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Quick Answer
The answer is dual control, dual-authorization for financial transactions, and separation of user account creation from privilege assignment. These three enforce separation of duties by ensuring no single person holds unchecked power over a critical process, which is the core of this security principle. For the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between technical controls that prevent fraud or abuse versus simple logging or auditing. A common trap is confusing "audit trails" with enforcement—audits only detect violations, they don't prevent them. Remember the mnemonic "Dual, Dual, Divide": dual custody (two keys), dual approval (two sign-offs), and divided roles (create vs. assign). This directly maps to the exam’s focus on preventing single points of failure in administrative and physical security controls.
SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of general security concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Which three of the following are commonly used to enforce separation of duties? (Choose three.)
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
✓
Requiring two different people to authorize a financial transaction
Separation of duties is a security principle that prevents any single individual from having excessive control over critical processes. Requiring two different people to authorize a financial transaction ensures that no one person can both initiate and approve a payment, reducing fraud risk. Splitting the ability to create user accounts and assign privileges to different roles ensures that a single administrator cannot grant themselves unauthorized access. Using a dual-control process where two keys are needed to access a safe physically enforces that two people must be present, preventing unilateral access to sensitive assets.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse separation of duties with least privilege or fail to recognize that combining authorization and implementation in one role is a direct violation, even if it seems efficient.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Separation of duties is often enforced through role-based access control (RBAC) with mutually exclusive roles, such as requiring separate accounts for backup operators and restore operators in Active Directory. In financial systems, dual authorization can be implemented using multi-signature wallets or approval workflows that require two distinct digital signatures. The dual-control process for physical safes typically uses two different keys or combination codes held by separate individuals, ensuring that no single person can access the safe alone.
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
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
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: Requiring two different people to authorize a financial transaction — Separation of duties is a security principle that prevents any single individual from having excessive control over critical processes. Requiring two different people to authorize a financial transaction ensures that no one person can both initiate and approve a payment, reducing fraud risk. Splitting the ability to create user accounts and assign privileges to different roles ensures that a single administrator cannot grant themselves unauthorized access. Using a dual-control process where two keys are needed to access a safe physically enforces that two people must be present, preventing unilateral access to sensitive assets.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SY0-701 exam.
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