The correct answer is separation of duties, a core security principle designed to prevent fraud by distributing critical tasks across multiple individuals. In the context of a credit card payment system, this means that no single administrator can both initiate and approve a transaction, effectively blocking a compromised account from authorizing fraudulent payments. This directly addresses the risk of insider threats and credential misuse, which is why the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam frequently tests this concept in scenarios involving financial controls or sensitive data processing. A common trap on the exam is confusing separation of duties with least privilege—remember that least privilege limits access rights, while separation of duties splits responsibilities to require collusion for fraud. For a quick memory tip, think of the “two-person rule”: one person cannot sign the check and also cash it.
ISC2 CC Security Principles Practice Question
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.
A company is designing a new application that processes credit card payments. They want to ensure that no single administrator can bypass security controls to approve a fraudulent transaction. Which principle should be implemented?
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 ensures that no single administrator has the authority to both initiate and approve a credit card transaction. By dividing critical functions among multiple individuals, the company prevents a single compromised account from authorizing fraudulent payments. This principle directly addresses the risk of insider threats or credential misuse in payment processing systems.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 ensures that no single individual has control over all parts of a critical transaction, reducing fraud risk.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth uses multiple security layers, but it does not inherently prevent a single administrator from bypassing controls.
✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege restricts permissions but does not prevent a single authorized user from performing a fraudulent action.
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Need to know
Why it's wrong here
Need to know restricts access to information, not actions; it is not directly applicable to transaction approval.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
ISC2 often tests separation of duties by presenting a scenario about preventing fraud or abuse, and the trap is that candidates confuse it with least privilege, thinking limiting permissions alone solves the problem, when in fact the core issue is splitting conflicting tasks across different people.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In payment processing systems, separation of duties is often enforced through dual-control mechanisms, where one administrator creates a transaction batch and another must digitally sign or approve it using separate cryptographic keys. This aligns with PCI DSS Requirement 7.2.1, which mandates that access to cardholder data be restricted based on business need-to-know and separation of duties. A real-world scenario is a bank's wire transfer system, where one officer initiates a transfer and a second officer must approve it with a different token or smart card.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CC question in full detail.
Security Principles — This question tests Security Principles — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Separation of duties — Separation of duties ensures that no single administrator has the authority to both initiate and approve a credit card transaction. By dividing critical functions among multiple individuals, the company prevents a single compromised account from authorizing fraudulent payments. This principle directly addresses the risk of insider threats or credential misuse in payment processing systems.
What should I do if I get this CC question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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