- A
Detective control
Why wrong: Detective controls identify incidents after they occur, not prevent them.
- B
Compensating control
Why wrong: Compensating controls are alternatives that provide equivalent protection, not necessarily preventive.
- C
Preventive control
Correct. Preventive controls aim to stop incidents before they happen.
- D
Corrective control
Why wrong: Corrective controls remediate issues after detection, not prevent them.
Question 722 of 1,000
CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
This CRISC practice question tests your understanding of risk response and reporting. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An organization is implementing a new access control system to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. Which type of control is being implemented?
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
An access control system that prevents unauthorized access to sensitive data is a preventive control because it enforces security policies before access is granted. Technologies like mandatory access control (MAC) or role-based access control (RBAC) with Access Control Lists (ACLs) block unauthorized users at the point of entry, reducing the risk of data exposure.
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.
- ✗
Detective control
Why it's wrong here
Detective controls identify incidents after they occur, not prevent them.
- ✗
Compensating control
Why it's wrong here
Compensating controls are alternatives that provide equivalent protection, not necessarily preventive.
- ✓
Preventive control
Why this is correct
Correct. Preventive controls aim to stop incidents before they happen.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Corrective control
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls remediate issues after detection, not prevent them.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse preventive controls with detective controls because both involve monitoring, but preventive controls actively block access (e.g., firewall deny rules) while detective controls only log or alert after the fact.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Preventive access controls operate at the authentication and authorization layers, often using protocols like Kerberos for ticket-based access or X.509 certificates for PKI-based authentication. In a real-world scenario, implementing a zero-trust architecture with micro-segmentation and policy enforcement points (PEPs) ensures that every access request is verified against least-privilege rules before any data is transmitted.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Visual reference
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 |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CRISC question test?
Risk Response and Reporting — This question tests Risk Response and Reporting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Preventive control — An access control system that prevents unauthorized access to sensitive data is a preventive control because it enforces security policies before access is granted. Technologies like mandatory access control (MAC) or role-based access control (RBAC) with Access Control Lists (ACLs) block unauthorized users at the point of entry, reducing the risk of data exposure.
What should I do if I get this CRISC 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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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