ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
A bank implements a policy that requires two different employees to approve any wire transfer over $10,000. One employee initiates the transfer, and another approves it. This is an example of which access control principle?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse separation of duties with least privilege or need-to-know; candidates might think that because two people are involved, it's about limiting access, but it's specifically about dividing duties to prevent fraud.
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
✓
Separation of duties
The policy requires two different employees to approve wire transfers over $10,000, with one initiating and another approving. This is a classic example of separation of duties, which ensures that no single individual has the authority to complete a critical task alone, thereby reducing the risk of fraud or error. By splitting the task between two people, the organization enforces a system of checks and balances.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Need-to-know
Why it's wrong here
Need-to-know limits access to information strictly required for a task; it does not require a second person to authorise a transaction. It tempts because both concepts restrict access, and need-to-know would be correct if the policy limited which data an employee could view.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege grants users only the minimum rights needed for their duties; it does not mandate that two separate employees participate in one transaction. It tempts because both principles restrict access, and least privilege would be correct if the policy stripped unnecessary permissions from a single account.
- ✓
Separation of duties
Why this is correct
Separation of duties splits a sensitive transaction across two distinct identities so no single employee can complete it alone. The stem's constraint — one employee initiates, a different employee approves transfers over $10,000 — is satisfied precisely because authorisation is divided between separate people, preventing unilateral fraud.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth layers multiple independent controls so one failure does not compromise the system; it does not require two people to approve a single transfer. It tempts because dual approval adds a layer, and defense in depth would be correct if the bank combined firewalls, encryption and monitoring.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Access Control Fundamentals
Key term
Policy
A policy is a set of rules or guidelines that defines how an organization manages, secures, and operates its IT systems and services.
Key term
Least privilege
Least privilege is a security principle that means giving users, systems, or programs only the minimum permissions they need to do their job and nothing more.
About these practice questions
This CC question is part of Courseiva's 989-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 ISC2 exam blueprint
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.