing attack on a virtualized server environment. While the analyst has implemented network segmentation, they must now decide the most effective isolation step to preserve evidence and maintain operations. The environment includes a mix of live client services and development systems. Which of the following actions should the analyst take FIRST?
Update firewall rules to restrict traffic to and from the virtual machines' current IP addresses
Reconfigure the virtual network interfaces to an isolated VLAN
Immediately perform forensic imaging of the affected virtual machines
Suspend the affected virtual machines, preserving their operation states
Suspending the affected virtual machines will allow the analyst to stop the current state of the systems, effectively isolating them while keeping all data in their current state. Since this action does not turn off the VMs, the analyst preserves potentially volatile data that could be lost during a shutdown, which is crucial for a thorough forensic investigation. Adjusting firewall rules or VLAN settings would not isolate the VM effectively if there are routes around these controls. Forensic imaging is important but it is not a method of isolation and would not stop the spread of the incident.
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