SSCP Practice Questions: Access Controls Domain

Published: July 30, 2025 | 20 min read

Test your SSCP knowledge with 10 practice questions from the Access Controls domain. Includes detailed explanations and answers.

SSCP Practice Questions

Master the Access Controls Domain

Test your knowledge in the Access Controls domain with these 10 practice questions. Each question is designed to help you prepare for the SSCP certification exam with detailed explanations to reinforce your learning.

Question 1

You notice that an application server is frequently being accessed by unauthorized users. To mitigate this, you decide to implement two-factor authentication (2FA). Which of the following is a critical step in implementing 2FA on this server?

A) Enable logging for all login attempts.

B) Integrate with a third-party 2FA provider.

C) Update the server's operating system to the latest version.

D) Change all user passwords to more complex ones.

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Option B is correct because integrating with a third-party 2FA provider is essential for implementing two-factor authentication, which requires users to provide a second form of verification. Option A is incorrect as logging does not prevent unauthorized access. Option C is important for security but unrelated to 2FA implementation. Option D is good practice but does not constitute a 2FA solution.

Question 2

A security incident has been reported where unauthorized access was gained to a Windows server. As part of the incident response, you need to audit the access control configurations. Which tool would you use to review and modify the access control lists (ACLs) on the server?

A) Event Viewer

B) Local Security Policy

C) Active Directory Users and Computers

D) icacls command-line tool

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: D

Explanation: The 'icacls' command-line tool is used to view and modify ACLs on files and directories in Windows, making it ideal for auditing access control configurations. Event Viewer is used for reviewing logs, Local Security Policy is used for configuring security settings, and Active Directory Users and Computers is used for managing user accounts and groups, not directly for ACLs.

Question 3

A security practitioner is configuring a Windows server to ensure that users only have access to necessary files and applications. Which access control model should be implemented to achieve this principle of least privilege?

A) Discretionary Access Control (DAC)

B) Mandatory Access Control (MAC)

C) Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

D) Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) (C) is best suited for implementing the principle of least privilege by assigning permissions based on user roles. Discretionary Access Control (DAC) (A) allows users to set permissions, which may not enforce least privilege. Mandatory Access Control (MAC) (B) is more rigid and typically used in environments requiring high security. Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) (D) is more complex and not specifically tailored for least privilege.

Question 4

You are configuring access controls on a Linux server used by multiple departments. Each department should only have access to its own directory. Which of the following commands would you use to ensure that the 'marketing' group can read and write to the /data/marketing directory while preventing other users from accessing it?

A) chmod 770 /data/marketing

B) chmod 750 /data/marketing

C) chown marketing:marketing /data/marketing

D) chmod 700 /data/marketing

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: A

Explanation: The command 'chmod 770 /data/marketing' sets the directory permissions so that the owner and group have read, write, and execute permissions, while others have no permissions. Option B would allow others in the marketing group to execute but not write. Option C changes the owner and group but does not set permissions. Option D restricts access too much, allowing only the owner to access the directory.

Question 5

During a security audit, you discover that a critical application server is using outdated firewall rules that allow unrestricted access to its management interface from any IP address. What is the best immediate action to mitigate this risk while maintaining necessary access for administrators?

A) Disable the management interface entirely until new rules can be implemented.

B) Restrict access to the management interface to a specific IP range used by administrators.

C) Enable logging on the firewall to monitor all traffic to the management interface.

D) Implement a VPN requirement for accessing the management interface.

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Restricting access to the management interface to a specific IP range used by administrators is a balanced approach that immediately mitigates the risk while maintaining necessary access. Disabling the interface would disrupt operations, logging does not prevent unauthorized access, and implementing a VPN requires additional setup time.

Question 6

You are a security practitioner tasked with configuring access controls on a Linux server that hosts sensitive financial data. Which of the following access control methods would best ensure that only authorized users have access to the data while minimizing administrative overhead?

A) Implement Discretionary Access Control (DAC) using user groups and file permissions.

B) Apply Mandatory Access Control (MAC) with SELinux policies.

C) Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) by assigning roles to users based on their job functions.

D) Configure Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) using user attributes and environmental conditions.

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: C

Explanation: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is effective for managing access based on job functions, reducing the complexity of managing individual permissions. While DAC is commonly used in Linux, it requires more manual management. MAC with SELinux is more secure but can be complex and may not be necessary for all environments. ABAC provides flexibility but can be complex to implement and manage.

Question 7

A company wants to implement network access control to ensure that only devices with up-to-date antivirus software can connect to its network. Which of the following solutions should be implemented?

A) Firewall with deep packet inspection

B) Network Access Control (NAC)

C) Intrusion Detection System (IDS)

D) Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Network Access Control (NAC) is designed to restrict the availability of network resources to endpoint devices that comply with a defined security policy, such as having up-to-date antivirus software. Firewalls and IDS focus on monitoring and filtering traffic rather than enforcing device compliance. VPNs provide secure connections but do not enforce endpoint security compliance.

Question 8

You are tasked with configuring a new firewall for a corporate network. During a security audit, it was found that several users have unnecessary access to sensitive resources due to overly permissive firewall rules. Which of the following actions would best mitigate this issue while maintaining necessary access for legitimate users?

A) Implement a deny-all policy and manually add rules to allow necessary traffic.

B) Create a detailed log of all current traffic and adjust the rules based on the log.

C) Remove all existing rules and start from scratch to ensure only necessary access is granted.

D) Increase the logging level to capture more detailed traffic information for ongoing analysis.

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: A

Explanation: The correct answer is A. Implementing a deny-all policy and then adding rules to allow necessary traffic ensures that only authorized traffic is permitted, aligning with the principle of least privilege. Option B, while useful for analysis, does not directly address the issue of overly permissive rules. Option C is risky and could disrupt legitimate access, leading to potential downtime. Option D focuses on monitoring rather than actively addressing the permissive access issue.

Question 9

Your organization uses a Linux-based system for hosting critical applications. To enhance security, you need to implement a mandatory access control (MAC) system. Which of the following tools would best help you achieve this?

A) AppArmor

B) SELinux

C) ACLs (Access Control Lists)

D) Chroot

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) is a security architecture for Linux systems that provides a mechanism for supporting access control security policies, including mandatory access controls (MAC). AppArmor is another option for MAC, but SELinux is more comprehensive and widely used for enforcing stringent access policies. ACLs provide discretionary access control, not mandatory. Chroot is used to change the root directory for a process and is not a MAC system.

Question 10

A security administrator is tasked with configuring access controls for a new file server that will store sensitive financial data. Which strategy should be used to ensure that access is granted based on the principle of least privilege?

A) Assign read/write permissions to all employees by default.

B) Create a separate group for each department and assign permissions based on job role.

C) Use a single account with administrative privileges for all access.

D) Enable guest access for file sharing to simplify management.

Show Answer & Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Explanation: Creating separate groups for each department and assigning permissions based on job role aligns with the principle of least privilege, ensuring users only have access to the data necessary for their job functions. Assigning read/write permissions to all employees or using a single administrative account grants excessive access. Enabling guest access poses a significant security risk.

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