The correct answer is to enforce application allowlisting for approved executables and scripts and to remove local administrator rights from standard developer accounts. These two changes directly address the baseline review findings by applying the principle of least privilege (PoLP) and restricting execution to trusted software only, which prevents unsigned tools from running in user profile folders and blocks unauthorized persistence mechanisms. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to balance hardening developer workstations with operational needs—a common trap is choosing overly restrictive controls like full disk encryption or disabling all scripting, which would hinder development workflows. Remember that allowlisting paired with least privilege is the sweet spot for securing developer environments without breaking their tools. A useful memory tip: “Allowlist the apps, demote the admin—developers stay fast, attackers stay thin.”
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of general security concepts. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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
Workstation baseline:
- Standard users are local admins
- Executables and scripts run from user-writable paths
- Unauthorized persistence reappears after reimaging
- Developers need to install approved tools, but not arbitrary software
A baseline review found that standard developer accounts are local administrators, unsigned tools can run from user profile folders, and reimaged systems still end up with unauthorized persistence. Which two changes best improve hardening while preserving developer work? Select two.
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.
Workstation baseline:
- Standard users are local admins
- Executables and scripts run from user-writable paths
- Unauthorized persistence reappears after reimaging
- Developers need to install approved tools, but not arbitrary software
A
Remove local administrator rights from standard user accounts.
Removing local admin rights blocks many common persistence and privilege escalation paths. It also reduces the damage a user mistake or malicious script can do on an otherwise managed workstation.
B
Enforce application allowlisting for approved executables and scripts.
Application allowlisting prevents unauthorized binaries, scripts, and loaders from executing. That directly addresses the ability of unapproved tools to run from user-writable folders after reimaging or during normal use.
C
Turn off logging to preserve disk space.
Why wrong: Turning off logging would hide malicious activity and make investigation far harder. It may free space, but it directly weakens detection and response capabilities.
D
Allow unrestricted browser extension installs.
Why wrong: Unrestricted extensions widen the attack surface and create another path for malicious code. This makes the workstation less secure, not more hardened.
E
Merge all developer and production systems into one VLAN.
Why wrong: A flat network increases lateral movement opportunities and undermines containment. It is the opposite of a secure baseline and defense-in-depth design.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Remove local administrator rights from standard user accounts.
Option A is correct because removing local administrator rights from standard developer accounts enforces the principle of least privilege (PoLP). This prevents developers from making unauthorized system-wide changes, such as installing unsigned tools or creating persistence mechanisms, while still allowing them to perform their work with standard user permissions. This directly addresses the baseline review finding that standard developer accounts are local administrators, which is a common security misconfiguration.
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.
✓
Remove local administrator rights from standard user accounts.
Why this is correct
Removing local admin rights blocks many common persistence and privilege escalation paths. It also reduces the damage a user mistake or malicious script can do on an otherwise managed workstation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Enforce application allowlisting for approved executables and scripts.
Why this is correct
Application allowlisting prevents unauthorized binaries, scripts, and loaders from executing. That directly addresses the ability of unapproved tools to run from user-writable folders after reimaging or during normal use.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Turn off logging to preserve disk space.
Why it's wrong here
Turning off logging would hide malicious activity and make investigation far harder. It may free space, but it directly weakens detection and response capabilities.
✗
Allow unrestricted browser extension installs.
Why it's wrong here
Unrestricted extensions widen the attack surface and create another path for malicious code. This makes the workstation less secure, not more hardened.
✗
Merge all developer and production systems into one VLAN.
Why it's wrong here
A flat network increases lateral movement opportunities and undermines containment. It is the opposite of a secure baseline and defense-in-depth design.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think removing admin rights alone is sufficient, but the question requires two changes that best improve hardening while preserving developer work, and application allowlisting (Option B) is the second critical control to block unsigned tools from running in user profile folders, which removal of admin rights alone does not address.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Application allowlisting (Option B) works by creating a hash-based or path-based policy that only permits approved executables and scripts to run, typically enforced via Windows AppLocker or WDAC (Windows Defender Application Control). This blocks unsigned tools from user profile folders, which are common locations for malware persistence (e.g., %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming). In a real-world scenario, a developer might need to run a custom script; allowlisting can be configured with publisher rules or file path exceptions to accommodate this while still blocking unauthorized binaries.
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.
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: Remove local administrator rights from standard user accounts. — Option A is correct because removing local administrator rights from standard developer accounts enforces the principle of least privilege (PoLP). This prevents developers from making unauthorized system-wide changes, such as installing unsigned tools or creating persistence mechanisms, while still allowing them to perform their work with standard user permissions. This directly addresses the baseline review finding that standard developer accounts are local administrators, which is a common security misconfiguration.
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.
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Question Discussion
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