The answer is a password policy requiring minimum length and a security awareness training program. These are administrative controls because they rely on human behavior and documented direction rather than technological enforcement—the password policy sets a rule people must follow, while the training program educates employees on procedures like recognizing phishing attempts. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish administrative controls from technical or physical ones; a common trap is confusing a policy (administrative) with its technical implementation, such as a system that enforces password complexity. For memory, remember that administrative controls are “people and paper”—they guide actions through policies, training, and procedures, not through hardware or software. A quick mnemonic is “PAT”: Policies, Awareness, and Training are the three pillars of administrative controls.
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of general security concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company wants controls that rely on people and documented direction rather than technology. Which two are administrative controls? Select two.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Security awareness training program
Security awareness training program (A) is an administrative control because it relies on people following documented procedures and policies rather than technology. It educates employees on security risks and expected behaviors, such as recognizing phishing attempts, which is a directive-based measure without hardware or software enforcement.
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.
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Security awareness training program
Why this is correct
This is an administrative control because it teaches users expected behavior and security responsibilities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Badge reader at the server room door
Why it's wrong here
This is a physical control because it restricts access through a device on a doorway.
✓
Password policy requiring minimum length
Why this is correct
This is an administrative control because it defines required user behavior and enforcement rules.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Host-based firewall on laptops
Why it's wrong here
This is a technical control because software enforces network filtering on the device.
✗
Encryption of data on the hard drive
Why it's wrong here
This is a technical control because cryptography protects the data with software or hardware.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse physical controls (like badge readers) or technical controls (like firewalls and encryption) with administrative controls, because they involve human action (swiping a badge) or are documented in policies, but the key distinction is whether the control relies on technology enforcement or human compliance with documented direction.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Administrative controls, also known as directive controls, are defined in frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 as policies, procedures, and guidelines that manage human behavior. For example, a password policy (C) specifies minimum length requirements (e.g., 8 characters per NIST SP 800-63B) but relies on users to comply, whereas technical controls like encryption enforce protection automatically via software or hardware. In real-world audits, administrative controls are often the weakest link because they depend on user adherence, unlike technical controls that enforce rules programmatically.
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
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
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: Security awareness training program — Security awareness training program (A) is an administrative control because it relies on people following documented procedures and policies rather than technology. It educates employees on security risks and expected behaviors, such as recognizing phishing attempts, which is a directive-based measure without hardware or software enforcement.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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