Question 346 of 1,013
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
A legacy payroll application cannot support multifactor authentication yet, but the business still needs to reduce risk while the application is being modernized. The security team limits access to a hardened jump host, requires manager approval for access requests, and adds extra logging until the application can be upgraded. What type of control is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse compensating controls with preventive controls, mistakenly thinking that the jump host and approval process are directly preventing unauthorized access, when in fact they are alternative measures compensating for the missing MFA capability.
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
✓
Compensating control
Compensating controls are alternative security measures implemented when primary controls (like MFA) cannot be applied due to technical limitations. In this scenario, the jump host restriction, manager approval, and enhanced logging serve as compensating controls to reduce risk until the legacy payroll application can be modernized to support MFA.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Corrective control
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls are reactive measures that restore systems after an incident, such as patching a vulnerability after exploitation or restoring from backup after ransomware. In this scenario, MFA is unavailable from the start, and the team is proactively deploying alternative safeguards to reduce risk before any breach occurs. The controls described (jump host, approvals, logging) are not remediating an existing compromise; they are compensating for a missing control. Therefore, calling them corrective mischaracterizes their timing and purpose.
- ✓
Compensating control
Why this is correct
A compensating control is an alternative safeguard used when the preferred or required control cannot be implemented yet. Here, MFA is not supported by the legacy application, so the team reduces risk using a hardened jump host, approval workflow, and enhanced logging. Those measures do not replace MFA completely, but they provide a reasonable temporary risk reduction until the system is upgraded.
- ✗
Deterrent control
Why it's wrong here
Deterrent controls aim to dissuade potential attackers by signaling that security measures exist, such as warning banners, guard dogs, or visible surveillance. They do not actually block or substitute for authentication mechanisms; they only influence the adversary's decision to attack. The scenario's measures—a hardened jump host, approval workflow, and enhanced logging—actively constrain and monitor access rather than merely discourage it. These are operational safeguards that enforce security, not psychological deterrents, so this classification does not fit.
- ✗
Preventive control
Why it's wrong here
Preventive controls are primary defenses that stop threats from materializing, such as firewalls, access control lists, or required MFA on the application itself. The legacy payroll app cannot enforce MFA, so the team cannot implement a true preventive control at that layer; they must layer alternative controls around it. While a hardened jump host might prevent unauthorized access, it is fundamentally a compensating measure—not the preferred control—and its purpose is to mitigate the gap left by missing MFA. Calling it preventive ignores the context that it serves as a substitute, not the original safeguard.
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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 legacy reporting application cannot be modified this quarter, but users still need access from the corporate network. Security adds a hardened jump server, tighter monitoring, and manual approval for each session because MFA cannot be built into the app yet. What type of control is this?
medium- ✓ A.Compensating control
- B.Detective control
- C.Corrective control
- D.Deterrent control
Why A: A compensating control is an alternative security measure implemented when the primary control cannot be applied due to technical or operational constraints. In this scenario, the legacy application cannot be modified to support MFA, so the organization deploys a hardened jump server, enhanced monitoring, and manual session approval as compensating controls to reduce risk. These controls do not eliminate the vulnerability but provide an equivalent level of protection until the application can be updated.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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