Question 311 of 1,013
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
Exhibit
Legacy payroll application notes: - Vendor confirms the admin console does not support MFA or SSO. - Direct inbound access to TCP/8443 is blocked from user VLANs. - Administrators must connect to jump host JH-02. - JH-02 requires MFA, records all sessions, and forwards admin traffic to PAY-LEG-01. - The target application itself cannot be modified before end of support.
Based on the exhibit, which control type best describes the jump host requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the jump host's session recording (a detective feature) with the primary reason for its deployment, which is to compensate for the lack of MFA on the payroll server.
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, because the jump host provides an alternate safeguard when the application cannot enforce MFA directly.
The jump host is implemented as a compensating control because the payroll server's application cannot natively enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA). Instead of leaving the server unprotected, the jump host provides an alternative security layer by requiring MFA at the jump host level, thereby compensating for the application's limitation. This aligns with the NIST definition of compensating controls as alternative safeguards that mitigate risks when primary controls are infeasible.
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 control, because the jump host blocks unauthorized access before it reaches the payroll server.
Why it's wrong here
A preventive control stops or reduces an event before it happens, but the key issue here is substitution for a missing feature on the legacy application. The jump host does add blocking, yet its main purpose is to compensate for the payroll console's inability to enforce MFA directly. That makes the design broader than a simple preventive filter.
- ✗
Detective control, because session recording helps the team discover misuse after the fact.
Why it's wrong here
Session recording does help with investigation, but the scenario is not asking about the recording feature alone. The essential design decision is that administrators must use a separate, hardened access path because the target system cannot support MFA itself. A detective control would only reveal activity; it would not replace the missing application control.
- ✓
Compensating control, because the jump host provides an alternate safeguard when the application cannot enforce MFA directly.
Why this is correct
The jump host is a compensating control because it reduces risk by providing an alternate security measure when the original control cannot be implemented on the legacy payroll application. MFA, logging, and session recording on the jump host help offset the application's limitation without requiring a risky replacement. The goal is risk reduction through a substitute safeguard.
- ✗
Directive control, because the administrators are being instructed to use a specific access path.
Why it's wrong here
Directive controls tell users what they must do through policy, training, or guidance. Although the rule does instruct administrators, the scenario focuses on the technical safeguard that replaces a missing control in the application. The jump host is not just a rule or reminder; it is an enforced security mechanism that compensates for the legacy constraint.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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