- A
Implement a SIEM system to analyze logs from all sources and create alerts for anomalous API activity.
Why wrong: Monitoring is important but does not prevent the initial unauthorized access.
- B
Conduct a full audit of privileged account usage and revoke access for any accounts with suspicious activity.
Why wrong: Audit is reactive; it does not prevent future incidents.
- C
Require MFA for all privileged access methods, including APIs, and reduce session token expiration to 15 minutes.
This addresses both the lack of MFA and the long token expiration, the root causes.
- D
Replace API tokens with certificate-based authentication for all privileged accounts.
Why wrong: Certificate-based authentication improves security but does not address the long token expiration issue.
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to require MFA for all privileged access methods, including APIs, and reduce session token expiration to 15 minutes. This directly closes the MFA bypass for API access, which was the authentication gap allowing attackers to use compromised credentials without a second factor, while also shrinking the window of opportunity for token reuse by reducing the session token lifetime from 24 hours to just 15 minutes. On the CISSP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the Identity and Access Management (IAM) domain, specifically the principle that MFA must be uniformly enforced across all access channels—not just interactive logins—and that session token expiration is a critical control against token theft. A common trap is to focus only on logging improvements, but logging alone does not prevent the root cause of unauthorized access. Remember the memory tip: “MFA everywhere, tokens short-lived” to reinforce that both authentication strength and session duration must be addressed together.
CISSP Security Assessment and Testing Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of security assessment and testing. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 multinational corporation with a hybrid cloud infrastructure has recently experienced a series of security incidents involving unauthorized access to sensitive customer data. The incidents were traced to compromised credentials of privileged users. The company has implemented multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all privileged accounts, but the attacks persisted. A security assessment team is brought in to evaluate the environment. During the assessment, they discover that some privileged accounts do not require MFA when accessing systems via API calls, and that session tokens for these APIs have a long expiration time of 24 hours. Additionally, the team finds that the logging and monitoring system does not capture API calls from privileged accounts, making it difficult to detect anomalous behavior. The company wants to remediate these issues effectively. Which of the following is the BEST course of action to address the root cause of the incidents?
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.
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
Require MFA for all privileged access methods, including APIs, and reduce session token expiration to 15 minutes.
Option C is correct because the root cause is that privileged accounts can bypass MFA when accessing systems via API calls, and long-lived session tokens (24 hours) provide a wide window for attackers to reuse stolen tokens. Requiring MFA for all privileged access methods, including APIs, closes the authentication gap, and reducing session token expiration to 15 minutes minimizes the impact of token theft by limiting the reuse window. This directly addresses the two key vulnerabilities identified in the assessment.
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 SIEM system to analyze logs from all sources and create alerts for anomalous API activity.
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring is important but does not prevent the initial unauthorized access.
- ✗
Conduct a full audit of privileged account usage and revoke access for any accounts with suspicious activity.
Why it's wrong here
Audit is reactive; it does not prevent future incidents.
- ✓
Require MFA for all privileged access methods, including APIs, and reduce session token expiration to 15 minutes.
Why this is correct
This addresses both the lack of MFA and the long token expiration, the root causes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Replace API tokens with certificate-based authentication for all privileged accounts.
Why it's wrong here
Certificate-based authentication improves security but does not address the long token expiration issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose a detective control (like SIEM) or a reactive measure (like auditing) instead of a preventive control that directly closes the authentication gap, because they overlook that the root cause is the MFA bypass on API calls and long-lived tokens, not a lack of monitoring or account hygiene.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, API calls often use OAuth 2.0 bearer tokens or session cookies that are validated without re-prompting for MFA, creating a gap where a stolen token can be used for up to 24 hours. Reducing the token lifetime to 15 minutes aligns with OAuth 2.0 best practices (RFC 6819) and forces frequent re-authentication, which triggers MFA prompts. In real-world scenarios, attackers exploit this by using token theft techniques like cross-site scripting or man-in-the-middle attacks to gain persistent access without triggering MFA.
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 developer is choosing between AES-256 (symmetric) and RSA-2048 (asymmetric) for encrypting a large file that will be sent to a partner. Symmetric encryption is fast but requires key exchange; asymmetric is slower but solves the key distribution problem. A hybrid approach — encrypt the file with AES, encrypt the AES key with RSA — is standard. Questions like this test whether you understand when each approach applies.
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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Security Assessment and Testing — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CISSP question test?
Security Assessment and Testing — This question tests Security Assessment and Testing — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Require MFA for all privileged access methods, including APIs, and reduce session token expiration to 15 minutes. — Option C is correct because the root cause is that privileged accounts can bypass MFA when accessing systems via API calls, and long-lived session tokens (24 hours) provide a wide window for attackers to reuse stolen tokens. Requiring MFA for all privileged access methods, including APIs, closes the authentication gap, and reducing session token expiration to 15 minutes minimizes the impact of token theft by limiting the reuse window. This directly addresses the two key vulnerabilities identified in the assessment.
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". 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.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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