hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: Is configuring a firewall to block all inbound…
A security engineer is configuring a firewall to block all inbound traffic except for specific services. Which of the following design principles is being applied?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse the 'default deny' mechanism (a firewall policy stance) with the 'least privilege' design principle, but the question asks for the overarching principle, not the specific implementation method.
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
✓
Least privilege
Least Privilege, because the security engineer is configuring the firewall to block all inbound traffic except for specific services. This aligns with the principle of least privilege, which dictates that only the minimum necessary access should be granted—in this case, only allowing specific services through while denying everything else by default. The firewall rule set explicitly permits only required ports (e.g., TCP/443 for HTTPS) and implicitly denies all other traffic, ensuring that no unnecessary access is permitted.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Separation of duties
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties divides responsibilities among different individuals.
- ✗
Default deny
Why it's wrong here
Default deny is a configuration of the firewall, not the principle behind it.
- ✗
Defense in depth
Why it's wrong here
Defense in depth uses multiple layers of security.
- ✓
Least privilege
Why this is correct
Least privilege ensures entities have only the access needed to perform their functions.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SSCP question from scratch — 920 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.