Which Controls Secure Remote Access to Sensitive PHI Applications?

SY0-701 By islever Editorial Last updated

Short answer

E MFA

Question

An organization wants to implement a secure solution for remote users. The users handle sensitive PHI on a regular basis and need to access an internally developed corporate application. Which of the following best meet the organization's security requirements? (Choose two.)
  1. Local administrative password
  2. Perimeter network
  3. Jump server
  4. WAF
  5. MFA Correct Answer

Key Takeaways

This question tests defense-in-depth for remote sensitive access, where candidates often fall into the trap of selecting perimeter or web-layer tools instead of recognizing that strong identity verification (MFA) paired with a controlled gateway (Jump Server) is required.

Securing remote access to internal applications handling sensitive PHI requires strong authentication and a controlled entry point. The community consensus identifies Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and a Jump Server as the optimal combination to meet these compliance and security requirements.

Common mistake: Candidates frequently select WAF or Perimeter Network, mistaking web/application-layer protections for comprehensive remote access security. These controls do not authenticate individual remote users or restrict direct backend access, making them insufficient for PHI compliance.

Expert Analysis

Core Concept & Correct Answers

The scenario demands a secure architecture for remote users accessing an internal application containing sensitive PHI. To satisfy both security and compliance standards (like HIPAA), organizations must implement defense-in-depth focusing on identity verification and access containment. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is mandatory to prevent unauthorized credential-based access to highly regulated data. Concurrently, a Jump Server (or bastion host) acts as a hardened, auditable intermediary that isolates remote users from the internal network, ensuring all sessions are logged, monitored, and restricted to necessary privileges.

Why Other Options Fall Short

  • Local administrative password: This manages workstation-level privilege escalation and has no bearing on securing remote application access or protecting PHI in transit.
  • Perimeter network: While foundational to network segmentation, it is a broad architectural concept rather than a specific control for authenticating and monitoring remote user sessions.
  • WAF (Web Application Firewall): A WAF filters malicious HTTP/HTTPS traffic targeting web applications but does not verify remote user identities or encrypt/manage interactive remote sessions. As noted in community discussions, WAFs protect the application layer but fail to address the authentication and session-control gaps highlighted in the prompt.

Exam Context & Compliance Note

Although the provided suggested answer lists only E, SY0-701 questions requiring two selections logically pair MFA with a secure access gateway. Community feedback consistently validates C and E as the correct pairing, emphasizing that jump servers provide the encrypted tunnel/control plane and auditing capabilities, while MFA satisfies the strict identity requirements for PHI. When you see 'sensitive data' + 'remote access', always prioritize IAM controls paired with secure connectivity mechanisms.

Official Reference

These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

Always map the question keywords directly to CompTIA domains before scanning options. When prompted about remote access to sensitive/internal systems, immediately filter for identity/authentication controls (MFA, PKI) and secure access gateways (Jump Server, Bastion Host, Zero Trust Network Access). Avoid selecting perimeter or web-layer tools if the core issue revolves around user authentication and session auditing.

Community Votes

CE
100%

100% of anonymous learners picked answer CE. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 7 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 7

  1. Eracle 👍 4
    Why not Jump Server instead of VPN?
  2. Aces155 👍 3 Answered C
    I think it’s jump server and vpn. A VPN encrypts data transmitted between a user's device and the company network, ensuring secure communication and protection of sensitive information like PHI when accessed remotely. A jump server acts as an intermediary system, allowing secure access to other networks within the organization from a less privileged system. This provides an additional layer of security by controlling access and monitoring activity.
  3. 0ca8ee9 👍 3 Answered E
    VPN for secure remote access and MFA to prevent unauthorized access.
  4. Anyio 👍 2 Answered E
    The correct answers are: E. MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) F. VPN (Virtual Private Network) Explanation: For remote users handling sensitive PHI (Protected Health Information), ensuring data confidentiality and secure access to internal resources is crucial. E. MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication): MFA ensures that users are authenticated using multiple factors (e.g., something they know, have, or are), significantly increasing access security. F. VPN (Virtual Private Network): A VPN provides a secure, encrypted connection between remote users and the corporate network, protecting sensitive data from interception during transmission. Other Options: B. Perimeter network: A perimeter network (DMZ) isolates public-facing servers, but it is not a solution for secure remote access for users. C. Jump server: A jump server can be used for secure administrative tasks but does not directly address remote user access to a corporate application.
  5. fc040c7 👍 2 Answered C
    A jump server acts as a secure gateway, allowing remote users to access internal network resources by first connecting to the jump server, which acts as a controlled entry point, thus enhancing security by limiting direct access to critical systems And we all know that VPNs provide secure connections for remote users.
Show 2 more comments
  1. optimuswave 👍 1 Answered E
    Humko servers is ideally used by admins and is usually placed inside of the network. It's counterpart proxy is placed in dmz through which web request can be addressed. So ans would be ef.
  2. JoeRealCool 👍 1 Answered C
    The question is asking for a secure solution; MFA would be an acceptable answer if the question was asking more specifically about authentication.

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