easyMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: Requires that two different administrators…
An organization requires that two different administrators approve changes to firewall rules. This is an example of which security principle?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing separation of duties with least privilege; both limit privilege, but only separation of duties requires multiple people to complete one critical action.
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
Requiring two different administrators to approve firewall changes is separation of duties, which splits a critical task among multiple people so no single individual can complete it alone. This prevents fraud, error, and unilateral abuse of privileged access.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
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 restricts each account to the minimum access needed for its role; it does not require a second person to authorise an action. Two-person approval is separation of duties, preventing one administrator from both proposing and enacting a firewall change. The temptation is that limiting administrators' power sounds like least privilege, but the axis is divided authority, not reduced permissions.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Two-person approval is separation of duties, splitting a sensitive action across distinct individuals so no single actor completes it alone. Defence in depth layers independent controls, such as firewalls plus endpoint protection plus monitoring. The temptation is that layered approval feels like added depth, but the mechanism here is dividing authority between people, not stacking technologies.
- ✓
Separation of duties
Why this is correct
Separation of duties splits a sensitive task across multiple people so no single administrator can unilaterally change firewall rules. Requiring two distinct approvers enforces this principle, preventing one person from both initiating and authorising the change.
- ✗
Need-to-know
Why it's wrong here
The scenario requires two administrators to authorise a change, which enforces separation of duties by splitting the approval task across distinct roles. Need-to-know restricts data access based on a user's job function, not on the number of approvers required for an action. It is tempting because both principles limit access, but need-to-know would be correct when an administrator should see only the firewall rules relevant to their specific role, not when dual approval is mandated.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Key term
Separation of duties
Separation of duties is a security principle that splits critical tasks and privileges among multiple people to prevent fraud, errors, and abuse of power.
Key term
Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules to protect trusted internal networks from untrusted external networks.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on CC
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An organization requires that two separate administrators approve and implement changes to firewall rules. This practice enforces which security principle?
hard- A.Least privilege
- B.Defense in depth
- C.Need to know
- ✓ D.Separation of duties
Why D: Requiring two separate administrators to approve and implement firewall rule changes enforces separation of duties. This principle ensures that no single individual has the authority to both authorize and execute a change, reducing the risk of unauthorized modifications or errors. In firewall management, this prevents a single admin from introducing malicious or misconfigured rules without oversight.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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.