SY0-701 General Security Concepts Practice Question
To discourage unauthorized entry into a records room, facilities installs a large warning sign, a visible camera over the door, and a turnstile staffed by a guard during business hours. Which control category is the warning sign intended to support most directly?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the warning sign's purpose with a preventive control, mistakenly thinking that any security measure that stops entry must be preventive, when in fact the sign only discourages rather than physically or logically blocks access.
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
✓
Deterrent
The warning sign is a physical security control designed to discourage unauthorized entry by making potential intruders aware of the risks and consequences. This directly supports the deterrent control category, which aims to reduce the likelihood of a security incident by influencing behavior through fear of detection or punishment. Unlike detective controls that identify incidents after they occur, or preventive controls that physically block access, the sign's primary function is psychological deterrence.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Deterrent
Why this is correct
A deterrent control aims to discourage a would-be attacker by signaling that unauthorized entry will be detected and punished. The warning sign serves this purpose by altering the perceived cost–benefit of the intrusion before any attempt occurs. Unlike a lock or turnstile, it does not physically prevent access; it relies on psychological influence to stop the action at the intention stage.
- ✗
Detective
Why it's wrong here
Detective controls operate after an event to identify, record, or alert on unauthorized activity, such as intrusion detection systems, CCTV, or audit logs. A warning sign performs none of these functions—it does not sense, record, or report anything. It is a passive message, not an active monitoring or logging mechanism. Misclassifying it as detective confuses the timing and function of control types.
- ✗
Preventive
Why it's wrong here
Preventive controls enforce security by physically or technically obstructing an attacker, including locks, fences, biometric readers, and access-control lists. A sign, however, offers no physical barrier or technical enforcement; it merely communicates a policy. It can stop only compliant or opportunistic individuals, but it cannot block a determined intruder. Because it lacks an enforcement mechanism, it is not a preventive control in the security-control taxonomy.
- ✗
Corrective
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls are reactive measures taken after an incident to restore normal operations, such as disaster recovery plans, backup restoration, or patching a exploited vulnerability. A warning sign has no post-incident functionality; it exists strictly before an event to influence behavior. It cannot repair damage, trace a breach, or recover data. Therefore, it is not a corrective control because it does not address consequences after a security compromise.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Security Controls
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
Key term
Incident
An incident is a security event that violates an organization's policies or threatens its data, systems, or operations, requiring a structured response.
About these practice questions
One of 1,013 original SY0-701 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.