CISSP Identity and Access Management Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are components of a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution?
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
✓
Session recording
PAM typically includes password vaulting (secure credential storage), session recording (monitoring privileged sessions), and just-in-time access (elevated privileges on demand).
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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User self-service password reset
Why it's wrong here
User self-service password reset allows general users to regain access to their accounts without IT intervention. While a crucial component of overall identity and access management (IAM) for improving user experience and reducing help desk load, it specifically addresses standard user accounts and does not manage, secure, or monitor privileged credentials or access paths, which is the core function of a Privileged Access Management (PAM) system.
- ✗
Single sign-on for web applications
Why it's wrong here
Single sign-on (SSO) for web applications enables users to access multiple applications with a single set of credentials, streamlining the authentication process. While SSO enhances user convenience and can be integrated into an overall identity management strategy, its primary purpose is to simplify access for all users, not specifically to manage, secure, or audit the highly sensitive administrative or system-level accounts that fall under the purview of Privileged Access Management (PAM).
- ✓
Session recording
Why this is correct
Session recording is a critical component of Privileged Access Management (PAM) that captures and archives all activities performed during a privileged session. This includes keystrokes, mouse movements, and screen content, providing an immutable audit trail. Such recordings are invaluable for forensic analysis, compliance auditing, and identifying unauthorized or suspicious actions by privileged users, enhancing accountability and security posture.
- ✓
Just-in-time access
Why this is correct
Just-in-time (JIT) access is a core PAM principle that grants privileged permissions only when explicitly requested and for a strictly limited duration. This ephemeral access model minimizes the attack surface by ensuring that privileged accounts are not persistently active, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit standing privileges. Once the task is complete or the time expires, the elevated privileges are automatically revoked.
- ✓
Password vaulting
Why this is correct
Password vaulting is a fundamental component of PAM that involves securely storing and managing highly sensitive privileged account credentials in an encrypted, centralized repository. This mechanism eliminates the need for administrators to know or directly handle these passwords, instead allowing the PAM system to retrieve and inject them automatically when privileged access is required, thereby preventing credential theft and ensuring strong password policies.
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Related to this question
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Secure Network Architecture and Components
Key term
Just-in-time access
Just-in-time access is a security method that grants users elevated permissions only for a limited time exactly when they need them, then automatically removes those permissions.
Key term
Privileged access management
Privileged access management is a cybersecurity practice that controls and monitors the elevated access rights of users who have special permissions to critical systems and data.
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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.