CISSP Security and Risk Management Practice Question
Which component of the AAA framework is responsible for determining what resources a user can access and what actions they can perform?
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
✓
Authorization
AAA stands for Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting. Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to resources based on policies.
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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Auditing
Why it's wrong here
Auditing involves the systematic examination of security logs, system configurations, and operational procedures to assess compliance with policies and identify vulnerabilities. While it frequently leverages the usage data collected by the Accounting component of AAA, Auditing itself is a separate process focused on independent verification and review, rather than being a core function within the AAA framework's operational sequence of access control. It provides oversight and accountability post-event.
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Authentication
Why it's wrong here
Authentication is the process of verifying a user's claimed identity by validating credentials such as usernames and passwords, digital certificates, or biometric data. Its sole purpose is to confirm "who you are," establishing trust in the user's identity before any access decisions can be made. This step precedes authorization, as a system must first know who is requesting access before determining what they are permitted to do.
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Accounting
Why it's wrong here
Accounting, also known as accountability, is the process of tracking and logging user activities, resource consumption, and system events. It records "what you did" while connected, including login times, data accessed, and duration of sessions, primarily for billing, auditing, and forensic analysis purposes. While crucial for post-event analysis and accountability, accounting does not determine what a user is allowed to do in real-time.
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Authorization
Why this is correct
Authorization is the critical component of the AAA framework responsible for determining what actions an authenticated user or system is permitted to perform on a resource. After identity verification, authorization mechanisms consult policies and access control lists (ACLs) to decide "what you are allowed to do," granting or denying specific privileges based on the user's role, group membership, or other attributes. This directly addresses the question of defining permissions.
Quick reference
AAA Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port(s) | Encryption | Transport | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RADIUS | 1812 / 1813 | Password only | UDP | Network access control |
| TACACS+ | 49 | Full packet | TCP | Device administration |
| Diameter | 3868 | Full session | TCP / SCTP | Carrier / mobile networks |
| 802.1X | — | EAP-based | Layer 2 | Port-based access control |
TACACS+ encrypts the entire packet; RADIUS only encrypts the password field — a key exam distinction.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Key term
Authentication
Authentication is the process of verifying that someone or something is who or what it claims to be before granting access to a system or resource.
Key term
Authorization
Authorization determines what an authenticated user is allowed to do within a system, such as accessing files, running programs, or changing settings.
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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.