Quick Answer
The answer is least privilege and separation of duties. Least privilege ensures users are granted only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job functions, reducing the attack surface and limiting potential damage from compromised accounts. Separation of duties prevents any single individual from having excessive control over critical processes by dividing tasks and privileges among multiple people, which reduces the risk of fraud or error, as collusion is required to bypass controls. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, these two principles are frequently tested together as foundational access control concepts, often appearing in scenario-based questions where you must identify which controls prevent insider threats or privilege abuse. A common trap is confusing separation of duties with dual control—remember that separation of duties splits tasks across roles, while dual control requires two people to act simultaneously. For a quick memory tip, think “need-to-know plus no single point of failure” to recall least privilege and separation of duties.
This CC practice question tests your understanding of access controls concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO are principles of access control?
Separation of duties
Principle that no single person has excessive control.
Security through obscurity
Why wrong: Obscurity is not a recommended principle.
Multifactor authentication
Why wrong: MFA is an authentication mechanism, not a principle.
Single sign-on (SSO)
Why wrong: SSO is a convenience mechanism, not a principle.
Least privilege
Principle that users have minimum permissions necessary.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Separation of duties
Separation of duties is a principle of access control that prevents any single individual from having excessive control over critical processes by dividing tasks and privileges among multiple people. This reduces the risk of fraud or error, as collusion is required to bypass controls. It is a foundational concept in security frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 and is often enforced through role-based access control (RBAC) policies.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Separation of duties
Why this is correct
Principle that no single person has excessive control.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Security through obscurity
Why it's wrong here
Obscurity is not a recommended principle.
Multifactor authentication
Why it's wrong here
MFA is an authentication mechanism, not a principle.
Single sign-on (SSO)
Why it's wrong here
SSO is a convenience mechanism, not a principle.
Least privilege
Why this is correct
Principle that users have minimum permissions necessary.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the distinction between access control principles (like least privilege and separation of duties) and access control mechanisms or technologies (like multifactor authentication and SSO), causing candidates to confuse a method for a principle.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, separation of duties is implemented by splitting sensitive operations into distinct steps, each requiring a different user role—for example, in a financial system, one user creates a purchase order, another approves it, and a third processes payment. This is often enforced using attribute-based access control (ABAC) policies that check user attributes and context before allowing any action. In real-world scenarios, such as in PCI DSS compliance, separation of duties is mandatory to prevent a single employee from both issuing and approving a transaction, reducing insider threat risk.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
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Access Controls Concepts — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Access Controls Concepts — This question tests Access Controls Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Separation of duties — Separation of duties is a principle of access control that prevents any single individual from having excessive control over critical processes by dividing tasks and privileges among multiple people. This reduces the risk of fraud or error, as collusion is required to bypass controls. It is a foundational concept in security frameworks like NIST SP 800-53 and is often enforced through role-based access control (RBAC) policies.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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