easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: A security policy requires that user home…
A security policy requires that user home directories have permissions set so that only the owner has access. A new user 'john' has a home directory with permissions 755. Which command should the administrator run to enforce the policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the difference between 700 and 750, where candidates mistakenly think group read access is acceptable, but the policy explicitly requires 'only the owner has access', meaning no group or other permissions at all.
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
✓
chmod 700 /home/john
The security policy requires that only the owner has access to the home directory. The current permissions 755 grant read and execute access to the group and others. The chmod 700 command sets permissions to rwx------, which gives the owner full access and removes all permissions for the group and others, enforcing the policy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
chmod 711 /home/john
Why it's wrong here
Gives others x, violates policy.
- ✓
chmod 700 /home/john
Why this is correct
Sets owner rwx, group/others ---, correct.
- ✗
chmod 770 /home/john
Why it's wrong here
Gives group rwx, too permissive.
- ✗
chmod 750 /home/john
Why it's wrong here
Gives group rx, still allows group access.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
Key term
chmod
chmod is a command in Linux and Unix-like operating systems used to change the permissions (read, write, execute) of a file or directory.
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.