hardMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A security incident report indicates that an…
A security incident report indicates that an employee used their access to view confidential records unrelated to their job. Which security principle was most likely violated?
⚠ Common exam trap
CC often tests the confusion between least privilege and separation of duties; candidates must distinguish between access rights (least privilege) and task division (separation of duties).
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
✓
Least privilege
Least privilege means users should have only the minimum access necessary to perform their job. Viewing confidential records unrelated to their job violates this principle because the user had access beyond what was required.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties splits a sensitive task across multiple people to prevent fraud, whereas one employee simply reading records outside their remit breaches least privilege. It is tempting because both are access-control principles, and separation of duties would be correct if the employee could both raise and approve payments alone.
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Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability concerns uptime and reachability of data or systems, so unauthorised viewing of records does not breach it. It is tempting because availability is one leg of the CIA triad and is genuinely at risk during denial-of-service or ransomware events, where restoring access becomes the priority.
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Least privilege
Why this is correct
Least privilege grants users only the access needed for their duties. Viewing confidential records unrelated to the job exceeds that granted scope, so the principle was breached. The employee's permissions were broader than the role required, enabling inappropriate access.
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Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation proves an action occurred and who performed it; it does not restrict access to records. The violation is least privilege, since the employee reached data outside their job scope. Non-repudiation would be the focus when disputing whether someone performed a logged action.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Incident Response and Management
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.
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
About these practice questions
This CC question is part of Courseiva's 989-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.