CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 Certification
Official Practice Tests Actual Exam
2026/2027 with Detailed Rationales |
Complete Exam-Style Questions | Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
══════════════════════════════════════
SECTION 1: GENERAL SECURITY CONCEPTS Q1 – Q8
══════════════════════════════════════
Question 1 of 50
A manufacturing company is implementing a new ERP system and must ensure that once a
purchase order is approved by the CFO, the approval cannot later be denied. Which security
concept directly addresses this requirement?
A. Confidentiality
B. Availability
C. Non-repudiation ✓ CORRECT
D. Integrity
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Non-repudiation provides proof of origin and prevents the sender from denying
they performed an action, which is exactly what the CFO approval scenario requires.
Confidentiality ensures data is accessible only to authorized parties but does not prevent
denial of actions. In legal and financial systems, digital signatures and audit logs are the
primary mechanisms for enforcing non-repudiation.
Question 2 of 50
A regional bank is evaluating its risk posture after a recent audit identified that several legacy
database servers are no longer supported by the vendor. The bank decides to purchase an
insurance policy to cover potential financial losses if those systems are breached. Which risk
management strategy is the bank employing?
A. Risk mitigation
B. Risk transference ✓ CORRECT
,C. Risk avoidance
D. Risk acceptance
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Risk transference shifts the financial burden of a risk to a third party, in this case
an insurance carrier. Risk mitigation would involve patching or replacing the servers to reduce
the vulnerability itself. Many organizations use cyber insurance as a complementary strategy
when immediate technical remediation is not feasible due to cost or compatibility
constraints.
Question 3 of 50
An IT director at a healthcare clinic is designing access controls for the new patient portal.
The system must verify that a user is who they claim to be before granting any permissions.
Which term describes this initial verification step?
A. Authorization
B. Accounting
C. Authentication ✓ CORRECT
D. Federation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system, typically
through passwords, biometrics, or tokens. Authorization determines what resources an
authenticated user can access, which occurs only after identity is established. In healthcare
environments, strong authentication is critical because HIPAA requires access to patient
data be restricted to verified individuals only.
Question 4 of 50
After a recent phishing simulation, a university's security team notices that several faculty
members repeatedly fall for credential-harvesting emails. The team decides to implement a
mandatory online training program and simulated testing every quarter. Which category of
security control does this represent?
A. Technical control
B. Physical control
C. Compensating control
D. Administrative control ✓ CORRECT
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Security awareness training is classified as an administrative control because it
relies on policies, procedures, and human behavior rather than technology or physical
mechanisms. Technical controls include firewalls and encryption, while physical controls
, include locks and guards. Universities often rely heavily on administrative controls because
their user population is large, diverse, and includes individuals who are not direct employees.
Question 5 of 50
A software development firm is deploying a new code repository and wants to ensure that
only authorized developers can view proprietary source code, while also guaranteeing that
any unauthorized modifications are detectable. Which two security concepts must be
satisfied?
A. Confidentiality and integrity ✓ CORRECT
B. Availability and non-repudiation
C. Integrity and availability
D. Authentication and authorization
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Confidentiality prevents unauthorized viewing of the source code, while integrity
ensures that any changes, authorized or not, can be detected through mechanisms like
hashing or version control. Availability concerns uptime and access, which is not the primary
focus of this requirement. Modern version control systems like Git use cryptographic
hashing to enforce integrity while access controls enforce confidentiality.
Question 6 of 50
A multinational retailer is redesigning its network architecture to support a hybrid cloud
environment. The CISO mandates that no user or device be trusted by default, regardless of
whether they connect from inside the corporate headquarters or a remote coffee shop. Which
security model is the CISO adopting?
A. Defense in depth
B. Zero trust ✓ CORRECT
C. Least privilege
D. Segmentation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Zero trust architecture operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify,"
requiring continuous authentication and authorization for every access request regardless of
network location. Defense in depth uses multiple overlapping security layers but does not
inherently reject implicit trust based on network location. Zero trust has become the
standard model for hybrid and cloud-first enterprises because perimeter-based security is
insufficient when data and users are distributed.
Question 7 of 50
Official Practice Tests Actual Exam
2026/2027 with Detailed Rationales |
Complete Exam-Style Questions | Pass
Guaranteed – A+ Graded
══════════════════════════════════════
SECTION 1: GENERAL SECURITY CONCEPTS Q1 – Q8
══════════════════════════════════════
Question 1 of 50
A manufacturing company is implementing a new ERP system and must ensure that once a
purchase order is approved by the CFO, the approval cannot later be denied. Which security
concept directly addresses this requirement?
A. Confidentiality
B. Availability
C. Non-repudiation ✓ CORRECT
D. Integrity
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Non-repudiation provides proof of origin and prevents the sender from denying
they performed an action, which is exactly what the CFO approval scenario requires.
Confidentiality ensures data is accessible only to authorized parties but does not prevent
denial of actions. In legal and financial systems, digital signatures and audit logs are the
primary mechanisms for enforcing non-repudiation.
Question 2 of 50
A regional bank is evaluating its risk posture after a recent audit identified that several legacy
database servers are no longer supported by the vendor. The bank decides to purchase an
insurance policy to cover potential financial losses if those systems are breached. Which risk
management strategy is the bank employing?
A. Risk mitigation
B. Risk transference ✓ CORRECT
,C. Risk avoidance
D. Risk acceptance
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Risk transference shifts the financial burden of a risk to a third party, in this case
an insurance carrier. Risk mitigation would involve patching or replacing the servers to reduce
the vulnerability itself. Many organizations use cyber insurance as a complementary strategy
when immediate technical remediation is not feasible due to cost or compatibility
constraints.
Question 3 of 50
An IT director at a healthcare clinic is designing access controls for the new patient portal.
The system must verify that a user is who they claim to be before granting any permissions.
Which term describes this initial verification step?
A. Authorization
B. Accounting
C. Authentication ✓ CORRECT
D. Federation
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system, typically
through passwords, biometrics, or tokens. Authorization determines what resources an
authenticated user can access, which occurs only after identity is established. In healthcare
environments, strong authentication is critical because HIPAA requires access to patient
data be restricted to verified individuals only.
Question 4 of 50
After a recent phishing simulation, a university's security team notices that several faculty
members repeatedly fall for credential-harvesting emails. The team decides to implement a
mandatory online training program and simulated testing every quarter. Which category of
security control does this represent?
A. Technical control
B. Physical control
C. Compensating control
D. Administrative control ✓ CORRECT
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Security awareness training is classified as an administrative control because it
relies on policies, procedures, and human behavior rather than technology or physical
mechanisms. Technical controls include firewalls and encryption, while physical controls
, include locks and guards. Universities often rely heavily on administrative controls because
their user population is large, diverse, and includes individuals who are not direct employees.
Question 5 of 50
A software development firm is deploying a new code repository and wants to ensure that
only authorized developers can view proprietary source code, while also guaranteeing that
any unauthorized modifications are detectable. Which two security concepts must be
satisfied?
A. Confidentiality and integrity ✓ CORRECT
B. Availability and non-repudiation
C. Integrity and availability
D. Authentication and authorization
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Confidentiality prevents unauthorized viewing of the source code, while integrity
ensures that any changes, authorized or not, can be detected through mechanisms like
hashing or version control. Availability concerns uptime and access, which is not the primary
focus of this requirement. Modern version control systems like Git use cryptographic
hashing to enforce integrity while access controls enforce confidentiality.
Question 6 of 50
A multinational retailer is redesigning its network architecture to support a hybrid cloud
environment. The CISO mandates that no user or device be trusted by default, regardless of
whether they connect from inside the corporate headquarters or a remote coffee shop. Which
security model is the CISO adopting?
A. Defense in depth
B. Zero trust ✓ CORRECT
C. Least privilege
D. Segmentation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Zero trust architecture operates on the principle of "never trust, always verify,"
requiring continuous authentication and authorization for every access request regardless of
network location. Defense in depth uses multiple overlapping security layers but does not
inherently reject implicit trust based on network location. Zero trust has become the
standard model for hybrid and cloud-first enterprises because perimeter-based security is
insufficient when data and users are distributed.
Question 7 of 50
