- A
Separation of duties
Separation of duties prevents any single person from having conflicting responsibilities.
- B
Least privilege
Why wrong: Least privilege means minimal access, not task separation.
- C
Defense in depth
Why wrong: Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security.
- D
Need to know
Why wrong: Need to know limits access to information necessary for job.
Question 988 of 1,000
CISSP Identity and Access Management Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. 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 financial institution requires that no single employee can approve a transaction and also reconcile the account. This is an example of which security principle?
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
Separation of duties (SoD) is the security principle that prevents a single individual from having conflicting responsibilities, such as both approving a transaction and reconciling the account. This reduces the risk of fraud or error by requiring collusion between two or more people to subvert a process. In a financial system, SoD is enforced through access control mechanisms that assign distinct roles (e.g., 'Transaction Approver' and 'Account Reconciler') with mutually exclusive permissions, often implemented via Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) or attribute-based policies.
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 prevents any single person from having conflicting responsibilities.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
Least privilege means minimal access, not task separation.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security.
- ✗
Need to know
Why it's wrong here
Need to know limits access to information necessary for job.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'separation of duties' with 'least privilege' because both involve limiting access, but separation of duties specifically addresses conflicting tasks to prevent fraud, not just minimizing permissions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, separation of duties is often enforced through mandatory access control (MAC) or RBAC with mutually exclusive roles, where a user cannot be assigned both the 'approver' and 'reconciler' roles in the same context. In real-world financial systems, this is implemented using dual-control workflows, where a transaction must be approved by one user and reconciled by another, with audit logs capturing each action. The principle is codified in standards like SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley Act) for financial controls, requiring strict segregation to prevent embezzlement or accounting fraud.
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.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISSP question test?
Identity and Access Management — This question tests Identity and Access Management — 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 (SoD) is the security principle that prevents a single individual from having conflicting responsibilities, such as both approving a transaction and reconciling the account. This reduces the risk of fraud or error by requiring collusion between two or more people to subvert a process. In a financial system, SoD is enforced through access control mechanisms that assign distinct roles (e.g., 'Transaction Approver' and 'Account Reconciler') with mutually exclusive permissions, often implemented via Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) or attribute-based policies.
What should I do if I get this CISSP 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This CISSP 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 CISSP exam.
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