hardMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A financial services firm has a data center that…
A financial services firm has a data center that houses customer financial records. They have implemented a defense-in-depth strategy including firewalls, IDS/IPS, and encryption. Recently, an internal audit revealed that a junior administrator has been logging into the database server with a shared admin account and has made unauthorized changes to customer records. The company wants to prevent such incidents in the future while maintaining operational efficiency. The current environment uses Linux servers with PostgreSQL databases. There is no centralized authentication system. What is the BEST action to take?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that encryption or network controls can solve insider threats, when in reality, only user-level accountability and audit trails can prevent and trace unauthorized actions by authenticated users.
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
✓
Disable all shared accounts and implement individual accounts with role-based access control and audit logging
The core issue is the lack of accountability due to a shared admin account. Disabling shared accounts and implementing individual accounts with role-based access control (RBAC) and audit logging directly addresses this by ensuring each action is tied to a specific user, enabling non-repudiation and precise forensic analysis. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and is the most effective way to prevent unauthorized changes while maintaining operational efficiency through granular permission management.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the frequency of password changes for the shared admin account
Why it's wrong here
Frequent rotation of a shared password leaves the account non-attributable, so the junior administrator can still make unauthorised changes undetected. Rotation policy suits limiting credential exposure windows, not separating individual identities, which requires per-user accounts or centralised authentication.
- ✓
Disable all shared accounts and implement individual accounts with role-based access control and audit logging
Why this is correct
Eliminating shared accounts removes attribution ambiguity, while individual accounts with role-based access control and audit logging tie every database change to a named person. This satisfies the stem's constraint of preventing unauthorised changes on Linux PostgreSQL servers lacking centralised authentication.
- ✗
Use database encryption to prevent unauthorized changes
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects data confidentiality at rest and in transit; it cannot stop an authenticated administrator from issuing legitimate UPDATE statements, since the database decrypts transparently for authorised sessions. It is tempting because encryption is a core defence-in-depth control, and would be correct for protecting records if the server or backups were physically stolen.
- ✗
Implement a network access control (NAC) solution to restrict database access to specific IP addresses
Why it's wrong here
NAC restricts which hosts reach the database, but the junior administrator already had legitimate network access, so IP filtering cannot stop misuse of the shared account. NAC suits blocking rogue devices at the network edge, not attributing or limiting individual database actions.
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
Incident Response and Management
Key term
Accountability
Accountability is the security principle that ensures actions and identity are linked so that a person or system can be held responsible for their activities.
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.
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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.