- A
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
Why wrong: DAC allows the owner of a resource to set permissions. This would permit administrators to override clearance restrictions, which violates the policy's requirement.
- B
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Why wrong: RBAC assigns permissions based on job roles, not on clearance levels. It does not inherently enforce a mandatory policy based on classification labels, and administrators could modify role assignments.
- C
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
MAC is the correct model. It uses system-enforced security labels (clearance for users, classification for documents) and prevents any user, including administrators, from overriding the access rules.
- D
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
Why wrong: ABAC evaluates attributes to make access decisions, but the policies are typically configurable by administrators. It does not provide the mandatory, non-overridable enforcement required by the clearance-based policy.
Quick Answer
Mandatory Access Control (MAC) is the correct choice because it enforces access decisions based on security labels and clearance levels, ensuring that a user’s verified clearance must dominate a document’s classification label—such as Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret—without any possibility of override. This model relies on a central authority to define and manage these rules, meaning even system administrators cannot alter the access policies or grant themselves higher privileges, which directly matches the requirement for a strictly enforced, non-discretionary system. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of MAC versus Discretionary Access Control (DAC) or Role-Based Access Control (RBAC); a common trap is assuming RBAC fits because it uses roles, but RBAC lacks the mandatory label-based enforcement and clearance hierarchy that MAC provides. Remember the mnemonic “MAC Locks Labels” to recall that MAC uses classification labels and clearance levels as unchangeable locks on data access.
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of general security concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A defense contractor is deploying a new document management system that will store classified military intelligence. The security policy requires that user access to each document is strictly determined by the document's classification label (e.g., Confidential, Secret, Top Secret) and the user's verified security clearance level. Furthermore, system administrators must not be able to change these access rules or grant themselves access to documents above their clearance. Which access control model is best suited for this requirement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
Mandatory Access Control (MAC) is the correct choice because it enforces access decisions based on security labels (e.g., classification levels) and user clearances, which are centrally managed and cannot be overridden by users or administrators. In this scenario, the system must strictly enforce that a user's clearance level matches or exceeds the document's classification label, and administrators cannot modify these rules or elevate their own access—a core property of MAC systems like SELinux or those implementing Bell-LaPadula.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
Why it's wrong here
DAC allows the owner of a resource to set permissions. This would permit administrators to override clearance restrictions, which violates the policy's requirement.
- ✗
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Why it's wrong here
RBAC assigns permissions based on job roles, not on clearance levels. It does not inherently enforce a mandatory policy based on classification labels, and administrators could modify role assignments.
- ✓
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
Why this is correct
MAC is the correct model. It uses system-enforced security labels (clearance for users, classification for documents) and prevents any user, including administrators, from overriding the access rules.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
Why it's wrong here
ABAC evaluates attributes to make access decisions, but the policies are typically configurable by administrators. It does not provide the mandatory, non-overridable enforcement required by the clearance-based policy.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse RBAC with MAC because both use roles or labels, but RBAC lacks the mandatory, non-overridable enforcement of classification labels and administrator restrictions that MAC provides.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
MAC systems, such as those implementing the Bell-LaPadula model, use a lattice of security levels (e.g., Confidential < Secret < Top Secret) and enforce two key properties: no read-up (a user cannot read a document with a higher classification) and no write-down (a user cannot write to a lower classification to leak data). In practice, SELinux on Linux uses MAC with Type Enforcement, where policies are defined in a centralized policy file (e.g., policy.29) that even root cannot modify at runtime, ensuring administrators cannot bypass classification rules.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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General Security Concepts — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
General Security Concepts — This question tests General Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Mandatory Access Control (MAC) — Mandatory Access Control (MAC) is the correct choice because it enforces access decisions based on security labels (e.g., classification levels) and user clearances, which are centrally managed and cannot be overridden by users or administrators. In this scenario, the system must strictly enforce that a user's clearance level matches or exceeds the document's classification label, and administrators cannot modify these rules or elevate their own access—a core property of MAC systems like SELinux or those implementing Bell-LaPadula.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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