- A
Use the root account for the scheduled job so it always succeeds.
Why wrong: Root would work, but it grants far more access than necessary and violates least privilege for routine maintenance.
- B
Create a dedicated account with sudo rights limited to the required service commands.
A restricted service account with narrowly scoped sudo permissions supports automation while limiting exposure if the job is abused.
- C
Ask an administrator to log in manually each week and run the script.
Why wrong: Manual execution is not repeatable, increases human error, and fails the requirement for no interactive login.
- D
Store the administrator password in the script so the task can authenticate automatically.
Why wrong: Embedding credentials in code is insecure, hard to audit, and creates a sensitive secret-management problem.
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 system administrator must run a weekly maintenance script that stops and restarts two services on 50 Linux servers. Security says the job must not use an interactive login and should have only the permissions needed for that task. What is the best approach?
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
Create a dedicated account with sudo rights limited to the required service commands.
Option B is correct because it follows the principle of least privilege by creating a dedicated service account with sudo rights restricted to only the specific service management commands (e.g., systemctl restart serviceA.service && systemctl restart serviceB.service). This avoids using the root account (which has unrestricted access) and eliminates the need for interactive logins or embedded credentials, while still allowing the scheduled job (e.g., via cron) to run non-interactively.
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.
- ✗
Use the root account for the scheduled job so it always succeeds.
Why it's wrong here
Root would work, but it grants far more access than necessary and violates least privilege for routine maintenance.
- ✓
Create a dedicated account with sudo rights limited to the required service commands.
Why this is correct
A restricted service account with narrowly scoped sudo permissions supports automation while limiting exposure if the job is abused.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Ask an administrator to log in manually each week and run the script.
Why it's wrong here
Manual execution is not repeatable, increases human error, and fails the requirement for no interactive login.
- ✗
Store the administrator password in the script so the task can authenticate automatically.
Why it's wrong here
Embedding credentials in code is insecure, hard to audit, and creates a sensitive secret-management problem.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume root is necessary for service management on Linux, but sudo with carefully scoped commands provides the same functionality without granting full root privileges.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a dedicated service account with sudoers entries like 'Cmnd_Alias SERVICE_CMDS = /usr/bin/systemctl restart serviceA, /usr/bin/systemctl restart serviceB' and 'serviceuser ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: SERVICE_CMDS' allows passwordless sudo for only those commands. The cron job runs as this user, using 'sudo' to execute the restricted commands, ensuring no interactive prompt occurs. This approach also supports audit logging via sudo's syslog output, tracking exactly which commands were run and by whom.
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a dedicated account with sudo rights limited to the required service commands. — Option B is correct because it follows the principle of least privilege by creating a dedicated service account with sudo rights restricted to only the specific service management commands (e.g., systemctl restart serviceA.service && systemctl restart serviceB.service). This avoids using the root account (which has unrestricted access) and eliminates the need for interactive logins or embedded credentials, while still allowing the scheduled job (e.g., via cron) to run non-interactively.
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.
About these practice questions
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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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