CAS-004 Security Engineering Practice Question
A company is deploying a just-in-time (JIT) privileged access management solution. Which of the following BEST describes a key security benefit of JIT access?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It reduces the risk of lateral movement by limiting the duration of elevated privileges
JIT access grants temporary privileges only when needed, reducing the attack surface and the risk of standing privileges being misused.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It eliminates the need for multi-factor authentication
Why it's wrong here
JIT access governs when privileges activate; it does not remove the authentication factor requirement, and Microsoft Entra ID still enforces MFA at elevation. It is tempting because JIT approval workflows feel like added verification, but MFA satisfies authentication while JIT limits standing privilege duration.
- ✗
It replaces the need for a break-glass account
Why it's wrong here
Break-glass accounts exist for emergency access when normal elevation paths fail; JIT approval workflows can themselves be unavailable, so a standing emergency account remains necessary. It tempts because JIT reduces standing privilege, but it cannot guarantee access during identity or approval outages.
- ✓
It reduces the risk of lateral movement by limiting the duration of elevated privileges
Why this is correct
Just-in-time access issues credentials only for a bounded period, so stolen or misused sessions expire quickly. This shrinks the window attackers have to pivot between systems, directly delivering the reduced lateral-movement risk the stem asks for.
- ✗
It provides continuous monitoring of all user actions
Why it's wrong here
Continuous monitoring is delivered by audit logging and session recording, not by JIT itself, which only grants time-bound elevation on request. It tempts because JIT approval trails look like oversight, yet the mechanism is privilege activation, not action telemetry.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This CAS-005 question is part of Courseiva's 973-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CAS-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAS-005 exam.