Which sequence correctly lists the four steps of the interconnect process in order?

• A. Plan, Establish, Maintain, Disconnect
• B. Plan, Maintain, Establish, Disconnect
• C. Establish, Plan, Disconnect, Maintain
• D. Disconnect, Plan, Establish, Maintain

Answer: (A)

This question tests the order of the interconnect lifecycle. You start with planning to define requirements, security controls, risks, and authorization for the connection. Then you establish the interconnection, setting up the physical and logical links, configurations, and access controls per that plan. Once it’s up, you maintain it through ongoing monitoring, updates, audits, and incident readiness. Finally, you disconnect when the interconnection is no longer needed or must be retired, handling secure decommissioning and revoking access.

So the sequence Plan, Establish, Maintain, Disconnect is right because each step relies on the previous one: you can’t securely establish without planning, you can’t maintain something that hasn’t been established, and you can’t disconnect something that hasn’t been created (and you’d want to ensure proper decommissioning and data handling).