ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
An organization uses fencing, bollards, and lighting around the perimeter, guards at the main entrance, and biometric readers on server room doors. This approach is an example of:
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse defense in depth with least privilege or separation of duties because all are 'security best practices' — candidates must recognize that only defense in depth describes multiple layered controls protecting the same asset.
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
✓
Defense in depth
Defense in depth is a layered security strategy where multiple overlapping controls are deployed so that if one fails, others still protect the asset. The scenario shows physical perimeter controls (fencing, bollards, lighting), personnel controls (guards), and logical/physical access controls (biometric readers) — clearly multiple layers. This matches the core definition of defense in depth.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Defense in depth
Why this is correct
Fencing, bollards, lighting, guards, and biometric readers are distinct control layers, each imposing a separate obstacle before the next. An attacker must defeat all layers sequentially, which is precisely the layered, delay-and-detect approach defence in depth describes.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties splits one process across multiple people to prevent fraud. The scenario layers physical controls — fencing, guards, biometrics — so compromising one does not grant access, which is defense in depth, not task division among personnel.
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Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege limits an identity's rights to the minimum required for its role. The scenario instead stacks independent physical barriers and checkpoints, so defeating one control still leaves others, which is defense in depth rather than permission minimisation.
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Need-to-know
Why it's wrong here
Need-to-know governs data access, granting individuals only the information their role requires; it does not describe layered physical controls such as fencing, guards and biometric readers. It is tempting because it is a genuine security principle, and it would be the correct choice if the scenario concerned restricting access to classified documents or systems rather than perimeter defence.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Physical Access Controls
Key term
Asset
In IT and cybersecurity, an asset is anything valuable that an organization owns or controls, including data, hardware, software, people, and intellectual property.
Key term
Defense in depth
Defense in depth is a cybersecurity strategy that uses multiple layers of security controls to protect information and systems, so if one layer fails, another layer is already in place to stop the attack.
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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.