The answer is to replace the shared account with individual named user accounts and to write approvals to an append-only, tamper-evident log with timestamps. This directly solves the core problem of shared accounts accountability nonrepudiation because named accounts create a unique, verifiable link between a specific person and their action, while the immutable log ensures that the record of that action cannot be altered or deleted after the fact. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that nonrepudiation requires both unique identification and a protected audit trail; a common trap is to think that simply adding a password to the shared account or using a group email address is sufficient. Remember the key pairing: unique identity plus tamper-proof logging equals nonrepudiation. A useful mnemonic is “N.U.T.” — Nonrepudiation requires Unique accounts and a Tamper-proof log.
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.
Exhibit
Audit summary:
- Approval account: procure-approve
- 12 employees know the password
- Audit trail records only the shared account name
- No digital signature or tamper-evident log is present
An internal audit found that a procurement team uses the shared account procure-approve to approve emergency purchases. The log only shows the shared account name, and managers say they cannot prove which person approved each request. Which two changes best improve accountability and nonrepudiation? 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.
Audit summary:
- Approval account: procure-approve
- 12 employees know the password
- Audit trail records only the shared account name
- No digital signature or tamper-evident log is present
A
Replace the shared account with named user accounts and unique credentials.
Named accounts make each approval attributable to one person, which is essential for accountability and later investigations. Unique credentials also prevent the common operational problem where a group can deny who actually performed an action.
B
Write approvals to an append-only, tamper-evident log with timestamps.
A tamper-evident log preserves evidence after the fact and makes denial much harder. When timestamps and write-once protections are used, investigators can trust the approval record more than a normal editable database entry.
C
Require a longer password on the shared account.
Why wrong: A longer password may slow guessing, but it still leaves every approval tied to the same shared identity. That does not create individual accountability or nonrepudiation for a specific approver.
D
Store screenshots of approval screens in a shared folder.
Why wrong: Screenshots are easy to copy, modify, or forge, and they rarely provide defensible evidence on their own. They also do not stop someone from later denying that they approved the request.
E
Encrypt the approval database at rest.
Why wrong: Encryption at rest protects confidentiality if storage is stolen, but it does not identify which person approved an action. It helps secrecy, not attribution or repudiation resistance.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Replace the shared account with named user accounts and unique credentials.
Option A is correct because replacing the shared account with named user accounts and unique credentials ensures that each approval action is tied to a specific individual. This directly addresses the lack of accountability and nonrepudiation, as each user's unique credentials create a verifiable link between the person and the action, preventing repudiation of the approval.
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.
✓
Replace the shared account with named user accounts and unique credentials.
Why this is correct
Named accounts make each approval attributable to one person, which is essential for accountability and later investigations. Unique credentials also prevent the common operational problem where a group can deny who actually performed an action.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Write approvals to an append-only, tamper-evident log with timestamps.
Why this is correct
A tamper-evident log preserves evidence after the fact and makes denial much harder. When timestamps and write-once protections are used, investigators can trust the approval record more than a normal editable database entry.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Require a longer password on the shared account.
Why it's wrong here
A longer password may slow guessing, but it still leaves every approval tied to the same shared identity. That does not create individual accountability or nonrepudiation for a specific approver.
✗
Store screenshots of approval screens in a shared folder.
Why it's wrong here
Screenshots are easy to copy, modify, or forge, and they rarely provide defensible evidence on their own. They also do not stop someone from later denying that they approved the request.
✗
Encrypt the approval database at rest.
Why it's wrong here
Encryption at rest protects confidentiality if storage is stolen, but it does not identify which person approved an action. It helps secrecy, not attribution or repudiation resistance.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may think encryption (Option E) or stronger passwords (Option C) solve accountability issues, but these controls address confidentiality and authentication strength, not the fundamental need for individual identification and tamper-proof audit trails.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Nonrepudiation relies on cryptographic mechanisms such as digital signatures or unique authentication credentials that bind an action to a specific identity. In practice, using named accounts with individual credentials allows logging systems to record the user principal name (UPN) or security identifier (SID), which can be verified against authentication logs (e.g., Windows Security Event ID 4624). An append-only, tamper-evident log (Option B) further ensures that once an approval is recorded, it cannot be altered or deleted without detection, often implemented via write-once read-many (WORM) storage or cryptographic hash chaining (e.g., using syslog with TLS and hash-based integrity).
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: Replace the shared account with named user accounts and unique credentials. — Option A is correct because replacing the shared account with named user accounts and unique credentials ensures that each approval action is tied to a specific individual. This directly addresses the lack of accountability and nonrepudiation, as each user's unique credentials create a verifiable link between the person and the action, preventing repudiation of the approval.
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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