Quick Answer
The answer is security awareness training and security policies. These are correct because administrative security controls are human-focused policies, procedures, and guidelines designed to manage risk through people and processes, rather than through hardware or software. Security awareness training educates users on safe practices, while security policies establish the rules for acceptable use and data protection—both are foundational administrative controls. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish administrative controls from technical controls like firewalls or encryption, and physical controls like biometrics. A common trap is confusing security awareness training with a technical solution, but remember it is a people-based control. For a quick memory tip, think of the three A’s of administrative controls: Awareness, Agreements, and Audits—all centered on human behavior and organizational rules.
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security principles. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO of the following are examples of administrative security controls?
Firewall rule sets
Why wrong: Firewalls are technical controls.
Data encryption
Why wrong: Encryption is a technical control.
Biometric access controls
Why wrong: Biometrics are physical/technical controls.
Security policies and procedures
Policies are administrative controls that govern behavior.
Security awareness training
Training is an administrative control to educate users.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Security policies and procedures
Options B and D are correct because security policies and security awareness training are administrative controls. Firewalls (A) are technical controls. Biometrics (C) is physical/technical. Encryption (E) is technical.
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.
Firewall rule sets
Why it's wrong here
Firewalls are technical controls.
Data encryption
Why it's wrong here
Encryption is a technical control.
Biometric access controls
Why it's wrong here
Biometrics are physical/technical controls.
Security policies and procedures
Why this is correct
Policies are administrative controls that govern behavior.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Security awareness training
Why this is correct
Training is an administrative control to educate users.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
What to study next
Identify which CC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Security Principles — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Security Principles — This question tests Security Principles — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Security policies and procedures — Options B and D are correct because security policies and security awareness training are administrative controls. Firewalls (A) are technical controls. Biometrics (C) is physical/technical. Encryption (E) is technical.
Identify which CC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO of the following are examples of administrative security controls? (Choose two.)
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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.
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