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. A key principle to apply: separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process.. 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
Firewall rule change #4219:
- Requested by: NetworkOps1
- Approved by: NetworkOps1
- Implemented by: NetworkOps1
- Audit note: the same person can create, approve, and deploy production firewall changes.
Proposed redesign:
- Engineer drafts the change.
- Security reviewer approves it.
- A different administrator implements it during a maintenance window.
- The change ticket is visible only to the people assigned to the task.
Based on the exhibit, which security principle is the proposed workflow most directly enforcing?
Firewall rule change #4219:
- Requested by: NetworkOps1
- Approved by: NetworkOps1
- Implemented by: NetworkOps1
- Audit note: the same person can create, approve, and deploy production firewall changes.
Proposed redesign:
- Engineer drafts the change.
- Security reviewer approves it.
- A different administrator implements it during a maintenance window.
- The change ticket is visible only to the people assigned to the task.
A
Least privilege, because each person gets only the minimum access needed for the task.
Why wrong: Least privilege is part of the redesign, but it is not the primary principle being enforced by the workflow separation. The audit finding is about one person being able to create, approve, and deploy the same change. The proposed fix is designed mainly to ensure no single person controls the entire process from start to finish.
B
Defense in depth, because multiple layers of security are added around firewall changes.
Why wrong: Defense in depth would involve layered technical and administrative controls, such as logging, approvals, and segmentation. While those may exist in the background, the exhibit focuses on dividing duties among different people. The core issue is not the number of layers, but who is allowed to perform each stage of the change process.
C
Separation of duties, because no single person can create, approve, and implement the same production change.
This is the correct principle because the redesign intentionally splits the workflow among different roles. One person drafts the change, another approves it, and a third implements it. That reduces fraud and mistakes by preventing one individual from controlling every step. The limited ticket visibility also supports the same idea, but the central security principle is separation of duties.
D
Need-to-know, because the ticket is visible only to assigned people.
Why wrong: Need-to-know is reflected in the limited ticket visibility, but it is not the main issue highlighted by the audit note. The problem is that one person can request, approve, and deploy the change. The redesign primarily prevents one individual from having excessive control over a sensitive process, which is separation of duties.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Separation of duties, because no single person can create, approve, and implement the same production change.
The proposed workflow enforces separation of duties by requiring three distinct roles—requester, approver, and implementer—to complete a single firewall change. No single person can both create and approve the change, nor can they implement it without prior approval. This directly prevents any one individual from having end-to-end control over a production change, which is the core of separation of duties.
Key principle: Separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Least privilege, because each person gets only the minimum access needed for the task.
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege is part of the redesign, but it is not the primary principle being enforced by the workflow separation. The audit finding is about one person being able to create, approve, and deploy the same change. The proposed fix is designed mainly to ensure no single person controls the entire process from start to finish.
✗
Defense in depth, because multiple layers of security are added around firewall changes.
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth would involve layered technical and administrative controls, such as logging, approvals, and segmentation. While those may exist in the background, the exhibit focuses on dividing duties among different people. The core issue is not the number of layers, but who is allowed to perform each stage of the change process.
✓
Separation of duties, because no single person can create, approve, and implement the same production change.
Why this is correct
This is the correct principle because the redesign intentionally splits the workflow among different roles. One person drafts the change, another approves it, and a third implements it. That reduces fraud and mistakes by preventing one individual from controlling every step. The limited ticket visibility also supports the same idea, but the central security principle is separation of duties.
Related concept
Separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process.
✗
Need-to-know, because the ticket is visible only to assigned people.
Why it's wrong here
Need-to-know is reflected in the limited ticket visibility, but it is not the main issue highlighted by the audit note. The problem is that one person can request, approve, and deploy the change. The redesign primarily prevents one individual from having excessive control over a sensitive process, which is separation of duties.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse separation of duties with least privilege because both involve limiting actions, but separation of duties specifically divides a process across multiple people, whereas least privilege limits the scope of permissions per person.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Separation of duties is a key internal control in the NIST SP 800-53 framework (AC-5) and is often enforced through change management systems that require distinct digital signatures or approvals at each stage. In a real-world scenario, a firewall engineer could bypass security controls if they could both write and apply a rule without review; splitting the workflow into request, approval, and implementation phases ensures audit trails and prevents unauthorized changes.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process.
It reduces the risk of fraud, error, and abuse by requiring multiple people for sensitive tasks.
Commonly applied to financial transactions, system changes, and access management.
Requires distinct roles for initiation, approval, and execution of a process.
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
Separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process.
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. Separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
Review separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process., then practise related SY0-701 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
General Security Concepts — This question tests General Security Concepts — Separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Separation of duties, because no single person can create, approve, and implement the same production change. — The proposed workflow enforces separation of duties by requiring three distinct roles—requester, approver, and implementer—to complete a single firewall change. No single person can both create and approve the change, nor can they implement it without prior approval. This directly prevents any one individual from having end-to-end control over a production change, which is the core of separation of duties.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Review separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process., then practise related SY0-701 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Separation of duties prevents a single individual from controlling an entire critical process.
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