The correct answer is conducting regular access reviews and recertification because this preventive control directly addresses the root cause of unauthorized access by systematically validating that each user’s permissions align with their current job role and business needs. By periodically reviewing and revoking excessive or outdated entitlements, organizations eliminate privilege creep, which is the accumulation of unnecessary access rights that attackers or insiders can exploit. On the CISA exam, this concept tests your understanding of preventive versus detective controls—regular access reviews are a classic preventive measure, while logs or alerts are detective. A common trap is choosing an option like “implementing stronger passwords,” which is also preventive but does not target the specific risk of unauthorized access to sensitive files after roles change. Remember the mnemonic “R.A.R.” for Regular Access Reviews: it Recertifies, Audits, and Reduces the attack surface proactively.
CISA Protection of Information Assets Practice Question
This CISA practice question tests your understanding of protection of information assets. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
After a security incident, an organization discovers that an employee accessed sensitive files without authorization. Which of the following is the most effective preventive control to reduce the risk of such unauthorized access?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conducting regular access reviews and recertification.
Regular access reviews and recertification (Option C) are the most effective preventive control because they ensure that user permissions are periodically validated against current job roles and business needs. By systematically revoking excessive or outdated entitlements, this process directly reduces the attack surface for unauthorized access, addressing the root cause of privilege creep rather than merely detecting or deterring misuse.
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.
✗
Deploying a data loss prevention (DLP) solution.
Why it's wrong here
DLP monitors and prevents data exfiltration but is a detective/deterrent control, not a preventive control for access.
✗
Implementing background checks on all employees.
Why it's wrong here
Background checks are pre-employment controls but do not prevent authorized users from exceeding their access rights.
✓
Conducting regular access reviews and recertification.
Why this is correct
Access reviews help identify and revoke unnecessary permissions, directly reducing the risk of unauthorized access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enforcing strong password policies.
Why it's wrong here
Strong passwords help prevent credential theft but do not control what an authorized user can access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse preventive controls with detective or deterrent controls, selecting DLP (a detective/corrective control) or strong passwords (an authentication control) instead of recognizing that access recertification directly prevents unauthorized access by removing excessive permissions before they can be exploited.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Access reviews leverage identity governance and administration (IGA) frameworks, often integrating with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) models and automated certification campaigns. In practice, a recertification process might use tools like Microsoft Identity Manager or SailPoint to compare user attributes against entitlement matrices, triggering automatic revocation of orphaned accounts or stale permissions via SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management) provisioning. A subtle but critical behavior is that recertification must include not only direct file permissions but also nested group memberships, as Active Directory group nesting can silently grant access that a surface-level review would miss.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Protection of Information Assets — This question tests Protection of Information Assets — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conducting regular access reviews and recertification. — Regular access reviews and recertification (Option C) are the most effective preventive control because they ensure that user permissions are periodically validated against current job roles and business needs. By systematically revoking excessive or outdated entitlements, this process directly reduces the attack surface for unauthorized access, addressing the root cause of privilege creep rather than merely detecting or deterring misuse.
What should I do if I get this CISA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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