- A
Conduct a comprehensive access recertification review for all users in the acquired company.
Why wrong: Important but time-consuming; not the quickest immediate risk reduction.
- B
Implement multifactor authentication (MFA) for all users in the acquired company.
Why wrong: MFA does not solve the problem of excessive permissions; it only adds a layer of authentication.
- C
Roll back all user permissions to the default role and then re-add each user based on their job function.
Why wrong: This would cause major disruption as users lose access to needed resources.
- D
Immediately disable all user accounts from the acquired company that have not been logged in within the last 90 days.
This quickly removes dormant accounts that may have excessive privileges.
Question 540 of 1,000
hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: The security administrator for a mid-sized…
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of sscp exam topics. 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.
You are the security administrator for a mid-sized financial services company. The company uses Active Directory (AD) for identity management and has implemented role-based access control (RBAC) for its core banking application. Recently, the company acquired a smaller firm and is integrating its employees into AD. During the integration, you notice that many of the new employees have been assigned multiple roles that grant them access to sensitive financial data, despite their job descriptions indicating they need only limited access. Additionally, some users who left the acquired company have not been disabled in AD. The company's security policy mandates the principle of least privilege and requires that access reviews be conducted quarterly, but no review has been performed in the past year. You have been tasked with remediating these issues. Which of the following approaches is the MOST effective initial step to address the immediate risk of excessive access?
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 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
✓
Immediately disable all user accounts from the acquired company that have not been logged in within the last 90 days.
Option D is the most effective initial step because it immediately reduces the attack surface by disabling accounts that are likely orphaned (no login in 90 days), directly addressing the immediate risk of excessive access from former employees. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and is a quick, high-impact remediation that can be performed before a full access review or recertification.
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.
- ✗
Conduct a comprehensive access recertification review for all users in the acquired company.
Why it's wrong here
Important but time-consuming; not the quickest immediate risk reduction.
- ✗
Implement multifactor authentication (MFA) for all users in the acquired company.
Why it's wrong here
MFA does not solve the problem of excessive permissions; it only adds a layer of authentication.
- ✗
Roll back all user permissions to the default role and then re-add each user based on their job function.
Why it's wrong here
This would cause major disruption as users lose access to needed resources.
- ✓
Immediately disable all user accounts from the acquired company that have not been logged in within the last 90 days.
Why this is correct
This quickly removes dormant accounts that may have excessive privileges.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "least" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose a comprehensive review (Option A) as the 'best practice' without recognizing that immediate risk mitigation (disabling orphaned accounts) must precede a full recertification to prevent further exposure during the review process.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Active Directory tracks the lastLogonTimestamp attribute (replicated every 9-14 days by default) which can be queried via PowerShell (Get-ADUser -Filter {LastLogonTimeStamp -lt $cutoff}) to identify inactive accounts. Disabling accounts rather than deleting them preserves SID history and group memberships for potential re-enablement, which is critical during mergers where integration may be ongoing. The 90-day threshold is a common industry baseline for identifying dormant accounts, as recommended in NIST SP 800-53 AC-2(3).
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 team runs a vulnerability scan on a web application and discovers an unpatched SQL injection flaw. The team prioritises remediation by CVSS score — critical flaws are patched within 24 hours, high within 7 days. Questions like this test whether you understand vulnerability management processes, scanning tools, and remediation prioritisation.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SSCP question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Immediately disable all user accounts from the acquired company that have not been logged in within the last 90 days. — Option D is the most effective initial step because it immediately reduces the attack surface by disabling accounts that are likely orphaned (no login in 90 days), directly addressing the immediate risk of excessive access from former employees. This aligns with the principle of least privilege and is a quick, high-impact remediation that can be performed before a full access review or recertification.
What should I do if I get this SSCP 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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