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ISC2 CC Practice Question: Your organization is implementing a new access…
Your organization is implementing a new access control system to protect a highly sensitive research database. The security policy mandates that no single individual should have the ability to both approve and execute changes to the database. This is to prevent fraud and errors. Which security principle does this policy enforce, and which of the following best implements it?
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
✓
Separation of duties; require that one person submits a change request and another person implements it
Correct: Separation of duties; requiring two different people for approval and execution (C). This principle prevents a single individual from having conflicting responsibilities, reducing risk of fraud or error. Option A is wrong because defense in depth involves multiple layers of security, not separation of roles. Option B is wrong because accountability through logging and auditing does not prevent a single person from both approving and executing changes. Option D is wrong because least privilege would still allow the same person to both approve and execute, albeit with limited permissions, violating the policy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Defense in depth; require both parties to authenticate
Why it's wrong here
Defence in depth layers independent controls; it does not itself separate the approver and executor roles the policy demands. Requiring both parties to authenticate is tempting as an added control, but authentication alone leaves one individual able to both approve and execute, breaching separation of duties.
- ✗
Accountability; log all changes and have an auditor review them
Why it's wrong here
Accountability logs who acted but cannot stop one person holding both approval and execution rights; the policy demands separation of duties. Auditing is detective, not preventive. Accountability would be the right principle when the goal is traceability of actions after the fact, not preventing conflicting privileges.
- ✓
Separation of duties; require that one person submits a change request and another person implements it
Why this is correct
Separation of duties splits authorisation from execution so no single person can both approve and perform a change. Requiring one individual to submit the change request and a different individual to implement it enforces that split, preventing fraud and errors in the sensitive research database.
- ✗
Least privilege; assign the same person as approver and executor but with limited permissions
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties, not least privilege, is the principle: splitting approval from execution prevents one person completing a fraudulent change. Least privilege limits each user's permissions, which is tempting here, but assigning both roles to one person directly violates the mandated split regardless of how narrow those permissions are.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Access Control Fundamentals
Key term
Risk
Risk is the possibility that an event or action will negatively affect an organization's ability to achieve its goals, often measured in terms of likelihood and impact.
Key term
Policy
A policy is a set of rules or guidelines that defines how an organization manages, secures, and operates its IT systems and services.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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