easyMultiple Choice
ISC2 CC Is an example of a detective control? Practice Question
Which of the following is an example of a detective control?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing detective controls with preventive controls. Candidates might think a firewall is detective because it logs traffic, but its primary function is prevention. Similarly, encryption is preventive, not detective. The key is to focus on the primary purpose: detection after the fact.
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
✓
Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
A detective control is designed to identify and detect security incidents or violations after they occur. An Intrusion Detection System (IDS) monitors network traffic and system activities to identify malicious activities or policy violations, making it a classic example of a detective control. It alerts administrators to potential threats, allowing them to respond.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Security awareness training
Why it's wrong here
Training shapes user behaviour before an incident, so it is preventive, not detective. It is tempting because awareness can surface phishing reports, but detection there comes from the reporting mechanism, not the training itself, which NIST classifies as an administrative preventive control.
- ✗
Firewall
Why it's wrong here
A firewall permits or blocks traffic by rule; it prevents or limits access rather than identifying activity already occurring. It is tempting because logs may record denied connections, but that logging is a separate detective function; the firewall control itself is preventive.
- ✗
Encryption
Why it's wrong here
Encryption renders data unreadable to unauthorised parties, a preventive control protecting confidentiality, not one that detects activity. It is tempting because failed decryption can signal tampering, but that detection comes from integrity monitoring, not the encryption mechanism itself.
- ✓
Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
Why this is correct
An Intrusion Detection System monitors network or host activity and raises alerts when it identifies malicious patterns. It detects and reports events after they occur rather than blocking them, which is precisely what defines a detective control.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Secure Network Architecture and Design
Key term
IDS
An IDS is a security system that monitors network or system traffic for suspicious activity and alerts administrators to potential threats, but does not actively block them.
Key term
Detection
Detection is the process of identifying potential security incidents or anomalies by analyzing system data, logs, and network traffic.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official ISC2 exam blueprint
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