hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A company has implemented a role-based access…
A company has implemented a role-based access control (RBAC) system. A new employee in the finance department is granted the 'Finance User' role, which allows them to view invoices but not create payments. However, after a system upgrade, it is discovered that the 'Finance User' role now includes the ability to create payments due to a misconfiguration. The employee did not request this additional privilege and has not exploited it. The security team is notified. Which principle has been violated, and what is the most appropriate immediate action?
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
✓
Least privilege; correct the role permissions to only what is necessary
Correct: Least privilege is violated because the employee has more permissions than needed. The immediate action is to correct the role permissions to only what is necessary (option D). Option A is wrong because separation of duties is not the violated principle; the employee did not misuse the privilege, so disabling the account is too extreme. Option B is wrong because accountability is not the issue, and removing the role from all employees is overly broad. Option C is wrong because revoking the employee's access permanently is too harsh and does not address the root cause.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Separation of duties; disable the employee's account until an investigation is complete
Why it's wrong here
Disabling the account is unnecessary and harsh since the employee did not misuse.
- ✗
Accountability; remove the 'Finance User' role from all employees
Why it's wrong here
Removing the role from everyone is excessive and disrupts operations.
- ✗
Least privilege; revoke the employee's access permanently
Why it's wrong here
The employee is not at fault; revoking access would disrupt their work.
- ✓
Least privilege; correct the role permissions to only what is necessary
Why this is correct
This restores the principle without impacting the employee's legitimate duties.
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
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
Access control
Access control is the security practice of determining who or what is allowed to view, use, or enter a resource, and under what conditions.
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.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.