Quick Answer
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) is the correct choice because it evaluates policies by checking multiple attributes—such as time of day, location, user role, or device type—at the moment of access, enabling fine-grained, context-aware decisions like allowing entry only during business hours from a corporate office. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this question tests your understanding of how ABAC differs from simpler models like Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), which cannot dynamically factor in environmental conditions like time or location. A common trap is confusing ABAC with RBAC, but remember that ABAC uses a policy engine to evaluate attribute-based rules in real time, making it ideal for dynamic environments where access depends on changing contexts. To lock in the concept, think of ABAC as “attribute-based” because it checks the “who, what, where, when, and how” of every access request.
This CC practice question tests your understanding of access controls concepts. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A company needs to enforce access based on attributes such as time of day and location. Which access control model is most appropriate?
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
ABAC evaluates policies based on subject and object attributes.
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
Why wrong: MAC uses security labels, not flexible attributes like time.
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
Why wrong: DAC allows owners to set permissions, not attribute-based.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Why wrong: RBAC uses roles, not dynamic attributes like location.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) is the correct choice because it evaluates policies based on multiple attributes (e.g., time of day, location, user role, device type) at runtime. This allows fine-grained, context-aware access decisions, such as permitting access only during business hours from a corporate office. ABAC uses a policy engine to evaluate attribute-based rules, making it ideal for dynamic environments where access depends on environmental conditions.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)
Why this is correct
ABAC evaluates policies based on subject and object attributes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
Why it's wrong here
MAC uses security labels, not flexible attributes like time.
Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
Why it's wrong here
DAC allows owners to set permissions, not attribute-based.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Why it's wrong here
RBAC uses roles, not dynamic attributes like location.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the distinction between RBAC and ABAC by presenting a scenario with dynamic attributes (like time/location) — candidates mistakenly choose RBAC because they associate roles with access control, but RBAC cannot evaluate contextual attributes without additional mechanisms.
Detailed technical explanation
ABAC relies on a policy language such as XACML (eXtensible Access Control Markup Language) or ALFA, where policies are expressed as rules combining subject, resource, action, and environment attributes. For example, a policy might state: 'Allow access if user.department == 'HR' AND environment.time >= '09:00' AND environment.time <= '17:00' AND environment.location == 'office'.' This model scales well in cloud and zero-trust architectures, where attributes can be pulled from identity providers (IdPs), time servers, and geolocation APIs.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
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FAQ
Access Controls Concepts — This question tests Access Controls Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) — Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) is the correct choice because it evaluates policies based on multiple attributes (e.g., time of day, location, user role, device type) at runtime. This allows fine-grained, context-aware access decisions, such as permitting access only during business hours from a corporate office. ABAC uses a policy engine to evaluate attribute-based rules, making it ideal for dynamic environments where access depends on environmental conditions.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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.
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