- A
Create a dedicated automation account and restrict it in sudoers to the exact commands needed.
A dedicated account makes auditing clear, and sudoers restrictions enforce least privilege for only the approved commands.
- B
Place the automation account in the root group so it can restart services everywhere.
Why wrong: Root-group membership gives far more access than needed and defeats the requirement for limited, auditable privileges.
- C
Use SSH key authentication with a restricted shell or forced command for the automation account.
Key-based access supports unattended logins, and a restricted shell or forced command limits what the account can do.
- D
Copy the administrator's personal password into the script so the job can log in unattended.
Why wrong: Embedding a personal password is insecure, hard to audit, and violates good privileged access management practice.
- E
Approve the job through email one time, then allow the script to run with no restrictions forever.
Why wrong: An email approval does not enforce technical controls and does not limit future privilege or command scope.
Quick Answer
The answer is to use SSH key authentication with a restricted shell or forced command for the automation account, combined with a sudoers entry limiting the account to only `/usr/sbin/logrotate` and `/usr/bin/systemctl restart <service>`. This configuration enforces least privilege by ensuring the automation account has no interactive login capability and can execute only the two specific commands required for the nightly maintenance script, preventing any lateral movement or privilege escalation. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how to implement the principle of least privilege for automated tasks in Linux, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly choose a shared password or a full sudo access. A common trap is assuming a regular user account with a strong password is sufficient, but the key is restricting both authentication method (SSH keys) and command scope (sudoers). Memory tip: think “Keys and Commands, not Shells and Passwords” to remember that automation accounts need key-based authentication and command-level restrictions, not interactive shells.
SY0-701 Security Operations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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.
A Linux operations team must run a nightly maintenance script on 70 servers to rotate logs and restart one service. Security will not allow interactive SSH logins, and the script should only have the permissions required for those two commands. Which two configuration choices best meet the requirement? 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.
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
Create a dedicated automation account and restrict it in sudoers to the exact commands needed.
Option A is correct because creating a dedicated automation account and restricting it in sudoers to the exact commands needed (e.g., `/usr/sbin/logrotate` and `/usr/bin/systemctl restart <service>`) enforces the principle of least privilege. This ensures the account can only execute the specific maintenance tasks without granting interactive SSH access or unnecessary permissions.
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.
- ✓
Create a dedicated automation account and restrict it in sudoers to the exact commands needed.
Why this is correct
A dedicated account makes auditing clear, and sudoers restrictions enforce least privilege for only the approved commands.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Place the automation account in the root group so it can restart services everywhere.
Why it's wrong here
Root-group membership gives far more access than needed and defeats the requirement for limited, auditable privileges.
- ✓
Use SSH key authentication with a restricted shell or forced command for the automation account.
Why this is correct
Key-based access supports unattended logins, and a restricted shell or forced command limits what the account can do.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Copy the administrator's personal password into the script so the job can log in unattended.
Why it's wrong here
Embedding a personal password is insecure, hard to audit, and violates good privileged access management practice.
- ✗
Approve the job through email one time, then allow the script to run with no restrictions forever.
Why it's wrong here
An email approval does not enforce technical controls and does not limit future privilege or command scope.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume placing an account in a privileged group (like root) is acceptable for automation, but CompTIA tests the principle of least privilege, requiring exact command restriction rather than broad group membership.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
An email approval does not enforce technical controls and does not limit future privilege or command scope.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, sudoers entries can specify exact command paths with arguments (e.g., `automation ALL=(root) NOPASSWD: /usr/sbin/logrotate, /usr/bin/systemctl restart myapp`), and SSH forced commands (option C) use the `command=` directive in `authorized_keys` to override the client's requested command, ensuring only the maintenance script runs. In real-world scenarios, combining both approaches—sudo for privilege escalation and SSH forced commands for non-interactive execution—provides defense in depth against credential theft or misconfiguration.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a dedicated automation account and restrict it in sudoers to the exact commands needed. — Option A is correct because creating a dedicated automation account and restricting it in sudoers to the exact commands needed (e.g., `/usr/sbin/logrotate` and `/usr/bin/systemctl restart <service>`) enforces the principle of least privilege. This ensures the account can only execute the specific maintenance tasks without granting interactive SSH access or unnecessary permissions.
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on SY0-701
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. A Linux operations team must run a nightly maintenance workflow on 60 servers to rotate logs and restart one service. Security does not allow interactive root logins, and every execution must be auditable. Which two practices best support secure administration? Select two.
hard- ✓ A.Use a dedicated service account with sudo rights limited to the exact commands in the workflow.
- ✓ B.Run the workflow through a centralized automation platform that records execution time and output.
- C.Hardcode the root password in the script so the same job works everywhere.
- D.Share one privileged SSH key among all administrators for convenience.
- E.Disable command logging so the maintenance output is easier to review.
Why A: Option A is correct because using a dedicated service account with sudo rights limited to the exact commands in the workflow enforces the principle of least privilege. This ensures that even if the account is compromised, an attacker can only execute the specific log rotation and service restart commands, not arbitrary root-level operations. It also eliminates the need for interactive root logins, satisfying the security policy while maintaining auditability through sudo logs.
Variation 2. A Linux operations team needs to run a nightly script that restarts one service and archives its logs on 60 servers. Security does not want an administrator to log in interactively, and the script should have only the permissions needed for that job. What is the best approach?
medium- A.Use the root account so the job never fails.
- ✓ B.Create a dedicated service account with only the delegated rights needed, and run the script as a scheduled job.
- C.Store an administrator's SSH key inside the script.
- D.Have an operator log in and run the commands manually each night.
Why B: Option B is correct because it follows the principle of least privilege by creating a dedicated service account with only the specific rights needed to restart the service and archive logs. Running the script as a scheduled job (e.g., via cron) eliminates the need for interactive login, satisfying the security requirement. This approach minimizes the attack surface and ensures the job runs automatically without exposing administrative credentials.
Variation 3. A nightly patch script restarts services on 40 Linux servers. Security does not want an administrator to log in interactively, and the script should only have the permissions needed to install approved patches and restart those services. What is the best design?
medium- ✓ A.Run the script with a dedicated automation account that has only the required sudo permissions
- B.Use the root account for every scheduled execution to avoid permission errors
- C.Hard-code the administrator password in the script so it never prompts
- D.Ask each server owner to manually patch their system during the maintenance window
Why A: Option A is correct because it follows the principle of least privilege by using a dedicated automation account with only the specific sudo permissions needed to install approved patches and restart services. This prevents interactive login (as the account is configured for non-interactive use) and ensures the script cannot perform unauthorized actions, aligning with security best practices for automated tasks.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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