ISC2 CC Access Controls Concepts Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are best practices for privileged account management? (Select THREE.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is selecting convenience-based options (same account, full access) that sound efficient but violate least privilege and separation of duties, which are core to privileged account management.
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
✓
Use a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution to monitor and control admin access
Option A is correct because a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution provides vaulting, session monitoring, recording, and just-in-time elevation of administrative credentials, which are core best practices for controlling and auditing privileged access. Option C is correct because separating administrative accounts from everyday user accounts prevents credential theft from routine activities like email and web browsing from directly yielding privileged access, and it supports non-repudiation of admin actions. Option E is correct because applying the principle of least privilege ensures administrators receive only the rights required for their specific role, reducing the attack surface and limiting lateral movement if an admin account is compromised. Option B is not a best practice because reusing a single admin account for daily tasks exposes high-privilege credentials to phishing, malware, and credential-dumping attacks. Option D is not a best practice because granting permanent full access to all systems violates least privilege and removes accountability, making misuse or compromise far more damaging.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Use a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution to monitor and control admin access
Why this is correct
A PAM solution vaults credentials, brokers sessions and logs administrative activity, directly satisfying the monitoring and control requirement for privileged account management. It removes standing access by checking out credentials per session, giving accountability and auditability that shared or unmanaged admin accounts lack.
- ✗
Use the same admin account for daily tasks to simplify management
Why it's wrong here
Reusing one admin account for email and browsing exposes privileged credentials to phishing and malware, defeating the purpose of tiered administration. It is tempting because consolidating accounts reduces the number of credentials to manage, and would be correct only for non-privileged shared service accounts with no elevated rights.
- ✓
Create a separate admin account for administrative tasks, distinct from daily use account
Why this is correct
Separating administrative credentials from everyday accounts satisfies the privileged account management requirement to limit exposure. Malware or phishing encountered during email and web browsing then cannot inherit administrative rights, containing compromise of the daily-use account.
- ✗
Grant administrators full access to all systems at all times for convenience
Why it's wrong here
Permanent full access violates least privilege, so any compromised admin session yields unrestricted control across every system. It is tempting because always-on access removes the friction of requesting elevation, and would be correct only for break-glass accounts whose use is monitored, time-limited and justified by emergency access.
- ✓
Apply the principle of least privilege to administrative accounts
Why this is correct
Granting administrators only the permissions their duties require satisfies the least-privilege requirement for privileged account management. It shrinks the blast radius of a compromised admin account, preventing unnecessary rights from being abused for lateral movement or destructive changes.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Risk Management and Security Controls
Key term
Malware
Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause damage, disrupt operations, steal data, or gain unauthorized access to computer systems.
Key term
Non-repudiation
Non-repudiation is a security principle that ensures a party in a digital transaction cannot deny their involvement or the authenticity of their digital signature.
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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
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.