ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
A security analyst is reviewing an access control list on a file server and notices that a former employee's account still has read and write permissions, even though the account was disabled three months ago. Which access control practice failed in this situation?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that disabling an account automatically removes its permissions, when in fact permissions often persist and must be explicitly revoked.
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
✓
Access revocation during offboarding
Offboarding should include disabling the account and removing or transferring all associated permissions. The scenario shows that the account was disabled but its read and write permissions on the file server remained, indicating that access revocation was incomplete. Least privilege, separation of duties, and account recertification are valuable controls, but they do not directly describe the failure to strip permissions when the employee departed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Account recertification
Why it's wrong here
Account recertification is a periodic review where managers confirm that users still need their access. While recertification could have caught the issue, the scenario highlights that the account was disabled but permissions remained, pointing to a failure in the revocation process itself rather than in periodic review. Recertification is a detective control, not the primary control that failed.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege means granting only the minimum access needed for a job function. The former employee may have had appropriate access while employed, so the issue is not excessive permissions during employment but rather the failure to revoke them after departure. Least privilege is related but does not specifically describe the offboarding oversight shown here.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties ensures that critical tasks are divided among multiple people to prevent fraud or errors. The scenario involves stale permissions for a departed employee, not an individual holding conflicting duties. While separation of duties is important, it does not address the failure to remove access rights when an employee leaves the organization.
- ✓
Access revocation during offboarding
Why this is correct
When an employee leaves, all access rights should be revoked as part of offboarding. Disabling the account is not sufficient if permissions remain on resources, because the account could be re-enabled or the permissions could be inherited by another account. The scenario shows that read and write permissions persisted, so the offboarding process failed to remove access properly.
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Related to this question
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Access Control Fundamentals
Key term
ACL
An Access Control List is a set of rules that determines who or what can access specific network resources or data.
Key term
Access Control List
An Access Control List is a set of rules that decides which traffic is allowed or denied entry to a network or device.
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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
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