ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
A system administrator uses a separate administrative account with elevated privileges only when performing system maintenance, and uses a standard user account for daily activities like email. This practice aligns with which principle?
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 for administrators: using separate admin accounts minimizes the risk of accidental changes or compromise, as the admin account is only used when needed.
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 it's wrong here
Need-to-know applies to data access, not account usage.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth is about layered controls, not account management.
- ✓
Least privilege
Why this is correct
Using separate accounts ensures admin rights are only used when necessary, adhering to least privilege.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties involves multiple people, not separate accounts for one person.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Risk Management and Security Controls
Key term
User account
A user account is a digital identity that allows a person to access a computer system, network, or application with specific permissions and settings.
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.