The correct answer is to conduct a quarterly review and recertification of role memberships and permissions, as this is the industry-standard practice for combating permission creep in an RBAC system. This process directly enforces the principle of least privilege by ensuring that role assignments are periodically validated against current job functions, removing any accumulated permissions that no longer align with user responsibilities after a reorganization. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this question tests your understanding of the operational lifecycle of access control—specifically, that RBAC is not a set-it-and-forget-it model but requires ongoing governance through formal, auditable recertification. A common trap is choosing a one-time cleanup or manual removal, which lacks the periodic, systematic control that recertification provides. Remember the mnemonic: **Q-REC**—Quarterly Recertification Eliminates Creep.
ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
This CC practice question tests your understanding of access controls concepts. 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.
After a reorganization, a company using RBAC finds that many users have accumulated permissions that no longer align with their job functions. What is the best practice to address this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conduct a quarterly review and recertification of role memberships and permissions
Option C is correct because conducting a quarterly review and recertification of role memberships and permissions is the industry-standard practice for maintaining the principle of least privilege in an RBAC system. This process ensures that role assignments are periodically validated against current job functions, removing accumulated permissions that no longer align with user responsibilities. It directly addresses permission creep by enforcing a formal, auditable lifecycle for role membership.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Assign permissions directly to each user based on their manager's request
Why it's wrong here
This defeats the purpose of RBAC and leads to entitlement creep.
✗
Create new roles for each new position and assign users to them
Why it's wrong here
Roles should be reviewed, not just created; old roles remain.
✓
Conduct a quarterly review and recertification of role memberships and permissions
Why this is correct
Periodic recertification aligns RBAC with changing job functions.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Delete all existing permissions and re-add them based on current job descriptions
Why it's wrong here
This is too drastic and may cause unnecessary downtime.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests the misconception that a one-time cleanup (Option D) or ad-hoc direct assignments (Option A) are sufficient, when the real requirement is a continuous, auditable recertification process to maintain least privilege over time.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, RBAC relies on role hierarchies and permission sets defined in standards like NIST SP 800-53 or ISO/IEC 27001, where user-to-role mappings are stored in an identity management system (e.g., Active Directory or LDAP). A recertification process typically involves automated workflows that generate reports of current role assignments, require managers or data owners to approve or revoke access, and log all changes for compliance audits (e.g., SOX, HIPAA). In real-world scenarios, failing to recertify can lead to security breaches, as seen in cases where former employees retain access to sensitive systems long after role changes.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CC question in full detail.
Access Controls Concepts — This question tests Access Controls Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conduct a quarterly review and recertification of role memberships and permissions — Option C is correct because conducting a quarterly review and recertification of role memberships and permissions is the industry-standard practice for maintaining the principle of least privilege in an RBAC system. This process ensures that role assignments are periodically validated against current job functions, removing accumulated permissions that no longer align with user responsibilities. It directly addresses permission creep by enforcing a formal, auditable lifecycle for role membership.
What should I do if I get this CC question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.