This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security architecture. 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.
Employees use one corporate login to sign in to email, the ticketing portal, and the HR application. After signing in once, the other apps accept the same identity without separate passwords. What capability is this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Single sign-on (SSO)
Single sign-on (SSO) allows a user to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications without re-entering credentials. In this scenario, the corporate login provides a token (e.g., Kerberos ticket or SAML assertion) that is accepted by the email, ticketing portal, and HR application, eliminating the need for separate passwords. This is the core capability of SSO.
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.
✓
Single sign-on (SSO)
Why this is correct
SSO lets users authenticate once and access multiple connected applications without repeated logins.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Federation
Why it's wrong here
Federation can support shared identity across organizations, but the question is about one sign-in for several apps.
✗
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Why it's wrong here
MFA adds another proof of identity, but it does not by itself remove repeated logins across apps.
✗
Session timeout
Why it's wrong here
A session timeout ends access after inactivity; it is not the same as reusing one login across systems.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the distinction between SSO and federation, where candidates mistakenly choose federation because they think 'multiple apps' implies different domains, but the key is that federation involves separate organizations, not just separate applications within the same organization.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SSO typically relies on a centralized authentication service (e.g., Microsoft Active Directory with Kerberos, or a SAML identity provider) that issues a ticket or token after initial login. The token is then presented to each relying application (service provider) via HTTP redirects or API calls, often using protocols like SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, or OpenID Connect. A subtle behavior is that SSO does not eliminate the need for authorization checks; each application still independently verifies the user's permissions based on the identity in the token.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
Security Architecture — This question tests Security Architecture — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Single sign-on (SSO) — Single sign-on (SSO) allows a user to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications without re-entering credentials. In this scenario, the corporate login provides a token (e.g., Kerberos ticket or SAML assertion) that is accepted by the email, ticketing portal, and HR application, eliminating the need for separate passwords. This is the core capability of SSO.
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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