SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
A data center has repeated tailgating incidents at the entry to the server room. Management wants a control that forces one person to pass after badge authentication and prevents two people from entering together. What should be installed?
⚠ Common exam trap
The SY0-701 exam often tests the distinction between passive monitoring (CCTV) and active prevention (mantrap), leading candidates to mistakenly choose CCTV because they think recording alone will deter tailgating.
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
✓
A mantrap between the outer door and the server room entrance
A mantrap is a physical security control with two interlocking doors that enforces one-person entry. After badge authentication at the outer door, the inner door will not unlock until the outer door closes and locks, preventing two people from entering together. This directly addresses tailgating by creating a small vestibule that can only hold one authenticated person at a time.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A mantrap between the outer door and the server room entrance
Why this is correct
A mantrap is a small interlocking vestibule with two doors; the outer door must close and lock before the inner door opens, allowing only one authenticated person to be inside at a time. It may also use weight sensors or volumetric detection to deny entry if more than one person is present. This physically enforces single-person entry, making tailgating impossible without forced entry.
- ✗
A CCTV camera focused on the doorway
Why it's wrong here
CCTV provides passive monitoring, capturing footage of the doorway for forensic review or deterrence, but it lacks any mechanical or electronic mechanism to stop a second person from slipping through while the door is open. It cannot trigger a real-time lock or alert on its own, and human monitoring is often not immediate. As a detective control, it documents tailgating but does not prevent it.
- ✗
A motion sensor inside the server room
Why it's wrong here
A motion sensor inside the server room detects movement after entry, functioning as an intrusion detection control that can raise an alarm if someone bypasses the door, but it has no bearing on the entry process itself. It is positioned inside the facility, so it cannot intercept or block an individual at the access point. Tailgating occurs at the door, so a sensor on the interior is too late to stop the action.
- ✗
A standard badge reader with no additional controls
Why it's wrong here
A standard badge reader authenticates a single credential and briefly unlocks the door, but the unlocked period typically allows multiple people to pass, and it cannot distinguish between the credentialed holder and an unknown follower. This is the classic piggybacking weakness: once the first person badges in, anyone who steps in behind them rides through without presenting a valid credential. There is no spacing mechanism, turnstile, or occupancy check to enforce one-person-per-authentication.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Identity and Access Management
Key term
Security control
A security control is a safeguard or countermeasure designed to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information systems and data.
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SY0-701 question from scratch — 1,013 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or 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 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.