ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
An organization wants to ensure that even if an attacker compromises a user's account, the damage is limited. Which principle is most directly applied?
⚠ Common exam trap
CC often tests the application of security principles, and candidates may confuse least privilege with need-to-know or separation of duties, especially when the scenario involves limiting damage from a compromised account.
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
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Least privilege
Least privilege is the principle of granting users only the minimum access rights necessary to perform their job functions. If an attacker compromises a user's account, the damage is limited because the account has restricted permissions. This directly addresses limiting damage from a compromised account.
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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Least privilege
Why this is correct
Least privilege grants each account only the permissions its role requires, so a compromised user account exposes a narrow slice of resources rather than the whole environment. Limiting standing access directly caps the blast radius an attacker can reach after credential theft.
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Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties splits a critical task across multiple people to prevent fraud, not to contain a single compromised account. It is tempting because it limits one person's power, but least privilege is the correct principle when the requirement is capping the blast radius of one compromised identity.
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Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defence in depth layers independent controls so failure of one does not cause breach; it does not itself bound what a single compromised account can reach. It is tempting as a broad security principle, but least privilege is the correct answer when the stated goal is limiting damage from one compromised account.
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Need-to-know
Why it's wrong here
Need-to-know restricts access to specific information for a particular task, not the breadth of permissions an account holds. It is tempting because it sounds restrictive, but least privilege is the correct principle when the requirement is limiting the damage a compromised account can cause across systems.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Key term
Access control
Access control is the security practice of determining who or what is allowed to view, use, or enter a resource, and under what conditions.
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 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.