The answer is compensating controls, because they reduce risk when the preferred security controls are not possible. This is correct because when a legacy system cannot support modern authentication like Kerberos or NTLMv2, you cannot implement the ideal preventive control—upgrading the OS or application. Instead, you apply additional measures such as network segmentation, strict firewall rules, and an application-layer gateway to enforce security at the network layer, which is the essence of a compensating control. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this concept tests your ability to distinguish between control types when a primary safeguard is infeasible; a common trap is confusing compensating controls with preventive controls, but remember that compensating controls are a fallback, not a first-line defense. A useful memory tip is to think of “compensating” as “compromising” on the ideal solution while still achieving adequate risk reduction.
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.
Exhibit
Legacy system constraints
- Controller cannot support MFA
- Controller cannot support modern encryption
- Replacement will not occur for 9 months
Compensating measures implemented
- Dedicated management VLAN
- Firewall ACLs limiting source IPs
- Jump host with session recording
- Daily configuration backups
Based on the exhibit, what best describes the additional measures applied to the legacy system?
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.
Legacy system constraints
- Controller cannot support MFA
- Controller cannot support modern encryption
- Replacement will not occur for 9 months
Compensating measures implemented
- Dedicated management VLAN
- Firewall ACLs limiting source IPs
- Jump host with session recording
- Daily configuration backups
A
Preventive controls, because they stop every possible compromise completely.
Why wrong: The measures do reduce risk, but they do not eliminate all compromise paths and are not being used in the normal ideal way. The important clue is that the primary security requirements cannot be met on the device itself, so alternate controls are used instead.
B
Compensating controls, because they reduce risk when the preferred security controls are not possible.
Compensating controls are the best description because the system cannot support MFA or modern encryption, yet the organization still needs to reduce risk until replacement. The VLAN, ACLs, jump host, and session recording provide alternate safeguards that help offset the missing native controls.
C
Corrective controls, because they repair the controller after an incident occurs.
Why wrong: Corrective controls address damage after a security event or restore systems to a secure state. The exhibit describes measures already put in place before an incident to reduce exposure. That makes them compensating, not corrective, controls.
D
Deterrent controls, because they mainly scare attackers away from trying.
Why wrong: Deterrent controls discourage attacks, such as visible signage or warning banners. The exhibit contains concrete technical and procedural restrictions that limit access and increase visibility. Those measures do more than discourage; they compensate for missing native protections.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Compensating controls, because they reduce risk when the preferred security controls are not possible.
The exhibit shows a legacy system that cannot support modern authentication protocols like Kerberos or NTLMv2. The additional measures—such as network segmentation, strict firewall rules, and an application-layer gateway—are compensating controls. They reduce risk by enforcing security in the network layer since the preferred control (upgrading the OS or application to support strong authentication) is not feasible.
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.
✗
Preventive controls, because they stop every possible compromise completely.
Why it's wrong here
The measures do reduce risk, but they do not eliminate all compromise paths and are not being used in the normal ideal way. The important clue is that the primary security requirements cannot be met on the device itself, so alternate controls are used instead.
✓
Compensating controls, because they reduce risk when the preferred security controls are not possible.
Why this is correct
Compensating controls are the best description because the system cannot support MFA or modern encryption, yet the organization still needs to reduce risk until replacement. The VLAN, ACLs, jump host, and session recording provide alternate safeguards that help offset the missing native controls.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Corrective controls, because they repair the controller after an incident occurs.
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls address damage after a security event or restore systems to a secure state. The exhibit describes measures already put in place before an incident to reduce exposure. That makes them compensating, not corrective, controls.
✗
Deterrent controls, because they mainly scare attackers away from trying.
Why it's wrong here
Deterrent controls discourage attacks, such as visible signage or warning banners. The exhibit contains concrete technical and procedural restrictions that limit access and increase visibility. Those measures do more than discourage; they compensate for missing native protections.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the distinction between compensating controls and preventive controls by describing a scenario where the ideal control is impossible, and candidates mistakenly choose 'preventive' because the compensating control still blocks some attacks.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Compensating controls are defined in NIST SP 800-53 as alternative controls used when the preferred control cannot be applied due to technical or business constraints. In this scenario, the legacy system likely uses LM or NTLMv1 hashes, which are trivially cracked; the compensating controls enforce network isolation and protocol filtering (e.g., blocking SMBv1, restricting RPC ports) to prevent credential relay attacks. A real-world example is a legacy SCADA system that cannot be patched, so an air-gapped network with a bastion host is used as a compensating control.
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 SOC analyst notices unusual lateral movement in the network at 2 AM. The IR playbook dictates: identify and contain (isolate the affected machine), then eradicate (remove the malware), then recover (restore from backup), then document. Skipping containment before eradication risks the attacker regaining access. Questions like this test the sequence and rationale of incident response phases.
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: Compensating controls, because they reduce risk when the preferred security controls are not possible. — The exhibit shows a legacy system that cannot support modern authentication protocols like Kerberos or NTLMv2. The additional measures—such as network segmentation, strict firewall rules, and an application-layer gateway—are compensating controls. They reduce risk by enforcing security in the network layer since the preferred control (upgrading the OS or application to support strong authentication) is not feasible.
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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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. Based on the exhibit, what additional control is the best fit?
Current controls on the finance share:
- SMB signing enabled
- Weekly access review
- Nightly backups to immutable storage
- Antivirus scans at 02:00
Incident: a valid VPN account was used to access 40,000 files in 8 minutes and copy them to a local drive.
Goal: detect unauthorized bulk access quickly before exfiltration completes.
hard
✓ A.Add file access auditing with alert thresholds forwarded to the SIEM.
B.Increase the backup schedule from nightly to hourly.
C.Rename the share to a less obvious name.
D.Disable SMB signing so the file transfer runs faster.
Why A: File access auditing with alert thresholds forwarded to the SIEM directly addresses the goal of detecting unauthorized bulk access quickly. By monitoring for abnormal file access patterns—such as 40,000 files in 8 minutes—the SIEM can trigger an alert before exfiltration completes, enabling rapid response. This control complements the existing weekly access review by providing real-time detection.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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