hardMultiple Choice
SSCP Practice Question: Implements an attribute-based access control…
An organization implements an attribute-based access control (ABAC) system with the following policy: if user.role == 'doctor' and resource.type == 'patient_record' and environment.time between 08:00-18:00 then permit. A doctor tries to access a patient record at 20:00. What is the result?
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the default deny principle in ABAC, where candidates mistakenly assume a missing explicit 'deny' rule means 'permit' or 'not applicable', but the absence of a matching permit condition results in an implicit deny.
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
✓
Deny
The ABAC policy requires the environment.time to be between 08:00 and 18:00 for access to be permitted. Since the doctor attempts access at 20:00, which falls outside this time window, the condition is not met, and the policy evaluates to 'deny' by default in a closed-system ABAC model. The correct result is Deny (option D).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Permit
Why it's wrong here
The time attribute evaluates to 20:00, outside the 08:00-18:00 range, so the conjunction fails and the permit rule cannot fire. Permit is tempting because the doctor and patient_record attributes match, but ABAC requires every condition in the rule to be satisfied.
- ✗
Indeterminate
Why it's wrong here
The policy's condition fails deterministically: environment.time is 20:00, outside 08:00-18:00, so the permit rule does not apply and access is denied. Indeterminate would suit a policy with conflicting or missing attribute values, which this scenario does not present.
- ✗
Not applicable
Why it's wrong here
Not applicable describes a policy whose target attributes or resource type do not match the request at all. Here the doctor and patient_record attributes match; only the time condition fails, so the rule evaluates to deny rather than being inapplicable.
- ✓
Deny
Why this is correct
ABAC evaluates every attribute in the policy, and all conditions must be satisfied for permit. The time attribute fails because 20:00 falls outside the 08:00-18:00 window, so the combined rule evaluates to deny despite the doctor role and patient record matching.
Visual reference
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 |
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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.