CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
A security team is considering implementing a control to prevent unauthorized access to a critical database. Which type of control is most appropriate for this objective?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates confuse 'detective' with 'preventive' because monitoring feels proactive — but detection only reveals an event after it happens; only a preventive control stops the unauthorized access itself.
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
✓
Preventive control
A preventive control is designed to stop an incident before it occurs — access controls, authentication, encryption, and firewalls are classic examples. Preventing unauthorized database access is definitionally a preventive objective, so a preventive control (e.g., RBAC, MFA, network segmentation) is the correct category.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Corrective control
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls restore normal operation after an incident, so they act once unauthorised access has already occurred rather than blocking it. Preventing access demands a preventive control that denies the connection outright. Corrective controls fit scenarios such as restoring a database from backup following corruption.
- ✓
Preventive control
Why this is correct
Preventive controls block unauthorised access attempts before they reach the critical database, matching the stem's objective to prevent rather than detect. Authentication, authorisation and network filtering deny intrusion at entry, whereas detective controls only identify breaches after they occur.
- ✗
Detective control
Why it's wrong here
Detective controls only identify and log unauthorised access after it happens; they do not stop the session from being established. Preventing access requires a preventive mechanism that rejects the connection at authentication. Detective controls suit monitoring for anomalous database queries where blocking is not the objective.
- ✗
Directive control
Why it's wrong here
Directive controls steer behaviour through policy or mandated procedure; they cannot block a database connection attempt. Preventing unauthorised access requires a preventive mechanism such as access enforcement at authentication. Directive controls suit establishing required conduct, for example a policy mandating that administrators use unique accounts.
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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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISACA exam blueprint
This CRISC 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 CRISC exam.