- A
Create one shared administrator account and rotate its password every week.
Why wrong: This provides shared access, but it weakens accountability and does not support just-in-time elevation. It also increases the risk of credential misuse.
- B
Assign permanent administrator rights through role-based access control and rely on audit logs afterward.
Why wrong: Permanent rights do not reduce standing privilege. Logging helps with accountability, but it does not prevent unnecessary access in advance.
- C
Use privileged access management with separate admin accounts and time-bound elevation approvals.
Privileged access management is designed for this situation. Separate admin accounts preserve accountability, while time-bound elevation reduces standing privilege and limits exposure when the elevated rights are not needed. Approval workflows also support operational control and can be tied to maintenance tickets for traceability.
- D
Move the application behind a federation service so all users can sign in with a single password.
Why wrong: Federation and SSO help with authentication convenience, but they do not directly solve privileged elevation or lifecycle control of admin access. The requirement is about temporary privileged access.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to use privileged access management with separate admin accounts and time-bound elevation approvals. This solution works because Privileged Access Management (PAM) with just-in-time elevation grants administrators temporary, ticket-approved rights that automatically expire after a defined maintenance window, directly addressing the legacy app’s inability to support MFA. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how PAM enforces the principle of least privilege through time-bound access, a common alternative when MFA is not feasible. A frequent trap is confusing PAM with simple password vaulting—remember that JIT elevation is about *dynamic, ephemeral* privileges, not just storing credentials. Memory tip: think “JIT = Just In Time, not Just In Vault.”
SY0-701 Security Architecture Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. 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 legacy finance application cannot yet support multifactor authentication. The security team still wants administrators to use separate privileged accounts, receive elevated access only when a ticket is approved, and have those privileges removed automatically after the maintenance window ends. Which solution best fits?
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
Use privileged access management with separate admin accounts and time-bound elevation approvals.
Option C is correct because Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions are specifically designed to enforce just-in-time (JIT) privileged access. They allow administrators to request time-bound elevation of rights for a specific maintenance window, with automatic revocation after the window expires. This directly meets the requirements of separate privileged accounts, ticket-based approval, and automatic removal of privileges, even when the legacy application itself cannot support MFA.
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.
- ✗
Create one shared administrator account and rotate its password every week.
Why it's wrong here
This provides shared access, but it weakens accountability and does not support just-in-time elevation. It also increases the risk of credential misuse.
- ✗
Assign permanent administrator rights through role-based access control and rely on audit logs afterward.
Why it's wrong here
Permanent rights do not reduce standing privilege. Logging helps with accountability, but it does not prevent unnecessary access in advance.
- ✓
Use privileged access management with separate admin accounts and time-bound elevation approvals.
Why this is correct
Privileged access management is designed for this situation. Separate admin accounts preserve accountability, while time-bound elevation reduces standing privilege and limits exposure when the elevated rights are not needed. Approval workflows also support operational control and can be tied to maintenance tickets for traceability.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Move the application behind a federation service so all users can sign in with a single password.
Why it's wrong here
Federation and SSO help with authentication convenience, but they do not directly solve privileged elevation or lifecycle control of admin access. The requirement is about temporary privileged access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse federation (SSO) with privileged access management, thinking that a single sign-on solution can enforce time-bound elevation, when in fact federation only centralizes authentication and does not manage granular, time-limited privilege escalation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
PAM solutions like CyberArk or Microsoft PIM operate by integrating with ticketing systems (e.g., ServiceNow) via REST APIs to validate approval before granting a time-limited role elevation. Under the hood, they often use Kerberos constrained delegation or temporary group membership changes to enforce JIT access, with session recording and automatic revocation triggered by a scheduled task or event after the defined window. In a real-world scenario, a finance application running on a legacy Windows Server 2008 R2 domain can be managed by a PAM solution that creates a separate admin account in Active Directory, grants it membership in the local Administrators group only for the approved window, and removes it via a PowerShell script triggered by a timer.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Architecture — This question tests Security Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Use privileged access management with separate admin accounts and time-bound elevation approvals. — Option C is correct because Privileged Access Management (PAM) solutions are specifically designed to enforce just-in-time (JIT) privileged access. They allow administrators to request time-bound elevation of rights for a specific maintenance window, with automatic revocation after the window expires. This directly meets the requirements of separate privileged accounts, ticket-based approval, and automatic removal of privileges, even when the legacy application itself cannot support MFA.
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
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