75 of 81 questions · Page 1/2 · Sscp Access Controls topic · Answers revealed
An organization uses smart cards with PKI certificates for authentication. Users must insert the card and enter a PIN. This is an example of which authentication method?
Card (possession) and PIN (knowledge) are two factors.
Why this answer
Something you have (smart card) and something you know (PIN) constitute multi-factor authentication (MFA).
A company is implementing a Single Sign-On (SSO) solution that uses XML-based assertions to exchange authentication and authorization data between an identity provider and a service provider. Which protocol is being used?
SAML uses XML assertions for federated identity.
Why this answer
SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is an XML-based standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between an Identity Provider (IdP) and a Service Provider (SP).
A company implements a password policy requiring a minimum length of 12 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, digits, and special characters. Passwords must be changed every 90 days, and the last 10 passwords cannot be reused. After a brute-force attack, several accounts were compromised despite the policy. Which additional control would most effectively mitigate such attacks?
Lockout thwarts brute-force by blocking further attempts.
Why this answer
Account lockout after a number of failed attempts prevents brute-force attacks by limiting the number of guesses an attacker can make.
An organization uses ABAC to control access to a document. Which attribute combination would be used to allow access only during business hours from a managed device?
These attributes (subject, environment, subject) can enforce the policy.
Why this answer
ABAC policies can combine subject (user), object (document), and environment (time, device management status) attributes to make access decisions.
An organization is implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA). Which TWO of the following are examples of something you have?
A smart card is a physical device, thus something you have.
Why this answer
Something you have includes physical tokens like smart cards and hardware tokens. Biometrics are something you are, and passwords are something you know.
During an access control audit, you find that a user has been assigned to two mutually exclusive roles. Which TWO principles are most likely violated?
Assigning roles that are not needed violates least privilege.
Why this answer
Separation of duties is violated when a user has roles that could allow fraud; least privilege is violated if the user has more permissions than necessary.
Which access control model allows the owner of a resource to grant permissions to others?
DAC enables the resource owner to grant access to others.
Why this answer
DAC (Discretionary Access Control) allows the resource owner to decide who can access the resource and with what permissions.
An organization uses an ABAC system to control access to documents. Policies are defined using attributes such as user department, document classification, and time of day. Which of the following is an example of an ABAC policy rule?
This uses subject attribute (department), object attribute (classification), and environment attribute (time).
Why this answer
ABAC policies use conditions based on subject, object, and environment attributes. The rule combines department, classification, and time.
An organization is reviewing its account lifecycle management process. Which TWO activities are part of the provisioning phase? (Select TWO.)
This is the core of provisioning new users.
Why this answer
Provisioning involves creating accounts and assigning initial roles/permissions upon onboarding. Modifying roles is a change, not initial provisioning. Disabling is deprovisioning.
In a Kerberos environment, what is the primary function of the Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT)?
The TGT is presented to the TGS to obtain service tickets for resources.
Why this answer
The TGT is obtained after initial authentication and is used to request service tickets for various resources without re-authenticating.
A security analyst notices that a user's account was used to access sensitive files after the user had left the company. Which access control principle was most likely violated?
Accountability requires that activities can be traced to individuals; an active account of a former employee undermines this.
Why this answer
Accountability requires that actions be traced to individuals. If an account is not disabled promptly, actions cannot be reliably attributed.
An organization implements RBAC to enforce separation of duties. Which of the following is a key benefit of using role-based access control in this context?
Correct. RBAC helps enforce separation of duties.
Why this answer
RBAC naturally supports separation of duties by assigning permissions to roles and ensuring that conflicting roles (e.g., approving and executing payments) are not assigned to the same user. This reduces fraud risk.
An organization uses OAuth 2.0 for delegated access to a cloud storage API. A third-party application requests an access token to read user files. What is the primary purpose of the access token in OAuth?
Correct. The access token conveys authorization.
Why this answer
The access token represents the authorized scope of access granted by the resource owner (user). It is used by the client to access the protected resource (e.g., API) without exposing user credentials.
A company wants to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for remote access. Which TWO of the following are examples of different authentication factors? (Choose TWO.)
Token (possession) and fingerprint (inherence) are different factors.
Why this answer
MFA requires at least two distinct factors: password (knowledge), hardware token (possession), and fingerprint (inherence). Options A, D, and E are valid factors but only two need to be selected.
A security engineer is designing a federated identity solution for cross-domain authentication. Which THREE of the following technologies are commonly used?
OIDC is an authentication layer on top of OAuth 2.0 for federated identity.
Why this answer
Federated identity relies on standards like SAML, OAuth/OIDC, and Active Directory forest trusts to enable authentication across domains.
A security administrator is configuring a system to enforce separation of duties. In which access control model is this principle most directly implemented?
RBAC enforces separation of duties through role constraints.
Why this answer
RBAC commonly enforces separation of duties by ensuring that conflicting roles are not assigned to the same user.
A security analyst is reviewing access controls for a database server. The database administrator has granted all users in the 'sales' role SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE permissions on the 'orders' table. Which access control principle is being violated?
Granting DELETE to all sales users gives more privilege than necessary.
Why this answer
Least privilege means users should have only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their job. Sales staff likely need to read and perhaps insert orders, but not delete them.
A biometric system has a high false rejection rate (FRR). Which of the following is a likely consequence?
Correct. High FRR means many false rejections.
Why this answer
False rejection means legitimate users are denied access, causing inconvenience. This is often a trade-off when trying to lower false acceptance rate (FAR).
During a security audit, it is discovered that a service account has been used to log in interactively to a server. The account was originally provisioned only for running a background service. Which PAM (Privileged Access Management) control would best prevent such misuse in the future?
Correct. JIT ensures the account is only active when needed, reducing exposure.
Why this answer
Just-in-time (JIT) provisioning grants temporary privileges only when needed, and password vaulting stores credentials securely with automatic rotation. Session recording monitors activity but doesn't prevent misuse. MFA adds a layer but service accounts often can't use MFA interactively.
The best preventive control is to restrict interactive logon via policy, but among PAM controls, JIT provisioning ensures the account is not available for interactive use continuously.
Which term describes the process of verifying the identity of a user, system, or entity?
Authentication verifies the identity claim.
Why this answer
Authentication is the process of verifying that a claimed identity is valid, typically using factors like passwords, biometrics, or tokens.
Which access control model enforces the principle of least privilege by granting permissions based on job functions and requires separation of duties?
RBAC is designed to support least privilege and separation of duties.
Why this answer
RBAC assigns permissions to roles, and users are assigned to roles, enabling least privilege and separation of duties through role design.
A security administrator needs to implement an access control model that grants access based on attributes of the user, resource, and environment, using policy rules. Which model is most appropriate?
ABAC uses attributes and policies for access decisions.
Why this answer
Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) uses policies that evaluate attributes of the subject, object, and environment to make access decisions, offering fine-grained and dynamic control.
Which of the following is a common method for implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) using something you have and something you know?
Smart card is something you have; PIN is something you know.
Why this answer
A smart card (something you have) combined with a PIN (something you know) is a classic MFA implementation.
In the Bell-LaPadula model, which property prevents a subject from reading an object at a higher classification level?
This property prevents reading higher-level objects.
Why this answer
The Simple Security Property (no read up) ensures subjects cannot access objects above their clearance level, protecting confidentiality.
A security analyst is investigating an account compromise. The organization uses Kerberos for single sign-on. Which TWO of the following would help in tracking the source of the compromise?
AS logs show initial authentication attempts with source IPs.
Why this answer
Kerberos logs ticket requests and TGT usage, which can trace authentication events. TGT expiration and session key details are part of the protocol but less directly useful for source identification.
An organization wants to implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for remote access. Which combination represents something you have and something you are?
Smart card (something you have) and fingerprint (something you are) provide MFA.
Why this answer
Something you have (smart card) plus something you are (fingerprint) constitutes MFA using two different factors.
In an OAuth 2.0 authorization flow, a client application receives an access token. This token is used to:
The access token grants authorized access.
Why this answer
The access token is sent to the resource server to authorize access to protected resources on behalf of the user.
In a biometric system, the point at which the false rejection rate (FRR) equals the false acceptance rate (FAR) is known as the:
CER is the point where FAR equals FRR.
Why this answer
The crossover error rate (CER), also called the equal error rate (EER), is where FAR and FRR are equal, indicating overall accuracy.
A security analyst is evaluating a biometric system. The system currently has a high number of false rejections. Which metric is most directly related to this issue?
FRR directly measures false rejections.
Why this answer
False Rejection Rate (FRR) measures the likelihood that an authorized user is incorrectly denied access. A high FRR indicates many false rejections.
Which access control model enforces security based on classification labels assigned to subjects and objects, commonly used for confidentiality?
Bell-LaPadula enforces confidentiality.
Why this answer
Bell-LaPadula is a MAC model that enforces confidentiality via labels, preventing read-up and write-down.
In Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), what is the purpose of role hierarchy?
Role hierarchy enables inheritance; higher roles get permissions of lower roles.
Why this answer
Role hierarchy allows senior roles to inherit permissions from junior roles, simplifying permission management and reflecting organizational structure.
An organization implements a policy requiring passwords to be at least 12 characters, include uppercase, lowercase, digits, and special characters, and be changed every 60 days. Which password policy elements are being enforced?
These three are explicitly stated.
Why this answer
The policy specifies length, complexity (character types), and expiry (change interval). History and lockout are not mentioned.
A security administrator is configuring password policies to meet compliance. Which combination of settings provides the strongest protection against brute-force attacks?
Correct. Longer length, complexity, lockout, and history provide strong protection.
Why this answer
Longer passwords with complexity and account lockout significantly increase the time required for brute-force attacks, while history prevents reuse. Short expiry (e.g., 30 days) also helps, but length and lockout are most effective.
A security administrator is configuring a new system and wants to enforce a mandatory access control model to ensure confidentiality of classified data. Which access control model should the administrator implement?
Bell-LaPadula enforces confidentiality through mandatory labels and the simple security property and *-property.
Why this answer
Bell-LaPadula is a mandatory access control model that focuses on confidentiality by preventing read-up and write-down.
An organization wants to ensure that privileged accounts are used only when needed and that all activities are recorded. Which Privileged Access Management (PAM) control should be implemented?
JIT provides temporary access and session recording logs activities.
Why this answer
Just-in-Time (JIT) provisioning grants temporary elevated privileges for specific tasks, reducing the attack surface. Session recording captures all actions for auditing.
What is the primary risk associated with service accounts in an enterprise?
Service accounts are often overlooked, with standing privileges and unchanged passwords.
Why this answer
Service accounts often have high privileges and are rarely changed, making them prime targets for attackers if compromised.
A security auditor is reviewing the account lifecycle process. Which TWO of the following are mandatory steps during the deprovisioning (offboarding) process?
Evidence must be preserved.
Why this answer
Immediate disabling prevents unauthorized access, and preserving evidence (logs, files) is essential for potential investigations. Deleting accounts immediately may hinder forensics, and notifying users is not required (they are leaving).
Which authentication method generates a one-time password that is valid for only a short time window?
TOTP uses time as a variable, changing codes periodically.
Why this answer
Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) uses the current time to generate a code that expires after a short interval (e.g., 30 seconds).
In a Bell-LaPadula model implementation, a user with a Secret clearance attempts to read a document classified as Top Secret. Additionally, they try to write to a document classified as Unclassified. What are the results of these actions?
Correct. Both actions are denied.
Why this answer
Bell-LaPadula enforces *no read up* (simple security property) and *no write down* (*-property). Thus reading Top Secret is denied, and writing to Unclassified is also denied to prevent leakage.
A security administrator is implementing an access control model that assigns permissions based on the clearance of the subject and the classification of the object. Which model is being implemented?
MAC uses clearance and classification labels.
Why this answer
Mandatory Access Control (MAC) uses labels for subjects (clearance) and objects (classification) to enforce access decisions, commonly used in government and military environments.
Which access control model allows the owner of a resource to grant access permissions to other users?
Correct. DAC allows the resource owner to control access.
Why this answer
In DAC (Discretionary Access Control), the resource owner has discretion over who can access the resource. This contrasts with MAC, where access is based on labels, and RBAC/ABAC, where access is based on roles or attributes.
What is the primary purpose of a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution?
PAM provides vaulting, session recording, and just-in-time access for privileged accounts.
Why this answer
PAM solutions focus on securing, managing, and monitoring privileged accounts to reduce the risk of misuse.
What is the primary purpose of account deprovisioning?
Deprovisioning removes access rights and disables accounts.
Why this answer
Deprovisioning ensures that when an employee leaves or changes roles, access is removed promptly to prevent unauthorized use.
What is the primary purpose of account deprovisioning in the account lifecycle?
Deprovisioning involves disabling and preserving data.
Why this answer
Deprovisioning ensures that when an employee leaves, access is revoked immediately to prevent unauthorized use, and evidence is preserved for investigations.
An organization requires users to authenticate using a password and a one-time code from a mobile app. Which authentication method is being used?
TOTP is a common OTP method using time synchronization.
Why this answer
Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) generates a temporary code that changes every 30-60 seconds, commonly used with mobile apps like Google Authenticator.
A security administrator is designing an identity federation solution. Which THREE of the following are commonly used federation standards?
Kerberos can be used in federated environments (e.g., cross-realm).
Why this answer
SAML, OAuth/OIDC, and Kerberos (with extensions) are used for federation. LDAP is a directory protocol, not a federation standard.
A company is implementing single sign-on (SSO) for its internal applications. Which TWO of the following protocols are commonly used for SSO?
Kerberos provides SSO within a domain.
Why this answer
Kerberos and SAML are both widely used for SSO. Kerberos is common in Windows domains, while SAML is used for web-based federated SSO. LDAP is a directory protocol, OAuth is for authorization (though OIDC adds authentication), and RADIUS is for network access.
An organization wants to implement separation of duties to reduce the risk of fraud. Which THREE of the following are common techniques used to enforce separation of duties?
Logging provides accountability, a key component of separation of duties.
Why this answer
Separation of duties is enforced through role-based access control (assigning conflicting roles to different users), requiring dual authorization for critical actions, and audit logging for accountability. Password complexity and biometrics are authentication, not separation of duties.
A security administrator is implementing an access control system that uses sensitivity labels on subjects and objects. The policy dictates that a subject can only read objects with a label equal to or lower than the subject's clearance, and can only write to objects with a label equal to or higher than the subject's clearance. Which access control model and principle is being enforced?
Bell-LaPadula uses mandatory labels and enforces no read up and no write down for confidentiality.
Why this answer
Bell-LaPadula model enforces confidentiality through the simple security property (no read up) and the *-property (no write down). The described rules match Bell-LaPadula's restrictions.
During a user offboarding process, the security team must ensure that the former employee's access is revoked immediately. However, the user's manager requests that the account remain active for a week to review files. What is the BEST practice?
Correct. This balances security with business needs.
Why this answer
Best practice is to disable the account immediately to prevent unauthorized access, then transfer ownership of necessary files to another user for review. Keeping the account active poses a security risk.
A security engineer is designing a system that must ensure data integrity at all costs, even if it means sacrificing availability. Which access control model and corresponding principle should be applied?
Biba enforces no write-up (to protect higher integrity) and no read-down (to prevent corruption). This prioritizes integrity over availability.
Why this answer
Biba is a MAC model that focuses on integrity, preventing subjects from writing to higher integrity levels (no write-up) and preventing subjects from reading lower integrity levels (no read-down). This can impact availability.
Which TWO of the following are characteristics of the Biba integrity model? (Choose TWO.)
Subjects cannot write to higher integrity levels.
Why this answer
Biba is a MAC model for integrity with rules: no write-up (integrity levels) and no read-down (to prevent corruption).
A company is adopting a role-based access control (RBAC) model. Which TWO principles are fundamental to RBAC?
Role hierarchy allows senior roles to inherit permissions from junior roles.
Why this answer
RBAC assigns permissions to roles, and users are members of roles. Least privilege and separation of duties are enforced through role design.
A company is implementing a biometric authentication system for physical access to a data center. The system must minimize false acceptances. Which metric is most directly related to false acceptance rate (FAR)?
The threshold determines how closely a biometric sample must match the stored template; a stricter threshold lowers FAR.
Why this answer
FAR is the rate at which an unauthorized person is incorrectly accepted. The threshold setting directly impacts FAR; a lower threshold reduces FAR but may increase FRR.
An Identity Provider (IdP) sends an XML-based assertion to a Service Provider (SP) to grant access. Which federated identity standard is being used?
SAML uses XML-based assertions for federated identity.
Why this answer
SAML uses XML assertions to exchange authentication and authorization data between an IdP and an SP.
A company is migrating to a cloud-based SaaS application and wants to implement federated identity. Users will authenticate using their existing corporate Active Directory credentials. Which THREE components are essential for a SAML-based federation? (Select THREE.)
IdP authenticates users and issues SAML assertions.
Why this answer
SAML federation requires an Identity Provider (IdP), a Service Provider (SP), and trust between them. The IdP authenticates the user and sends an assertion to the SP via an HTTP redirect.
In a federated identity scenario, a user authenticates to their home domain and accesses a resource in a partner domain. The partner domain trusts the authentication performed by the home domain. What is the home domain's role in this trust relationship?
The IdP authenticates users and provides identity information.
Why this answer
In federated identity, the Identity Provider (IdP) is the home domain that authenticates the user and issues assertions. The Service Provider (SP) trusts the IdP's authentication.
An organization uses Kerberos for single sign-on (SSO) within its Windows domain. Which component issues ticket-granting tickets (TGTs) after verifying user credentials?
AS authenticates and issues TGTs.
Why this answer
In Kerberos, the Authentication Service (AS) within the Key Distribution Center (KDC) authenticates users and issues TGTs. The Ticket Granting Service (TGS) issues service tickets later.
An organization has implemented a PAM solution for managing privileged accounts. Which feature allows administrators to request temporary elevated access for a specific task?
JIT grants temporary privileges as needed.
Why this answer
Just-in-time (JIT) provisioning grants temporary privileges as needed, reducing the risk of standing privileges.
An organization is implementing a federated identity system to allow employees to access a partner's cloud application using their corporate credentials. The solution must support single sign-on and use XML-based assertions. Which technology should be used?
SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) uses XML assertions for federated SSO.
Why this answer
SAML uses XML-based assertions to exchange authentication and authorization data between an identity provider and a service provider.
An organization is planning to implement a Single Sign-On (SSO) solution. Which THREE of the following are commonly associated with SSO technologies?
Kerberos is a ticket-based SSO protocol.
Why this answer
Kerberos uses tickets for SSO, SAML provides federated SSO with XML assertions, and OAuth 2.0 is an authorization framework often used for SSO. Biometrics and PKI are not SSO technologies themselves.
An organization is planning to implement multi-factor authentication. Which TWO of the following are valid authentication factors?
Biometric is something you are.
Why this answer
The three categories are something you know, something you have, and something you are. Fingerprint (something you are) and smart card (something you have) are valid factors.
An organization uses Kerberos for SSO. A user reports that after entering their password, they receive a 'ticket expired' error when trying to access a network share. The system administrator checks the Kerberos configuration. Which ticket is most likely expired?
TGT expiration requires the user to re-authenticate to the KDC to obtain a new TGT.
Why this answer
The Ticket-Granting Ticket (TGT) has a limited lifetime (typically 8-10 hours). When it expires, the user must re-authenticate to get a new TGT.
A security analyst notices that a service account has been granted domain administrator privileges. Which principle of access control is being violated?
Service accounts should have minimal permissions.
Why this answer
Least privilege means users and accounts should have only the minimum permissions necessary. Service accounts rarely need domain admin rights.
An organization is implementing a password policy that requires passwords to be at least 12 characters, include uppercase, lowercase, digits, and special characters, and be changed every 90 days. Additionally, users cannot reuse any of the last 10 passwords. Which password policy element does the last requirement address?
Password history prevents reuse of previous passwords.
Why this answer
Password history prevents users from reusing previous passwords, enforcing password uniqueness over time.
A user claims to be 'jsmith' and provides a password. What is the term for the step where the system verifies that the password matches the one on file for 'jsmith'?
Authentication verifies the identity claim.
Why this answer
Authentication is the process of verifying the identity claimed by a user. Identification is the claim (e.g., username), and authentication is the verification (e.g., password).
Which of the following is the correct order of the access control process?
Correct. This is the logical order.
Why this answer
The sequence is: identification (user claims identity), authentication (verifies claim), authorization (determines access rights), and accountability (tracks actions).
Which access control model allows the owner of a resource to determine who can access it and what permissions they have?
DAC allows owners to set permissions.
Why this answer
Discretionary Access Control (DAC) gives resource owners discretion to grant or deny access to others.
In a federated identity environment using SAML, what is the role of the Identity Provider (IdP) when a user requests access to a service provider (SP)?
Correct. The IdP provides authentication and assertion.
Why this answer
The IdP authenticates the user and issues a SAML assertion containing identity attributes and authorization claims. The SP trusts this assertion to grant access without re-authenticating the user.
An organization is designing an access control policy for a new system. Which THREE of the following are fundamental principles that should be incorporated? (Choose THREE.)
Users get minimum necessary permissions.
Why this answer
Least privilege, separation of duties, and need-to-know are core access control principles. Defense in depth is a security strategy, not a principle of access control itself.
An IT administrator needs to deprovision a user who has been terminated. Which of the following actions should be performed first to ensure security?
Disabling immediately revokes access while retaining the account for investigation.
Why this answer
Immediately disabling the account prevents any further access. Evidence preservation can be done afterward, and deletion should be delayed until necessary.
An organization uses Kerberos for single sign-on. When a user logs in, they receive a Ticket Granting Ticket (TGT). What is the primary purpose of the TGT?
The TGT is presented to the TGS to get service tickets for specific services.
Why this answer
The TGT is obtained from the Authentication Server (AS) and is used to request service tickets from the Ticket Granting Server (TGS) without re-entering credentials, enabling SSO.
Which of the following best describes the concept of accountability in access controls?
Correct. Accountability requires unique identification and logging.
Why this answer
Accountability ensures that actions can be traced back to a specific user, typically through logging and audit trails. This relies on identification and authentication to uniquely identify users.
Which authentication method uses a time-based one-time password (TOTP) generated by a hardware or software token?
Correct. TOTP generates time-limited codes.
Why this answer
TOTP (Time-based One-Time Password) is defined in RFC 6238 and generates codes based on the current time. It is commonly used with authenticator apps or hardware tokens.
A security architect is designing an access control system for a healthcare application. The system must ensure that a nurse can view patient records but cannot modify them, and that a doctor can both view and update records. Additionally, the system must prevent a single user from both ordering a medication and approving its administration. Which TWO access control principles are being applied? (Select TWO.)
Ordering and approving medications are separated to prevent fraud or error.
Why this answer
Least privilege ensures users have only the permissions needed (nurse view, doctor view/update). Separation of duties prevents a single user from performing conflicting actions (order and approve).
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