CV0-004 Security Practice Question
A security auditor is reviewing the IAM configuration for a cloud account. The auditor finds that a user has permissions to create and delete resources in all services. Which principle of security is being violated?
⚠ Common exam trap
CV0-004 often tests security principles, and candidates might confuse least privilege with separation of duties or need to know, especially when the scenario involves broad permissions.
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
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Least privilege
The principle of least privilege is violated because the user has permissions to create and delete resources in all services, which is far more than necessary for their role. Least privilege requires granting only the minimum permissions needed to perform a task.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Need to know
Why it's wrong here
Need to know restricts access to data required for a specific task; the finding concerns the breadth of resource permissions, not data access. It is tempting because both limit access, but need to know governs information, whereas granting create and delete across all services breaches least privilege, the principle limiting rights to those required.
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Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defence in depth layers multiple independent controls so one failure does not compromise the system; it says nothing about how much authority a single identity holds. It is tempting because excessive permissions weaken security, but the stem describes one user with unrestricted rights, which violates least privilege rather than a layering principle.
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Least privilege
Why this is correct
Granting a user create and delete permissions across all services exceeds what their role requires, breaching least privilege, which limits rights to the minimum needed. The other principles address separation of duties, defence in depth and need to know, not excessive permission scope.
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Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties splits a sensitive task across multiple identities so no single user completes it alone; here one user holds both create and delete rights, which is excessive privilege, not a split-duty breach. It is tempting because broad rights enable fraud, but the stem describes one account with unrestricted access, which violates least privilege.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.