hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
CISA Practice Question: Implementing a privileged access management (PAM)…
A company is implementing a privileged access management (PAM) system. Which of the following is the MOST important control to prevent lateral movement after a privileged account is compromised?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers choose MFA (option B) because it is a well-known security best practice, but they fail to recognize that MFA does not prevent lateral movement after the account is already compromised—it only protects against unauthorized initial 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
✓
Implement just-in-time (JIT) privilege elevation
Just-in-time (JIT) privilege elevation is the most important control to prevent lateral movement because it eliminates standing privileged access. By granting temporary, time-bound privileges only when needed, JIT reduces the attack surface and ensures that even if an attacker compromises a privileged account, they cannot use those credentials to move laterally to other systems after the access window expires. This directly addresses the root cause of lateral movement: persistent privileged credentials that can be reused across the network.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Implement just-in-time (JIT) privilege elevation
Why this is correct
JIT reduces exposure time.
- ✗
Enforce multi-factor authentication for all privileged accounts
Why it's wrong here
MFA may be bypassed if account is compromised.
- ✗
Monitor and record all privileged sessions
Why it's wrong here
Detection, not prevention.
- ✗
Rotate passwords after each use
Why it's wrong here
Does not prevent lateral movement during session.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISA 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 CISA exam.