CISSP Identity and Access Management Practice Question

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 vaulting

  Why it's wrong here

  Password vaulting is a foundational component of a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution, designed to securely store, manage, and rotate credentials for privileged accounts. While it centralizes secret management and enhances credential hygiene by eliminating hardcoded passwords, it primarily addresses the secure storage and retrieval of secrets. It does not inherently eliminate standing privileges, as users might still be granted continuous access to the vault or the accounts managed by it, even if the credentials themselves are regularly rotated.

• ✓

  Just-in-time (JIT) access

  Why this is correct

  Just-in-time (JIT) access is a critical security feature within a PAM solution that grants elevated privileges only when needed and for a strictly limited duration. This approach minimizes the attack surface by eliminating standing privileges, ensuring that users possess administrative rights solely for the specific task and time required. Once the task is completed or the predefined time expires, the privileges are automatically revoked, significantly reducing the window of opportunity for credential misuse or compromise.

• ✗

  Break-glass account

  Why it's wrong here

  A break-glass account is a highly privileged emergency account designed for use during critical system failures or when standard access mechanisms are unavailable. While it provides elevated access, its purpose is for exceptional, unforeseen circumstances, not for routine administrative tasks or as a mechanism to implement regular time-limited access. Its existence is a contingency, and its use is typically heavily audited and restricted, distinct from the proactive privilege reduction offered by JIT.

• ✗

  Session recording

  Why it's wrong here

  Session recording in a PAM solution captures and logs all activities performed during a privileged session, providing an immutable audit trail for accountability, compliance, and forensic analysis. While it is an essential detective control for monitoring, compliance, and incident response, session recording does not prevent or reduce the existence of standing privileges. It merely records what happens *after* privileges have been granted, thus not addressing the core problem of excessive or continuous access rights.

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