When an emergency security patch is received via electronic mail, the patch should FIRST be:

A. loaded onto an isolated test machine.

B. decompiled to check for malicious code.

C. validated to ensure its authenticity.

D. copied onto write-once media to prevent tampering.

Explanation: It is important to first validate that the patch is authentic. Only then should it be copied onto write-once media, decompiled to check for malicious code or loaded onto an isolated test machine.