Quick Answer
The answer is separation of duties, as requiring two different people to initiate and approve a financial transaction is a textbook example of this access control concept. Separation of duties works by dividing a critical process into distinct steps performed by separate individuals, ensuring that no single person has unchecked control over a sensitive operation. This directly mitigates the risk of fraud, error, or abuse by enforcing checks and balances. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how access control principles are applied in real-world policies; a common trap is confusing it with dual control or least privilege, but remember that separation of duties focuses on splitting responsibilities, not just requiring multiple approvals. For a quick memory tip, think “two hands on the same task, but never the same person”—if one employee can both start and finish a transaction, it’s not separation of duties.
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.
A company implements a policy where a financial transaction must be initiated by one employee and approved by a different employee. This is an example of which access control concept?
Need-to-know
Why wrong: Need-to-know restricts data access, not task division.
Separation of duties
Separation of duties requires multiple people to complete a sensitive task.
Least privilege
Why wrong: Least privilege is about minimal permissions, not splitting tasks.
Job rotation
Why wrong: Job rotation moves people through roles over time.
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 an access control concept that requires a critical task, such as a financial transaction, to be split into multiple steps performed by different individuals. This prevents any single employee from having the authority to both initiate and approve a transaction, thereby reducing the risk of fraud or error. In this scenario, the policy directly enforces SoD by ensuring that no one person can complete the entire process alone.
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.
Need-to-know
Why it's wrong here
Need-to-know restricts data access, not task division.
Separation of duties
Why this is correct
Separation of duties requires multiple people to complete a sensitive task.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege is about minimal permissions, not splitting tasks.
Job rotation
Why it's wrong here
Job rotation moves people through roles over time.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests candidates by confusing separation of duties with least privilege, as both involve limiting user actions, but the key distinction is that separation of duties requires multiple people to complete a task, while least privilege only limits the permissions of a single user.
Detailed technical explanation
Separation of duties is often implemented through dual-control mechanisms, such as requiring two different users to enter separate parts of a cryptographic key or to authorize a wire transfer in a financial system. Under the hood, this concept maps to the principle of 'two-person integrity' (2PI) in security models, where a single user cannot bypass the control even with elevated privileges. In real-world scenarios, a bank might require a teller to initiate a large transfer and a manager to approve it, with the system logging both actions and rejecting any attempt by the same user to perform both steps.
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
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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 an access control concept that requires a critical task, such as a financial transaction, to be split into multiple steps performed by different individuals. This prevents any single employee from having the authority to both initiate and approve a transaction, thereby reducing the risk of fraud or error. In this scenario, the policy directly enforces SoD by ensuring that no one person can complete the entire process alone.
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 →
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. An organization wants to ensure that no single employee can both request and approve a payment. Which access control principle does this enforce?
easyWhy A: 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.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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