- A
Privileged access management
Why wrong: PAM manages privileged accounts, not general user deprovisioning.
- B
Access recertification
Why wrong: Recertification is a periodic review, not the immediate removal for leavers.
- C
Deprovisioning
Deprovisioning specifically handles removal of accounts and access.
- D
Separation of duties
Why wrong: Separation of duties divides tasks among multiple people to prevent fraud.
Question 869 of 1,000
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.
An organization is implementing identity management and wants to ensure that when an employee leaves, all access is promptly revoked. Which process is most directly responsible for removing accounts and access rights for a leaver?
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
✓
Deprovisioning
Deprovisioning is the process of removing user accounts and access rights when an employee leaves the organization. It directly addresses the requirement to promptly revoke all access, ensuring that the former employee cannot authenticate or authorize any actions within the system. This process typically involves disabling or deleting the user object in the directory service (e.g., Active Directory) and removing associated permissions from all resources.
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.
- ✗
Privileged access management
Why it's wrong here
PAM manages privileged accounts, not general user deprovisioning.
- ✗
Access recertification
Why it's wrong here
Recertification is a periodic review, not the immediate removal for leavers.
- ✓
Deprovisioning
Why this is correct
Deprovisioning specifically handles removal of accounts and access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties divides tasks among multiple people to prevent fraud.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'Access Recertification' (a periodic review) with the immediate revocation action required for a leaver, or think 'Privileged Access Management' covers all account removal, when it only addresses high-privilege accounts.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Deprovisioning often involves automated workflows triggered by HR systems (e.g., via SCIM or custom scripts) that disable the user account in the identity provider (IdP) and propagate changes to downstream systems using protocols like LDAP or REST APIs. In real-world scenarios, a delay in deprovisioning can lead to security breaches, such as a former employee accessing sensitive data or systems after their last day. Proper deprovisioning also includes revoking tokens, certificates, and SSH keys, not just disabling the primary account.
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: Deprovisioning — Deprovisioning is the process of removing user accounts and access rights when an employee leaves the organization. It directly addresses the requirement to promptly revoke all access, ensuring that the former employee cannot authenticate or authorize any actions within the system. This process typically involves disabling or deleting the user object in the directory service (e.g., Active Directory) and removing associated permissions from all resources.
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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