ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
A financial services firm classifies documents as Public, Internal, Confidential, and Restricted. Access to Restricted documents is determined solely by the document's classification label and the user's clearance level, and users cannot change either value. Which statement best describes this arrangement?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is equating written classification policy with rule-based access control, when the immutable label-versus-clearance comparison is what makes the model mandatory.
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
✓
It is mandatory access control because labels and clearances are enforced by the system and cannot be changed by users.
Access decisions driven by immutable system labels compared against a subject's clearance define mandatory access control. Because users cannot alter the classification of a document or their own clearance, the system, not the owner, dictates access. Role-based and rule-based models instead key on job function or global conditions, and discretionary models allow owner control.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It is role-based access control because clearance levels map to job roles.
Why it's wrong here
Role-based access control grants permissions according to job functions such as analyst or auditor, and the focus is on what tasks a role performs. Here the deciding factor is a document label compared to a clearance, not a functional role, so describing the scheme as role-based access control misidentifies the governing mechanism.
- ✓
It is mandatory access control because labels and clearances are enforced by the system and cannot be changed by users.
Why this is correct
Mandatory access control bases every access decision on system-assigned labels compared against the subject's clearance, and users are not permitted to modify those values. Because the Restricted classification and the user clearance levels are centrally controlled and immutable to users, this arrangement is a textbook mandatory access control implementation.
- ✗
It is rule-based access control because classification follows written policy.
Why it's wrong here
Rule-based access control enforces global conditions such as time windows or network ranges for all subjects. Although a written policy exists here, the operative control is the comparison of immutable labels and clearances, which is the defining behavior of mandatory access control rather than a global rule set.
- ✗
It is discretionary access control because document owners set the labels.
Why it's wrong here
Discretionary access control lets resource owners decide who may access their resources, and owners can change permissions at will. In this firm, users cannot alter classification labels or clearances, and access is dictated by the system rather than owner discretion, so the arrangement is not discretionary access control.
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
Access Control Fundamentals
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.
Key term
Labels
Labels are descriptive text or tags attached to IT resources to organize, identify, and manage them based on attributes like purpose, environment, or owner.
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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.