SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
A company requires MFA, endpoint protection, and network filtering so that if one control misses a threat, another control still helps stop it. Which security principle is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'defense in depth' with 'single sign-on' because both involve multiple systems, but SSO is about convenience and identity federation, not layered security controls.
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
✓
Defense in depth
Defense in depth is a layered security strategy where multiple, independent controls (e.g., MFA, endpoint protection, network filtering) are deployed so that if one layer fails, another still provides protection. This ensures no single point of failure can compromise the entire system, directly matching the scenario where overlapping controls compensate for each other's gaps.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Single sign-on
Why it's wrong here
Single sign-on (SSO) allows users to authenticate once with a central identity provider to gain access to multiple applications without repeated credential entry. While SSO improves user experience and can reduce password fatigue, it does not itself enforce device security or network-level traffic inspection, and it introduces a single high-value authentication target. The scenario's requirements for MFA, endpoint protection, and network filtering represent distinct, independent control layers, whereas SSO primarily streamlines the authentication process rather than adding overlapping protective layers.
- ✓
Defense in depth
Why this is correct
Defense in depth is a security architecture that layers multiple independent controls so that if one fails or is bypassed, another still provides protection. Here, MFA, endpoint protection, and network filtering operate at different layers—identity, device, and network—creating overlapping barriers against attackers. This approach embodies the principle that no single control is infallible, and combined layers raise the overall cost and complexity of an attack, matching the company's stated requirements.
- ✗
Nonrepudiation
Why it's wrong here
Nonrepudiation ensures that a party cannot deny having performed a particular action, typically achieved through digital signatures, timestamps, and immutable audit logs. It addresses accountability and evidence integrity rather than prevention of threats, and it does not describe a set of layered protective controls. The company's requirements focus on preemptive security mechanisms (authentication, device health, traffic filtering), not on post-hoc proof of events.
- ✗
Data masking
Why it's wrong here
Data masking involves replacing sensitive values with fictional but realistic data, often for test environments or to reduce the risk of exposing PII during processing. It is a data-centric protection technique that operates on data at rest or in use, and does not control access at the network or device layer. Consequently, it does not provide the multiple, overlapping layers of authentication, endpoint security, and network filtering described in the scenario, nor does it inherently prevent unauthorized remote access.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Security Controls
Key term
Threat
A threat is any potential danger that could harm a computer system, network, or data, whether from a malicious hacker, a natural disaster, or an accidental mistake.
Key term
Defense in depth
Defense in depth is a cybersecurity strategy that uses multiple layers of security controls to protect information and systems, so if one layer fails, another layer is already in place to stop the attack.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on SY0-701
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company uses MFA, endpoint protection, firewalls, and network segmentation together to protect a customer portal. Which security principle does this best illustrate?
easy- A.Need-to-know, because users only see the data assigned to them.
- B.Separation of duties, because no single person performs every security task.
- ✓ C.Defense in depth, because multiple layers protect the same asset.
- D.Zero trust, because the portal is hosted in the cloud.
Why C: Defense in depth is the correct principle because the company is deploying multiple, overlapping security controls—MFA, endpoint protection, firewalls, and network segmentation—to protect the same customer portal. This layered approach ensures that if one control fails (e.g., a firewall rule is misconfigured), other controls (e.g., endpoint detection or segmentation) still provide protection, reducing the overall risk of a single point of compromise.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.