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CISA Practice Question: Implementing a cloud-based identity and access…
A company is implementing a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) system. Which of the following best describes the principle of least privilege in this context?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'least privilege' with 'administrative convenience' or 'consistency,' mistakenly thinking that granting admin rights for troubleshooting (Option A) or uniform access (Option C) simplifies management, when in fact these practices directly violate the core security principle.
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
✓
Permissions should be granted based on the user's role and need-to-know.
The principle of least privilege dictates that users should be granted only the permissions necessary to perform their job functions, based on their role and need-to-know. In a cloud-based IAM system, this is typically implemented through role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC), ensuring minimal exposure to sensitive resources and reducing the attack surface.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Users should have administrative rights for troubleshooting.
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege grants each identity only the permissions its role requires, so standing administrative rights for troubleshooting violate it; such rights should be elevated temporarily and logged. Administrative access is tempting because troubleshooting genuinely needs elevated permissions, but that is a just-in-time privileged access scenario, not a baseline entitlement model.
- ✗
Permissions should be revoked only when an employee leaves the company.
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege requires permissions to be reviewed and removed as roles change, not retained until offboarding; revocation only at departure leaves accumulated entitlements exploitable throughout employment. Deferred revocation is tempting because offboarding is a defined, auditable trigger, but that is a joiner-mover-leaver control, distinct from continuous entitlement right-sizing.
- ✗
All users should have the same level of access for consistency.
Why it's wrong here
Uniform access contradicts least privilege, which tailors entitlements to each role's actual duties; identical rights give every account the union of all needed permissions. Standardisation is tempting because it simplifies administration and auditing, and it suits environments where all users genuinely perform identical functions, but it cannot satisfy differentiated job responsibilities.
- ✓
Permissions should be granted based on the user's role and need-to-know.
Why this is correct
Least privilege restricts each identity to the minimum permissions its job function requires, granted through role assignments rather than broad standing access. This limits blast radius if credentials are compromised, directly satisfying the need-to-know constraint for cloud IAM.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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