CISSP Identity and Access Management Practice Question
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of identity and access management. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which TWO principles are essential for implementing least privilege in identity and access management?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Minimum necessary permissions
A is correct because 'minimum necessary permissions' is the core principle of least privilege, ensuring users and processes are granted only the permissions required to perform their authorized tasks. This directly limits the attack surface by preventing access to resources beyond what is strictly needed for a specific role or function.
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.
✓
Minimum necessary permissions
Why this is correct
Minimum necessary permissions are the core of least privilege.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Need-to-know
Why this is correct
Need-to-know ensures access only to information required for job duties.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Segregation of duties
Why it's wrong here
SoD is a control to prevent fraud, not directly a least privilege principle.
✗
User awareness training
Why it's wrong here
Training supports security but is not a principle of least privilege.
✗
Password complexity requirements
Why it's wrong here
Password complexity is an authentication control, not an authorization principle.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'need-to-know' (which applies to data confidentiality and information disclosure) with 'minimum necessary permissions' (which applies to system access and authorization), or mistakenly think segregation of duties is a subset of least privilege rather than a distinct control.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Least privilege is enforced through role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC) policies that map permissions to specific job functions. In practice, this means assigning read-only access to a database for reporting analysts while restricting write or delete operations, and using tools like sudo with granular command restrictions on Linux systems. A real-world scenario is a web application server that runs with a dedicated service account having only read access to a specific configuration file, not full administrative privileges.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CISSP question in full detail.
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: Minimum necessary permissions — A is correct because 'minimum necessary permissions' is the core principle of least privilege, ensuring users and processes are granted only the permissions required to perform their authorized tasks. This directly limits the attack surface by preventing access to resources beyond what is strictly needed for a specific role or function.
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: "least". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.