- A
Implement a privileged identity management (PIM) solution to manage access to the financial applications.
Why wrong: PIM is for privileged access, not for resolving MFA prompt frequency issues.
- B
Increase the sign-in frequency and session timeout values in the Conditional Access policies for all users to 24 hours.
Why wrong: This would reduce password prompts but not necessarily MFA prompts and may weaken security.
- C
Review the Conditional Access policy for the financial applications to ensure that the 'Session' controls are configured to 'Use app enforced restrictions' and adjust MFA trust settings.
Session controls can configure MFA reauthentication frequency and improve user experience.
- D
Disable Seamless SSO and require users to enter passwords each time to ensure token freshness.
Why wrong: This would increase authentication friction and likely worsen complaints.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to review the Conditional Access policy for the financial applications and adjust the session controls, specifically the sign-in frequency and persistent browser session settings. This resolves excessive MFA prompts because these session controls directly govern token lifetimes and reauthentication intervals; by extending the sign-in frequency to a reasonable duration like 24 hours and enabling MFA trust for compliant devices, you reduce redundant challenges without lowering security. On the CISSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of identity and access management (IAM) within a hybrid Azure AD environment, often appearing as a distractor where candidates mistakenly focus on synchronization errors or group membership issues. A common trap is assuming the problem lies with Azure AD Connect or MFA configuration, when the real culprit is session token expiration. Memory tip: think of session controls as the “re-prompt governor”—adjusting the frequency is like setting a cruise control for authentication, keeping users moving without unnecessary stops.
CISSP Identity and Access Management Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 services company with 5000 employees uses a hybrid identity model with on-premises Active Directory (AD) synchronized to Azure AD via Azure AD Connect. The company has recently deployed Microsoft 365 and uses it for email and file sharing. Users authenticate to Azure AD using password hash synchronization (PHS) with Seamless Single Sign-On (SSO). The security team has implemented Conditional Access policies to require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all external access and for access to sensitive financial applications. Recently, the help desk has received numerous complaints from users working remotely that they are frequently prompted for MFA, even multiple times during a single work session, causing frustration and productivity loss. Additionally, some users report that they are unable to access certain financial applications despite being in the correct group membership. An investigation reveals that Azure AD Connect synchronization is occurring successfully and that MFA configurations appear correct. The security team suspects that the issue may be related to the Conditional Access session settings or token lifetimes. What is the BEST course of action to diagnose and resolve the primary issue of excessive MFA prompts while maintaining security?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Review the Conditional Access policy for the financial applications to ensure that the 'Session' controls are configured to 'Use app enforced restrictions' and adjust MFA trust settings.
Option C is correct because the issue of excessive MFA prompts while maintaining security is best resolved by reviewing the Conditional Access session controls. Specifically, the 'Sign-in frequency' and 'Persistent browser session' settings in the session controls determine how often users are re-prompted for MFA. By adjusting these settings (e.g., setting sign-in frequency to a longer duration like 24 hours) and ensuring MFA trust settings are configured to allow trusted devices or locations, the security team can reduce unnecessary prompts without weakening security. This directly addresses the user complaints while keeping Conditional Access policies intact.
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.
- ✗
Implement a privileged identity management (PIM) solution to manage access to the financial applications.
Why it's wrong here
PIM is for privileged access, not for resolving MFA prompt frequency issues.
- ✗
Increase the sign-in frequency and session timeout values in the Conditional Access policies for all users to 24 hours.
Why it's wrong here
This would reduce password prompts but not necessarily MFA prompts and may weaken security.
- ✓
Review the Conditional Access policy for the financial applications to ensure that the 'Session' controls are configured to 'Use app enforced restrictions' and adjust MFA trust settings.
Why this is correct
Session controls can configure MFA reauthentication frequency and improve user experience.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Disable Seamless SSO and require users to enter passwords each time to ensure token freshness.
Why it's wrong here
This would increase authentication friction and likely worsen complaints.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse session controls with authentication methods or assume that increasing token lifetimes globally (Option B) is the solution, when in fact the issue is about Conditional Access session settings that control MFA re-prompt behavior, not about overall token expiration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Azure AD Conditional Access session controls use OAuth 2.0 token lifetimes (access tokens, refresh tokens) and the 'Sign-in frequency' setting to determine when a user must re-authenticate. The 'Use app enforced restrictions' option in session controls delegates session management to the application, which may not respect Azure AD's MFA trust settings. In real-world scenarios, misconfigured session controls can cause MFA prompts every time a new token is requested, even within the same session, because the refresh token is not considered trusted. Adjusting the 'Sign-in frequency' to a longer duration (e.g., 24 hours) and enabling 'Persistent browser session' can reduce prompts while still requiring MFA for new sessions or high-risk sign-ins.
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.
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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Identity and Access Management — study guide chapter
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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: Review the Conditional Access policy for the financial applications to ensure that the 'Session' controls are configured to 'Use app enforced restrictions' and adjust MFA trust settings. — Option C is correct because the issue of excessive MFA prompts while maintaining security is best resolved by reviewing the Conditional Access session controls. Specifically, the 'Sign-in frequency' and 'Persistent browser session' settings in the session controls determine how often users are re-prompted for MFA. By adjusting these settings (e.g., setting sign-in frequency to a longer duration like 24 hours) and ensuring MFA trust settings are configured to allow trusted devices or locations, the security team can reduce unnecessary prompts without weakening security. This directly addresses the user complaints while keeping Conditional Access policies intact.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best", "primary". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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