CRISC Risk Response and Reporting Practice Question
An organization is selecting a control to prevent unauthorized access to a critical database. Which control type is most appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse 'preventive' with 'detective' controls, mistakenly thinking that logging and monitoring (detective) are sufficient to stop unauthorized access, when in fact they only provide visibility after the fact.
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
Preventive control is the most appropriate because it directly stops unauthorized access before it occurs. For a critical database, this includes mechanisms like database firewalls, access control lists (ACLs), or mandatory access control (MAC) policies that enforce authentication and authorization at the point of entry, such as requiring valid credentials and role-based permissions before any query is processed.
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.
- ✗
Corrective control
Why it's wrong here
Corrective controls remediate incidents after detection, not prevent them.
- ✗
Directive control
Why it's wrong here
Directive controls guide behavior (e.g., policies) but do not physically prevent unauthorized access.
- ✓
Preventive control
Why this is correct
Preventive controls stop incidents from occurring, such as access control lists.
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 |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.