CCOA Securing Assets Practice Question
You observe that a specific Windows service is running as 'SYSTEM' but is vulnerable to DLL hijacking. What is the most effective way to harden this service without disabling it?
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
✓
Configure the service folder permissions to restrict write access to the 'Administrators' group only.
Hardening services that run as SYSTEM requires securing the directory permissions so only authorized users can write to the application folder, preventing the loading of malicious DLLs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Configure the service folder permissions to restrict write access to the 'Administrators' group only.
Why this is correct
Restricting write access to the service binary folder prevents attackers from planting malicious DLLs that the service might load.
- ✗
Change the service account to a local 'Guest' account.
Why it's wrong here
Changing to Guest will likely break the service functionality and is not a security hardening technique.
- ✗
Enable 'Service Isolation' in the Registry using the 'ServiceSidType' key.
Why it's wrong here
While this is a security feature, it does not address the DLL hijacking vulnerability directly.
- ✗
Rename the service executable to a random string.
Why it's wrong here
Security through obscurity does not prevent DLL hijacking.
About these practice questions
One of 203 original CCOA 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 and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
This CCOA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA 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 CCOA exam.