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SSCP Practice Question: Which TWO of the following are valid reasons for…
Which TWO of the following are valid reasons for implementing a separation of duties policy? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
ISC2 often tests the distinction between compliance as a requirement versus a fundamental security reason; candidates mistakenly choose 'compliance' as a core reason when the question asks for the underlying security benefit.
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
✓
To detect errors through independent verification.
Separation of duties (SoD) is a security control that divides critical tasks among multiple individuals to prevent any single person from having excessive control. Option B is correct because independent verification is a core benefit: when one person performs a task and another reviews it, errors are more likely to be caught before they cause damage. This is especially important in financial transactions or system configuration changes where a single mistake could have significant consequences.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
To reduce the workload on individual employees.
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties often increases workload due to additional checks.
- ✓
To detect errors through independent verification.
Why this is correct
Having different people perform related tasks allows for error detection.
- ✗
To simplify training requirements.
Why it's wrong here
Separation of duties may complicate training as more people need to be trained.
- ✗
To comply with regulatory requirements.
Why it's wrong here
While compliance may drive it, the core reasons are fraud prevention and error detection.
- ✓
To prevent fraud by requiring collusion.
Why this is correct
Separation of duties makes fraud more difficult as it requires multiple people to collude.
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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.