ISC2 CC Security Operations Practice Question
A security analyst is reviewing access logs and notices that a former employee's account was used to access a sensitive file share three days after the employee's termination. The account should have been disabled on the termination date. Which of the following is the MOST likely explanation for this security gap?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on file share permissions or password changes, while overlooking that an active account is the prerequisite for any authenticated access.
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
✓
The account was not disabled in the directory service after termination.
The access logs show the former employee's account was used after termination. The most direct explanation is that the account was not disabled in the directory service, allowing authentication. While file share permissions and password changes are part of offboarding, the failure to disable the account is the root cause that enabled the access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The file share permissions were not updated to remove the former employee's access.
Why it's wrong here
If the account was still active, file share permissions alone would not prevent access. The issue is that the account remained enabled, allowing authentication. While permissions should also be reviewed, the primary failure is the account not being disabled. Therefore, this is not the most likely explanation for the access.
- ✓
The account was not disabled in the directory service after termination.
Why this is correct
If the account was not disabled in the directory service, it remains active and can be used to authenticate and access resources. This directly explains how the former employee's account could access the file share after termination. The most likely explanation is a failure in the account deprovisioning process.
- ✗
The file share was configured to allow anonymous access.
Why it's wrong here
If the file share allowed anonymous access, the logs would show anonymous access, not the former employee's account. The logs indicate the account was used, so anonymous access is not the cause. This option does not align with the evidence in the logs.
- ✗
The former employee's password was not changed before termination.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the password before termination would not prevent access if the account remains enabled and the former employee knows the new password or if the password is unchanged and known. The critical issue is that the account is still active. Password changes are part of deprovisioning but are secondary to disabling the account.
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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.