Detecting Fraud via Job Rotation
Which of the following is best used to detect fraud by assigning employees to different roles?
Community Votes
82% of anonymous learners picked answer D. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
Tests the distinction between preventive controls (separation of duties) and detective controls (job rotation). The trap is choosing separation of duties, which prevents but does not detect.
Job rotation is the best control for detecting fraud because it allows new employees to identify irregularities left by predecessors. This page explains why job rotation is preferred over separation of duties for detection purposes.
Separation of duties (C) is frequently chosen because it is a strong anti-fraud control, but it is primarily preventive rather than detective.
Community Discussion (20 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
Job rotation involves periodically moving employees between different roles or responsibilities. When an employee rotates into a new position, they review the work of their predecessor. This fresh perspective makes it highly likely that fraudulent activities, errors, or anomalies committed by the previous holder of the role will be discovered. Therefore, it serves as a detective control.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Least privilege (A) limits access rights to reduce risk but does not actively detect fraud. Mandatory vacation (B) can help detect fraud by forcing an employee to step away so others handle their tasks, but job rotation is more directly described as 'assigning employees to different roles' to uncover issues. Separation of duties (C) splits critical tasks among multiple people to prevent fraud from occurring in the first place, making it a preventive control rather than a detective one.Community Comment Notes
Many users emphasize the classic security exam distinction: "Job rotation detects, separation of duties prevents." As johnabayot noted, this is a key concept. Some users argue for mandatory vacation, but job rotation is often cited in official study guides like Mike Myers's as the primary method for detection through role assignment.Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When a question asks about 'detecting' fraud or errors, look for controls that involve review or change of personnel, such as job rotation or mandatory vacation. If it asks about 'preventing' fraud, look for segregation of duties or least privilege.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't separation of duties the answer?
Separation of duties is a preventive control designed to stop fraud before it happens by splitting tasks. It does not actively detect existing fraud.
How does job rotation detect fraud?
By taking over a role, a new employee reviews the previous worker's actions and records, often spotting irregularities or unauthorized transactions that were hidden.