Quick Answer
The answer is governance. This is correct because governance is the security principle focused on establishing policies, processes, and oversight to ensure that security activities align with business objectives. A formal change management process requiring change control board approval is a classic governance mechanism—it creates a structured, auditable framework for managing risk in production systems, rather than relying on technical controls alone. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish governance from other principles like compliance, risk management, or access control; a common trap is confusing governance with a technical control like change auditing. Remember that governance is about the “who decides and how,” not the “what tool is used.” Memory tip: think of governance as the rulebook and the change control board as the referee—both enforce process, not technology.
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security principles. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A security policy requires that all changes to a production system go through a formal change management process with approval from a change control board. This is an example of which security principle?
Least privilege
Why wrong: Least privilege concerns access rights, not change approval procedures.
Governance
Correct. The structured approval board and process exemplify security governance.
Defense in depth
Why wrong: Defense in depth refers to layered technical controls, not process governance.
Separation of duties
Why wrong: While separation of duties may be part of change management, the overall process is governance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Governance
Governance involves establishing policies, processes, and oversight to ensure security aligns with business objectives. The formal change management process is a governance mechanism.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege concerns access rights, not change approval procedures.
Governance
Why this is correct
Correct. The structured approval board and process exemplify security governance.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth refers to layered technical controls, not process governance.
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
While separation of duties may be part of change management, the overall process is governance.
Common exam traps
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related CC questions on access control and AAA configuration.
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FAQ
Security Principles — This question tests Security Principles — Authentication checks who the user is..
The correct answer is: Governance — Governance involves establishing policies, processes, and oversight to ensure security aligns with business objectives. The formal change management process is a governance mechanism.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related CC questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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