Quick Answer
The answer is provisioning, because provisioning is the access control process that encompasses the full lifecycle of user accounts, including creation, modification, and disabling. When a terminated employee’s account remains active, the de-provisioning step—specifically account revocation—was skipped, leaving the account enabled and accessible. On the Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam, this concept tests your understanding of identity and access management (IAM) lifecycle controls, often appearing in scenario-based questions where a security lapse reveals a missed procedural step. A common trap is confusing provisioning with authentication or authorization; remember that provisioning handles account creation and deletion, not just granting access. To avoid this, think of provisioning as the “birth and death” of an account—if the death (de-provisioning) is forgotten, the account lives on as a security risk.
This SSCP practice question tests your understanding of access controls. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An administrator notices that a terminated employee's account is still active. Which access control process was likely skipped?
Authorization
Why wrong: Authorization defines access rights, but the issue is that the account was not disabled.
Authentication
Why wrong: Authentication verifies identity, not account deactivation.
Provisioning
Provisioning includes creating and disabling accounts; the termination process should have disabled the account.
Accounting
Why wrong: Accounting logs activities, but does not manage account lifecycle.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Provisioning
Provisioning is the access control process that includes creating, modifying, and disabling user accounts and their associated privileges. When a terminated employee's account remains active, the de-provisioning step—specifically account revocation—was likely skipped, leaving the account enabled and accessible.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Authorization
Why it's wrong here
Authorization defines access rights, but the issue is that the account was not disabled.
Authentication
Why it's wrong here
Authentication verifies identity, not account deactivation.
Provisioning
Why this is correct
Provisioning includes creating and disabling accounts; the termination process should have disabled the account.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Accounting
Why it's wrong here
Accounting logs activities, but does not manage account lifecycle.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse provisioning with authorization or authentication, thinking that account termination is about setting permissions (authorization) rather than the account lifecycle itself.
Detailed technical explanation
Provisioning encompasses identity lifecycle management, often implemented via directory services like Active Directory or LDAP, and automated through tools like Microsoft Identity Manager or SCIM (System for Cross-domain Identity Management). De-provisioning should immediately disable the account and revoke all tokens, certificates, and group memberships; failure to do so violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to unauthorized access, especially if the account has privileged roles.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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
Access Controls — This question tests Access Controls — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Provisioning — Provisioning is the access control process that includes creating, modifying, and disabling user accounts and their associated privileges. When a terminated employee's account remains active, the de-provisioning step—specifically account revocation—was likely skipped, leaving the account enabled and accessible.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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