Guide: Understanding Separation of Duties Concept - CISSP Access Control

The concept of Separation of Duties is a critical access control principle for maintaining security in any system.
What is it:
Separation of duties (SoD) is a fundamental concept of internal controls which aims to prevent fraud and errors by ensuring that at least two individuals are responsible for separate parts of any task or operation.
Importance:
The main objective is to prevent one person from having too much power or influence within an organization, which is crucial for preventing fraud, error, abuse, and other security risks.
How it Works:
In an organization, it involves dividing responsibilities and tasks among different employees or system components to ensure no one individual or module has full control over a critical process or system.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Separation of Duties
In an examination context, when responding to questions on Separation of Duties, be sure to:
- Understand the concept and its importance
- Not confuse it with 'least privilege'
- Remember that its primary aim is to prevent abuse of power or fraud
- Recognize real-world situations where it’s used
- Know that it applies to both process and technology controls Hope this guide is helpful in preparing you for any questions related to the concept of Separation of Duties in your exams.