hardMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Practice Question: Wants to implement a system that enforces access…
An organization wants to implement a system that enforces access decisions based on a user's attributes (e.g., department, clearance, time) and environmental conditions. Which model is best?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that RBAC can handle dynamic conditions like time or location, but RBAC only maps users to roles with static permissions, whereas ABAC explicitly evaluates environmental attributes as part of the access decision.
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
✓
Attribute-based access control (ABAC)
Attribute-based access control (ABAC) is the correct model because it evaluates access decisions based on a combination of user attributes (e.g., department, clearance), resource attributes, and environmental conditions (e.g., time of day, location). Unlike RBAC, which relies solely on predefined roles, ABAC uses policies that can incorporate dynamic factors like current time or threat level, making it ideal for fine-grained, context-aware enforcement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Role-based access control (RBAC)
Why it's wrong here
RBAC grants permissions through static job roles, so department, clearance and time conditions cannot drive each decision. It is tempting because RBAC scales well for stable organisational roles, and would be correct where access maps cleanly to job functions rather than dynamic attributes.
- ✓
Attribute-based access control (ABAC)
Why this is correct
ABAC evaluates policies against any combination of subject, resource, action and environmental attributes, such as department, clearance and time. This dynamic, fine-grained evaluation satisfies the requirement to enforce decisions on user attributes plus environmental conditions.
- ✗
Discretionary access control (DAC)
Why it's wrong here
DAC lets resource owners set permissions at their discretion, so access does not follow centrally evaluated user attributes or environmental conditions. It is tempting because DAC is simple to administer in small environments, and would be correct where owners, not policy attributes, should control sharing decisions.
- ✗
Mandatory access control (MAC)
Why it's wrong here
MAC enforces access via system-assigned labels and clearance levels, not the flexible attribute and environmental conditions described. It is tempting because MAC suits high-assurance environments needing strict confidentiality enforcement, and would be correct where classification labels, not runtime attributes, govern access.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Access Control Fundamentals
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.
About these practice questions
This CC question is part of Courseiva's 989-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.