SOD THEORY EXAM QUESTION SET WITH 100% VERIFIED
CORRECT ANSWERS FOR GUARANTEED SUCCESS
300 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What does SOD stand for in cybersecurity? SOD stands for Separation of
Duties, a fundamental security principle that ensures no single individual has
complete control over a critical business process or system.
2. What is the primary purpose of Separation of Duties? The primary
purpose is to prevent fraud, errors, and unauthorized actions by requiring
multiple people to complete sensitive tasks, thereby reducing the risk of both
accidental and intentional security breaches.
3. What are the three main types of SOD? The three main types are: Static
SOD (preventing conflicting roles assignment), Dynamic SOD (preventing
conflicting actions during execution), and Historical SOD (preventing patterns
of access over time).
4. How does SOD relate to the principle of least privilege? SOD
complements least privilege by ensuring that even when users have the
minimum necessary access, no single user can complete an entire sensitive
process alone, requiring collaboration and oversight.
5. What is a SOD conflict? A SOD conflict occurs when a single user is
assigned roles or permissions that, when combined, could allow them to
perform incompatible functions that should be separated for security reasons.
6. What is the difference between preventive and detective SOD controls?
Preventive SOD controls block conflicting role assignments or actions before
they occur, while detective controls identify and report SOD violations after
they happen for remediation.
7. What is a compensating control in SOD? A compensating control is an
alternative security measure implemented when direct SOD enforcement isn't
feasible, such as enhanced monitoring, approval workflows, or periodic
reviews.
,8. What is role-based SOD? Role-based SOD involves defining mutually
exclusive roles within an organization and ensuring that no single user is
assigned to conflicting roles simultaneously.
9. What is transaction-based SOD? Transaction-based SOD focuses on
preventing a single user from initiating and approving the same transaction or
completing all steps of a sensitive business process.
10. What is the "four-eyes principle"? The four-eyes principle requires that
any critical decision or action must be reviewed and approved by at least two
different people before execution.
11. How does SOD support audit trails? SOD creates natural checkpoints in
processes where multiple parties are involved, making it easier to track who did
what and when, thereby enhancing accountability and audit capabilities.
12. What is a SOD matrix? A SOD matrix is a document that maps out which
roles, functions, or permissions are incompatible with each other and should not
be assigned to the same individual.
13. What is the relationship between SOD and internal controls? SOD is a
fundamental component of internal controls, helping organizations maintain
proper checks and balances to prevent fraud, ensure accuracy, and maintain
compliance.
14. What is segregation of duties in financial processes? In financial
processes, segregation of duties ensures that functions like authorization,
recording, and custody of assets are performed by different individuals to
prevent financial fraud.
15. How does SOD apply to IT systems? In IT systems, SOD ensures that
system administration, security management, and operational functions are
separated to prevent unauthorized access, changes, or data manipulation.
16. What is the maker-checker principle? The maker-checker principle
requires that one person creates or initiates a transaction (maker) while another
person reviews and approves it (checker) before execution.
17. What are incompatible functions in SOD? Incompatible functions are
activities that, when performed by the same person, create opportunities for
fraud or error, such as authorizing and recording transactions.
18. How does SOD reduce operational risk? SOD reduces operational risk by
preventing single points of failure, ensuring oversight of critical processes, and
creating natural controls that catch errors before they cause damage.
,19. What is the concept of "Chinese Wall" in SOD? The Chinese Wall
concept refers to information barriers that prevent conflicts of interest by
ensuring that individuals with access to sensitive information about one entity
cannot access information about competing entities.
20. How does SOD relate to compliance requirements? Many regulatory
frameworks like SOX, PCI-DSS, and GDPR require organizations to implement
SOD controls to ensure proper governance, risk management, and compliance.
21. What is administrative segregation in SOD? Administrative segregation
involves separating administrative functions from operational functions,
ensuring that those who manage systems cannot also execute business
transactions without oversight.
22. What is functional segregation in SOD? Functional segregation divides
work processes into distinct functions performed by different individuals or
departments to prevent any single person from controlling an entire process.
23. How does SOD apply to database administration? In database
administration, SOD separates functions like database creation, user
management, backup operations, and data access to prevent unauthorized data
manipulation or access.
24. What is the role of SOD in change management? SOD in change
management ensures that those who request changes cannot also approve and
implement them, requiring multiple parties to review and authorize system
modifications.
25. How does SOD support business continuity? SOD supports business
continuity by ensuring that critical knowledge and capabilities are distributed
among multiple people, preventing single points of failure that could disrupt
operations.
26. What is privilege creep in relation to SOD? Privilege creep occurs when
users accumulate additional permissions over time, potentially creating SOD
violations as their combined access rights may conflict with separation
requirements.
27. How does SOD apply to vendor management? SOD in vendor
management ensures that vendor selection, contract approval, and payment
authorization are handled by different individuals to prevent conflicts of interest
and fraud.
28. What is the relationship between SOD and job rotation? Job rotation
supports SOD by regularly moving employees between different roles,
, preventing long-term accumulation of incompatible duties and reducing the risk
of fraud.
29. How does SOD apply to emergency access? Emergency access procedures
should maintain SOD principles even during crises, often through break-glass
procedures that require subsequent review and approval of emergency actions.
30. What is cross-training in the context of SOD? Cross-training ensures that
multiple employees can perform critical functions while maintaining SOD,
providing operational flexibility without compromising security controls.
31. How does SOD relate to system integration? System integration must
consider SOD requirements to ensure that automated processes don't
inadvertently allow single users to control entire workflows that should be
separated.
32. What is the concept of "dual control" in SOD? Dual control requires two
or more authorized individuals to be present and act together to complete a
critical task, such as accessing a secure facility or authorizing high-value
transactions.
33. How does SOD apply to data classification? SOD ensures that data
classification, handling, and access decisions are made by different parties to
prevent conflicts of interest and maintain proper data governance.
34. What is the role of SOD in incident response? SOD in incident response
ensures that incident detection, investigation, and remediation activities are
performed by different teams to maintain objectivity and prevent cover-ups.
35. How does SOD support risk management? SOD supports risk
management by creating multiple layers of control and oversight, reducing the
likelihood of risks going undetected or unmitigated.
36. What is the difference between SOD and job segregation? While job
segregation focuses on dividing work for efficiency, SOD specifically addresses
security and control concerns by preventing conflicts of interest and fraud
opportunities.
37. How does SOD apply to software development? In software development,
SOD separates roles like development, testing, and production deployment to
ensure code quality and prevent unauthorized changes to production systems.
38. What is the concept of "need to know" in SOD? Need to know ensures
that individuals only have access to information necessary for their specific
CORRECT ANSWERS FOR GUARANTEED SUCCESS
300 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What does SOD stand for in cybersecurity? SOD stands for Separation of
Duties, a fundamental security principle that ensures no single individual has
complete control over a critical business process or system.
2. What is the primary purpose of Separation of Duties? The primary
purpose is to prevent fraud, errors, and unauthorized actions by requiring
multiple people to complete sensitive tasks, thereby reducing the risk of both
accidental and intentional security breaches.
3. What are the three main types of SOD? The three main types are: Static
SOD (preventing conflicting roles assignment), Dynamic SOD (preventing
conflicting actions during execution), and Historical SOD (preventing patterns
of access over time).
4. How does SOD relate to the principle of least privilege? SOD
complements least privilege by ensuring that even when users have the
minimum necessary access, no single user can complete an entire sensitive
process alone, requiring collaboration and oversight.
5. What is a SOD conflict? A SOD conflict occurs when a single user is
assigned roles or permissions that, when combined, could allow them to
perform incompatible functions that should be separated for security reasons.
6. What is the difference between preventive and detective SOD controls?
Preventive SOD controls block conflicting role assignments or actions before
they occur, while detective controls identify and report SOD violations after
they happen for remediation.
7. What is a compensating control in SOD? A compensating control is an
alternative security measure implemented when direct SOD enforcement isn't
feasible, such as enhanced monitoring, approval workflows, or periodic
reviews.
,8. What is role-based SOD? Role-based SOD involves defining mutually
exclusive roles within an organization and ensuring that no single user is
assigned to conflicting roles simultaneously.
9. What is transaction-based SOD? Transaction-based SOD focuses on
preventing a single user from initiating and approving the same transaction or
completing all steps of a sensitive business process.
10. What is the "four-eyes principle"? The four-eyes principle requires that
any critical decision or action must be reviewed and approved by at least two
different people before execution.
11. How does SOD support audit trails? SOD creates natural checkpoints in
processes where multiple parties are involved, making it easier to track who did
what and when, thereby enhancing accountability and audit capabilities.
12. What is a SOD matrix? A SOD matrix is a document that maps out which
roles, functions, or permissions are incompatible with each other and should not
be assigned to the same individual.
13. What is the relationship between SOD and internal controls? SOD is a
fundamental component of internal controls, helping organizations maintain
proper checks and balances to prevent fraud, ensure accuracy, and maintain
compliance.
14. What is segregation of duties in financial processes? In financial
processes, segregation of duties ensures that functions like authorization,
recording, and custody of assets are performed by different individuals to
prevent financial fraud.
15. How does SOD apply to IT systems? In IT systems, SOD ensures that
system administration, security management, and operational functions are
separated to prevent unauthorized access, changes, or data manipulation.
16. What is the maker-checker principle? The maker-checker principle
requires that one person creates or initiates a transaction (maker) while another
person reviews and approves it (checker) before execution.
17. What are incompatible functions in SOD? Incompatible functions are
activities that, when performed by the same person, create opportunities for
fraud or error, such as authorizing and recording transactions.
18. How does SOD reduce operational risk? SOD reduces operational risk by
preventing single points of failure, ensuring oversight of critical processes, and
creating natural controls that catch errors before they cause damage.
,19. What is the concept of "Chinese Wall" in SOD? The Chinese Wall
concept refers to information barriers that prevent conflicts of interest by
ensuring that individuals with access to sensitive information about one entity
cannot access information about competing entities.
20. How does SOD relate to compliance requirements? Many regulatory
frameworks like SOX, PCI-DSS, and GDPR require organizations to implement
SOD controls to ensure proper governance, risk management, and compliance.
21. What is administrative segregation in SOD? Administrative segregation
involves separating administrative functions from operational functions,
ensuring that those who manage systems cannot also execute business
transactions without oversight.
22. What is functional segregation in SOD? Functional segregation divides
work processes into distinct functions performed by different individuals or
departments to prevent any single person from controlling an entire process.
23. How does SOD apply to database administration? In database
administration, SOD separates functions like database creation, user
management, backup operations, and data access to prevent unauthorized data
manipulation or access.
24. What is the role of SOD in change management? SOD in change
management ensures that those who request changes cannot also approve and
implement them, requiring multiple parties to review and authorize system
modifications.
25. How does SOD support business continuity? SOD supports business
continuity by ensuring that critical knowledge and capabilities are distributed
among multiple people, preventing single points of failure that could disrupt
operations.
26. What is privilege creep in relation to SOD? Privilege creep occurs when
users accumulate additional permissions over time, potentially creating SOD
violations as their combined access rights may conflict with separation
requirements.
27. How does SOD apply to vendor management? SOD in vendor
management ensures that vendor selection, contract approval, and payment
authorization are handled by different individuals to prevent conflicts of interest
and fraud.
28. What is the relationship between SOD and job rotation? Job rotation
supports SOD by regularly moving employees between different roles,
, preventing long-term accumulation of incompatible duties and reducing the risk
of fraud.
29. How does SOD apply to emergency access? Emergency access procedures
should maintain SOD principles even during crises, often through break-glass
procedures that require subsequent review and approval of emergency actions.
30. What is cross-training in the context of SOD? Cross-training ensures that
multiple employees can perform critical functions while maintaining SOD,
providing operational flexibility without compromising security controls.
31. How does SOD relate to system integration? System integration must
consider SOD requirements to ensure that automated processes don't
inadvertently allow single users to control entire workflows that should be
separated.
32. What is the concept of "dual control" in SOD? Dual control requires two
or more authorized individuals to be present and act together to complete a
critical task, such as accessing a secure facility or authorizing high-value
transactions.
33. How does SOD apply to data classification? SOD ensures that data
classification, handling, and access decisions are made by different parties to
prevent conflicts of interest and maintain proper data governance.
34. What is the role of SOD in incident response? SOD in incident response
ensures that incident detection, investigation, and remediation activities are
performed by different teams to maintain objectivity and prevent cover-ups.
35. How does SOD support risk management? SOD supports risk
management by creating multiple layers of control and oversight, reducing the
likelihood of risks going undetected or unmitigated.
36. What is the difference between SOD and job segregation? While job
segregation focuses on dividing work for efficiency, SOD specifically addresses
security and control concerns by preventing conflicts of interest and fraud
opportunities.
37. How does SOD apply to software development? In software development,
SOD separates roles like development, testing, and production deployment to
ensure code quality and prevent unauthorized changes to production systems.
38. What is the concept of "need to know" in SOD? Need to know ensures
that individuals only have access to information necessary for their specific
