easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP Practice Question: An employee reports that they cannot access a…
An employee reports that they cannot access a shared folder on the network. The security administrator checks the permission and finds that the user is in the correct group, but the 'Deny' entry for a different group is blocking access. What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the misconception that group membership order or inheritance determines permission precedence, when in fact an explicit Deny ACE always overrides any Allow ACE, regardless of the group hierarchy.
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
✓
A Deny ACE is explicitly applied to the user's group.
In Windows NTFS permissions, a Deny Access Control Entry (ACE) explicitly overrides any Allow ACE, regardless of group membership order. Since the user is in the correct group but a Deny entry on a different group blocks access, the most likely cause is that a Deny ACE is explicitly applied to the user's group (or a group the user belongs to), which takes precedence over Allow permissions. This is a core principle of the Windows discretionary access control model.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The folder is encrypted with EFS.
Why it's wrong here
EFS encryption affects file access, not share permissions.
- ✓
A Deny ACE is explicitly applied to the user's group.
Why this is correct
Deny takes precedence over Allow in NTFS permissions.
- ✗
The folder has inherited permissions from the parent.
Why it's wrong here
Inheritance can cause conflicts, but the explicit deny is the direct cause.
- ✗
The user is not a member of the correct group.
Why it's wrong here
The user is in the correct group, so this is not the issue.
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 |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 920 original SSCP practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. 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.