CISSP Identity and Access Management Practice Question
A security analyst is reviewing access controls for a financial application. Which TWO of the following are considered best practices for preventing fraud? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'least privilege' (a preventive control for limiting access) with 'separation of duties' (a detective/preventive control for fraud), or they incorrectly think 'password complexity' or 'single sign-on' directly prevent fraud when they only address authentication security.
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
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Two-person control
Two-person control (D) is a best practice for preventing fraud because it requires two authorized individuals to perform a critical action, such as approving a high-value transaction or accessing a sensitive system. This ensures collusion is needed to commit fraud, as no single person can complete the action alone. In a financial application, this might involve dual approval for wire transfers over a threshold, directly mitigating insider threats.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Password complexity
Why it's wrong here
Password complexity mandates specific requirements for user passwords, such as minimum length, inclusion of special characters, and a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. While this significantly strengthens the authentication process by making passwords harder to guess or crack through brute-force or dictionary attacks, it does not inherently prevent an *authenticated* user from committing fraud. It focuses on *who* can access a system, not *how many* people are required to approve or execute a sensitive transaction.
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Single sign-on
Why it's wrong here
Single sign-on (SSO) allows users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple independent software systems without re-authenticating. Its primary benefits are enhanced user convenience, reduced password fatigue, and streamlined identity management. However, SSO is an access simplification mechanism; it does not introduce controls that require multiple individuals to authorize or complete a sensitive financial transaction. An authenticated user, even via SSO, could still perform fraudulent actions if other controls are not in place.
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Least privilege
Why it's wrong here
The principle of least privilege dictates that users, programs, or processes should be granted only the minimum necessary access rights to perform their legitimate functions. While crucial for reducing the attack surface and limiting the potential damage from a compromised account or insider threat, least privilege does not inherently mandate the involvement of multiple individuals for a single action. A user operating with least privilege could still execute a fraudulent transaction if their limited permissions allow them to complete the entire process independently.
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Two-person control
Why this is correct
Two-person control, also known as the "two-man rule" or dual control, is a procedural security mechanism requiring the simultaneous involvement and agreement of two authorized individuals to perform a critical or sensitive action. This control prevents a single person from initiating or completing a high-risk transaction or operation, significantly mitigating the risk of fraud, error, or malicious intent by ensuring mutual oversight and accountability. It directly addresses the need for multiple people to complete a sensitive action.
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Separation of duties
Why this is correct
Separation of duties (SoD) is an internal control principle designed to prevent fraud and error by distributing critical tasks and privileges among different individuals. It ensures that no single person possesses all the necessary authority or information to complete an entire sensitive process, such as creating a vendor, approving an invoice, and processing payment. By requiring collusion between multiple individuals to perpetrate fraud, SoD significantly enhances accountability and reduces the risk of unauthorized actions.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.