hardMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A security analyst is reviewing logs and finds…
A security analyst is reviewing logs and finds that a user accessed files outside of their department. The user claims it was necessary for a project. Which principle should the analyst use to assess whether this was appropriate?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between 'least privilege' (permissions assigned to a role) and 'need to know' (justification for accessing specific data at a specific time), causing candidates to pick 'least privilege' when the scenario involves a user who already has the permission but needs to justify the 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
✓
Need to know
The 'need to know' principle restricts access to information based on the specific requirements of a user's role or project. In this scenario, the analyst must verify if the user's project actually required access to those specific files, not just if the user had the technical ability to access them. This principle is a subset of least privilege, focusing on data access rather than system permissions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Need to know
Why this is correct
Need to know limits access to data strictly required for a task, regardless of rank. The analyst must judge whether the project genuinely required those files, so this principle directly tests whether the access was appropriate rather than merely permitted.
- ✗
Accountability
Why it's wrong here
Accountability establishes that actions are attributable to an identity, but it does not by itself judge whether cross-department access was warranted. Accountability is the right principle when attributing activity, such as confirming which account performed an action.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties prevents one person holding conflicting responsibilities, typically splitting sensitive tasks across roles. It does not assess whether a single user's file access was justified, which is the question here; it applies when designing approval or transaction workflows.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege governs what access a user should hold, but the stem asks which principle evaluates whether an action taken was justified and traceable. Least privilege is the correct lens when designing or reviewing role permissions and entitlements.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Key term
Need to know
Need to know is a security principle that restricts access to information or resources only to individuals who require that access to perform their job duties.
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.
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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.