ISC CISSP Practice Test 51
Question 500
A previous security situation was: An IAM project uses passwords for every service identity in automated pipelines with long expiry and broad sharing. Now the requirement changes: A pipeline runner must access a separate cloud tenant temporarily. Which NEW action BEST answers the changed need?
- Embed one permanent administration password into every pipeline configuration.
- Secrets inventory finds no embedded permanent admin passwords and token scopes are minimal.
- Use a purpose-specific cross-tenant role assumption with bounded trust and expiration.
- Use workload identities or managed short-lived credentials scoped to specific services.
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Temporary federated workload access extends identity scope without distributing lasting keys. The revised action is Use a purpose-specific cross-tenant role assumption with bounded trust and expiration.
Incorrect Answers
A:This remains inappropriate: Shared static credentials have broad blast radius and are hard to attribute or rotate.
B:This is a record of how the initial safeguard would be checked, not an action implementing the newly requested condition: Secrets inventory finds no embedded permanent admin passwords and token scopes are minimal.
D:This is the appropriate response to the original situation: Service identities should avoid persistent user-like secrets and allow precise revocation. It does not directly meet the new condition.
Question 501
A company wants SSO but its applications still prompt for passwords independently and preserve separate sessions after logout. What should the security manager recommend as the MOST appropriate response to the current requirement?
- Limit session lifetime, protect token storage, detect anomalies and revoke on account risk events.
- Design federated authentication with coherent session policies and evaluated logout behavior.
- Store all application passwords in an unencrypted central spreadsheet for convenience.
- Enforce step-up authentication for high-risk transaction authorization.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Single sign-on should reduce credential proliferation while still managing session lifecycle risks.
Incorrect Answers
A:This response addresses a different condition: A customer support portal treats successful possession of a bearer session token as permanent identity proof for months. The present case requires the measure described by Design federated authentication with coherent session policies and evaluated logout behavior.
C:Password consolidation without protection creates a severe shared secret exposure. The proposal would not be defensible for this case.
D:This is appropriate for a later condition (A sensitive payment approval operation requires reauthentication despite an active SSO session.), but it does not directly resolve the initial need. SSO session convenience cannot override transactional assurance requirements.
Question 502
A company wants SSO but its applications still prompt for passwords independently and preserve separate sessions after logout. A designer proposes: Store all application passwords in an unencrypted central spreadsheet for convenience. What is the MOST significant security deficiency in this proposal?
- MFA strength is compromised if an attacker can self-register a new factor.
- Password consolidation without protection creates a severe shared secret exposure.
- Unauthorized factor registration can establish persistent account takeover.
- SSO session convenience cannot override transactional assurance requirements.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:Password consolidation without protection creates a severe shared secret exposure. This is the direct weakness in the proposed action.
Incorrect Answers
A:This is an advantage of another design (Require strongly verified enrollment and independent approval for privileged authenticator changes.), not the particular flaw of Store all application passwords in an unencrypted central spreadsheet for convenience.
C:This is a limitation elsewhere: A privileged account system permits administrators to add their own authenticators without a second-party review. It does not explain the deficiency of the specified proposed approach.
D:This explains a later shift in requirements (A sensitive payment approval operation requires reauthentication despite an active SSO session.), not the failure of the current proposal.
Question 503
A company wants SSO but its applications still prompt for passwords independently and preserve separate sessions after logout. The organization has now implemented this response: Design federated authentication with coherent session policies and evaluated logout behavior. Which observation would MOST directly demonstrate that the security objective was met?
- An approved change ticket for Design federated authentication with coherent session policies and evaluated logout behavior. without a completed verification result.
- A session test confirms appropriate federation, reauthentication and revocation behavior.
- Fraud simulation rejects impostors with stolen biographical answers and records verification steps.
- Secrets inventory finds no embedded permanent admin passwords and token scopes are minimal.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:A session test confirms appropriate federation, reauthentication and revocation behavior. This validates that single sign-on should reduce credential proliferation while still managing session lifecycle risks.
Incorrect Answers
A:An approved change without an executed test cannot prove operating effectiveness. The needed evidence is A session test confirms appropriate federation, reauthentication and revocation behavior.
C:This demonstrates controls in another circumstance: A call center uses knowledge-based questions to enroll remote customers into accounts holding financial balances.
D:This other observation is relevant to: An IAM project uses passwords for every service identity in automated pipelines with long expiry and broad sharing.
Question 504
A previous security situation was: A company wants SSO but its applications still prompt for passwords independently and preserve separate sessions after logout. Now the requirement changes: A sensitive payment approval operation requires reauthentication despite an active SSO session. Which NEW action BEST answers the changed need?
- A session test confirms appropriate federation, reauthentication and revocation behavior.
- Enforce step-up authentication for high-risk transaction authorization.
- Design federated authentication with coherent session policies and evaluated logout behavior.
- Store all application passwords in an unencrypted central spreadsheet for convenience.
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:SSO session convenience cannot override transactional assurance requirements. The revised action is Enforce step-up authentication for high-risk transaction authorization.
Incorrect Answers
A:This is a record of how the initial safeguard would be checked, not an action implementing the newly requested condition: A session test confirms appropriate federation, reauthentication and revocation behavior.
C:This is the appropriate response to the original situation: Single sign-on should reduce credential proliferation while still managing session lifecycle risks. It does not directly meet the new condition.
D:This remains inappropriate: Password consolidation without protection creates a severe shared secret exposure.
Question 505
A customer support portal treats successful possession of a bearer session token as permanent identity proof for months. What should the security manager recommend as the MOST appropriate response to the current requirement?
- Limit session lifetime, protect token storage, detect anomalies and revoke on account risk events.
- Set never-expiring tokens without theft monitoring because initial MFA was strong.
- Require fresh verified identity proofing before altering recovery factors.
- Require strongly verified enrollment and independent approval for privileged authenticator changes.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Tokens can be stolen or remain valid long after user circumstances change. This directly addresses the stated situation.
Incorrect Answers
B:Initial authentication does not guarantee perpetual legitimacy of bearer tokens. The proposal would not be defensible for this case.
C:This is appropriate for a later condition (A customer changes registered identity evidence after a suspected takeover.), but it does not directly resolve the initial need. Recovery credential changes demand renewed assurance distinct from routine session use.
D:This response addresses a different condition: A privileged account system permits administrators to add their own authenticators without a second-party review. The present case requires the measure described by Limit session lifetime, protect token storage, detect anomalies and revoke on account risk events.
Question 506
A customer support portal treats successful possession of a bearer session token as permanent identity proof for months. A designer proposes: Set never-expiring tokens without theft monitoring because initial MFA was strong. What is the MOST significant security deficiency in this proposal?
- Initial authentication does not guarantee perpetual legitimacy of bearer tokens.
- Knowledge of personal data does not establish rightful identity ownership.
- Recovery credential changes demand renewed assurance distinct from routine session use.
- Publicly discoverable facts and static questions are weak identity verification.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Initial authentication does not guarantee perpetual legitimacy of bearer tokens. This is the direct weakness in the proposed action.
Incorrect Answers
B:This is a limitation elsewhere: A call center uses knowledge-based questions to enroll remote customers into accounts holding financial balances. It does not explain the deficiency of the specified proposed approach.
C:This explains a later shift in requirements (A customer changes registered identity evidence after a suspected takeover.), not the failure of the current proposal.
D:This is an advantage of another design (Use risk-based identity proofing that validates evidence and binds the applicant to the enrolled identity.), not the particular flaw of Set never-expiring tokens without theft monitoring because initial MFA was strong.
Question 507
A customer support portal treats successful possession of a bearer session token as permanent identity proof for months. The organization has now implemented this response: Limit session lifetime, protect token storage, detect anomalies and revoke on account risk events. Which observation would MOST directly demonstrate that the security objective was met?
- Stolen token tests confirm appropriate revocation and session-bound policy enforcement.
- Unsolicited prompt bursts are stopped and suspicious authentication attempts investigated.
- A session test confirms appropriate federation, reauthentication and revocation behavior.
- An approved change ticket for Limit session lifetime, protect token storage, detect anomalies and revoke on account risk events. without a completed verification result.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Stolen token tests confirm appropriate revocation and session-bound policy enforcement. This validates that tokens can be stolen or remain valid long after user circumstances change.
Incorrect Answers
B:This demonstrates controls in another circumstance: A finance company mandates MFA but allows attackers to approve repeated push prompts until a tired user accepts.
C:This other observation is relevant to: A company wants SSO but its applications still prompt for passwords independently and preserve separate sessions after logout.
D:An approved change without an executed test cannot prove operating effectiveness. The needed evidence is Stolen token tests confirm appropriate revocation and session-bound policy enforcement.
Question 508
A previous security situation was: A customer support portal treats successful possession of a bearer session token as permanent identity proof for months. Now the requirement changes: A customer changes registered identity evidence after a suspected takeover. Which NEW action BEST answers the changed need?
- Require fresh verified identity proofing before altering recovery factors.
- Limit session lifetime, protect token storage, detect anomalies and revoke on account risk events.
- Set never-expiring tokens without theft monitoring because initial MFA was strong.
- Stolen token tests confirm appropriate revocation and session-bound policy enforcement.
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Recovery credential changes demand renewed assurance distinct from routine session use. The revised action is Require fresh verified identity proofing before altering recovery factors.
Incorrect Answers
B:This is the appropriate response to the original situation: Tokens can be stolen or remain valid long after user circumstances change. It does not directly meet the new condition.
C:This remains inappropriate: Initial authentication does not guarantee perpetual legitimacy of bearer tokens.
D:This is a record of how the initial safeguard would be checked, not an action implementing the newly requested condition: Stolen token tests confirm appropriate revocation and session-bound policy enforcement.
Question 509
A privileged account system permits administrators to add their own authenticators without a second-party review. What should the security manager recommend as the MOST appropriate response to the current requirement?
- Treat factor enrollment as harmless metadata and allow anonymous modifications.
- Revoke affected authenticators and enroll trusted replacements after verified notification.
- Use risk-based identity proofing that validates evidence and binds the applicant to the enrolled identity.
- Require strongly verified enrollment and independent approval for privileged authenticator changes.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:MFA strength is compromised if an attacker can self-register a new factor. This directly addresses the stated situation.
Incorrect Answers
A:Unauthorized factor registration can establish persistent account takeover. The proposal would not be defensible for this case.
B:This is appropriate for a later condition (A registered hardware authenticator is declared compromised by its vendor.), but it does not directly resolve the initial need. Authenticator trust changes require lifecycle response even without known individual account compromise.
C:This response addresses a different condition: A call center uses knowledge-based questions to enroll remote customers into accounts holding financial balances. The present case requires the measure described by Require strongly verified enrollment and independent approval for privileged authenticator changes.
Question 510
A privileged account system permits administrators to add their own authenticators without a second-party review. A designer proposes: Treat factor enrollment as harmless metadata and allow anonymous modifications. What is the MOST significant security deficiency in this proposal?
- Repeated prompts increase social engineering pressure and do not bind to intended login.
- Authenticator trust changes require lifecycle response even without known individual account compromise.
- Push fatigue can induce authorization even when a second factor is technically present.
- Unauthorized factor registration can establish persistent account takeover.
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Unauthorized factor registration can establish persistent account takeover. This is the direct weakness in the proposed action.
Incorrect Answers
A:This is a limitation elsewhere: A finance company mandates MFA but allows attackers to approve repeated push prompts until a tired user accepts. It does not explain the deficiency of the specified proposed approach.
B:This explains a later shift in requirements (A registered hardware authenticator is declared compromised by its vendor.), not the failure of the current proposal.
C:This is an advantage of another design (Use phishing-resistant factors or number matching plus rate limits and prompt-abuse detection.), not the particular flaw of Treat factor enrollment as harmless metadata and allow anonymous modifications.