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.
An organization wants to ensure that no single employee can both request and approve a payment. Which access control principle does this enforce?
Separation of duties
Separation of duties divides critical functions among multiple people.
Least privilege
Why wrong: Least privilege grants only necessary permissions, not separation.
Need to know
Why wrong: Need-to-know limits data access, not task separation.
Defense in depth
Why wrong: Defense in depth uses multiple security layers.
Answer choices
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 access control principle that prevents a single individual from having conflicting permissions, such as both requesting and approving a payment. By splitting the payment lifecycle into distinct roles (e.g., requester vs. approver), the organization enforces a dual-control mechanism that reduces the risk of fraud or error. This is commonly implemented in financial systems using role-based access control (RBAC) where the 'payment request' and 'payment approval' roles are mutually exclusive.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Separation of duties
Why this is correct
Separation of duties divides critical functions among multiple people.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege grants only necessary permissions, not separation.
Need to know
Why it's wrong here
Need-to-know limits data access, not task separation.
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth uses multiple security layers.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the confusion between 'separation of duties' and 'least privilege' because both limit user capabilities, but the trap is that least privilege reduces the scope of permissions for a single user while separation of duties divides a critical process across multiple users.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, separation of duties is often enforced through RBAC with mutually exclusive roles defined in an IAM policy engine (e.g., AWS IAM with 'Deny' conditions on role assignment). In a real-world ERP system like SAP, SoD is implemented via critical action combinations (e.g., T-codes FB60 for invoice posting and F-53 for payment approval) that are flagged during user provisioning. A subtle behavior is that SoD can be bypassed if a user holds a 'supervisor' role that overrides the segregation, so proper role engineering must include strict inheritance rules.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Access Controls Concepts — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Access Controls Concepts practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All CC questions
500 questions across all exam domains
ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
CC practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise CC questions linked to Access Controls Concepts.
Practise CC questions linked to Business Continuity, DR & Incident Response.
Practise CC questions linked to Security Principles.
Practise CC questions linked to Network Security.
Practise CC questions linked to Security Operations.
Practise CC questions linked to CC fundamentals.
Practise CC questions linked to CC scenario.
Practise CC questions linked to CC troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Access Controls Concepts — This question tests Access Controls Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Separation of duties — Separation of duties (SoD) is the access control principle that prevents a single individual from having conflicting permissions, such as both requesting and approving a payment. By splitting the payment lifecycle into distinct roles (e.g., requester vs. approver), the organization enforces a dual-control mechanism that reduces the risk of fraud or error. This is commonly implemented in financial systems using role-based access control (RBAC) where the 'payment request' and 'payment approval' roles are mutually exclusive.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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.