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ISC2 CC Practice Question: During a security audit, it is discovered that a…
During a security audit, it is discovered that a single employee can approve purchase orders and also receive the goods. Which security principle is being violated?
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
The scenario describes a single employee having both the ability to approve purchase orders and receive goods, which creates a conflict of interest and increases the risk of fraud. This violates the principle of separation of duties, which requires that conflicting tasks be divided among different individuals. Option A (Separation of duties) is the correct principle. Option B (Defense in depth) refers to layered security controls, not task segregation. Option C (Least privilege) limits user access rights to the minimum necessary for their role, which is not the primary issue here. Option D (Need-to-know) restricts access to data only to those who require it for their job functions, which is also not directly violated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
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 prevents conflicts by dividing critical tasks.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth involves multiple security layers.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege is about minimum access permissions, not task separation.
- ✗
Need-to-know
Why it's wrong here
Need-to-know restricts data access to those who require it.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
Risk
Risk is the possibility that an event or action will negatively affect an organization's ability to achieve its goals, often measured in terms of likelihood and impact.
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.
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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.