hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
ISC2 CC Practice Question: Is implementing a new system that processes…
An organization is implementing a new system that processes financial transactions. To reduce the risk of fraud, they ensure that no single individual can both initiate and approve a transaction. Which security principle is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between 'separation of duties' and 'least privilege' by presenting a scenario where a user has too many permissions, tempting candidates to choose least privilege, but the core issue is the conflict of having both initiation and approval authority, not the amount of access.
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
✓
Separation of duties
Separation of duties (SoD) is the security principle that prevents a single individual from having conflicting responsibilities, such as both initiating and approving a financial transaction. By splitting these tasks across different roles, the organization reduces the risk of fraud or error because collusion would be required to bypass controls. This is a core internal control mechanism in financial systems and aligns with the principle of dual control.
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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Need to know
Why it's wrong here
Need to know restricts information access.
- ✓
Separation of duties
Why this is correct
Correct. Initiation and approval are separate duties.
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Accountability
Why it's wrong here
Accountability is about tracing actions to individuals.
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Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege is about minimal access, not task separation.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
Risk
Risk is the possibility that an event or action will negatively affect an organization's ability to achieve its goals, often measured in terms of likelihood and impact.
Key term
Organization
An Organization is a top-level container in Google Cloud that represents your company or entities and serves as the root node for all your cloud resources, policies, and access control.
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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.