CCNA Network Services and Security Practice Question
Select the options that correctly pair the security principle or control with its meaning.
⚠ Common exam trap
Be careful not to confuse integrity with availability, and authorization with authentication. Remember: integrity = data accuracy, availability = data accessible; authentication = who you are, authorization = what you can do.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Confidentiality ensures that data is accessible only to authorized users.
Confidentiality ensures data is accessible only to authorized users; integrity ensures data accuracy and trustworthiness (not availability); non-repudiation ensures accountability by preventing denial of actions; authorization grants permissions (not identity verification, which is authentication). Option B is wrong because integrity is about data correctness, not availability. Option D is wrong because authorization determines permissions, while authentication verifies identity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Confidentiality ensures that data is accessible only to authorized users.
Why this is correct
Confidentiality is the CIA triad component that protects data from unauthorized access and disclosure. It is enforced through mechanisms such as encryption, access control lists, and the principle of least privilege, ensuring that only users with explicit permission can read or view sensitive information. This directly prevents data breaches and information leaks.
- ✗
Integrity ensures that data is always available when needed.
Why it's wrong here
This statement misattributes availability to the integrity principle. Integrity in the CIA triad is concerned with maintaining the accuracy and consistency of data, preventing unauthorized modifications or corruption. Availability, not integrity, ensures that data and services remain accessible to authorized users when needed, often achieved through redundancy and failover mechanisms.
When this WOULD be correct
In a question asking to match 'Availability ensures that data is always available when needed', option B would be correct if it stated 'Availability' instead of 'Integrity'.
- ✓
Non-repudiation ensures that a user cannot deny having performed an action.
Why this is correct
Non-repudiation is a security service that provides undeniable proof of a user's action or transaction, typically using digital signatures or secure audit logs. It ensures that a sender or receiver cannot claim an action never occurred, thereby establishing accountability and trust. This is distinct from authentication, which merely proves identity at a moment in time.
- ✗
Authorization verifies the identity of a user or device.
Why it's wrong here
This statement incorrectly equates authorization with identity verification. In security, authorization is the process of determining what an authenticated user is permitted to do, such as accessing specific files or executing commands. Verifying a user's identity is the separate process of authentication, which occurs before authorization can be granted.
When this WOULD be correct
In a question asking 'Which security control determines what resources a user can access after logging in?', Authorization would be the correct answer.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 200-301 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Confidentiality ensures that data is accessible only to authorized users.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Confidentiality is the CIA triad component that protects data from unauthorized access and disclosure. It is enforced through mechanisms such as encryption, access control lists, and the principle of least privilege, ensuring that only users with explicit permission can read or view sensitive information. This directly prevents data breaches and information leaks.
✗Integrity ensures that data is always available when needed.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Integrity ensures data accuracy and protection from unauthorized modification, not availability. Availability is the principle that ensures data is accessible when needed.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a question asking to match 'Availability ensures that data is always available when needed', option B would be correct if it stated 'Availability' instead of 'Integrity'.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the terms 'integrity' and 'availability' because both are part of the CIA triad and involve data protection, leading to a mix-up of their definitions.
✗Authorization verifies the identity of a user or device.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Authorization does not verify identity; that is authentication. Authorization determines what an authenticated user is allowed to do.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a question asking 'Which security control determines what resources a user can access after logging in?', Authorization would be the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates often confuse authorization with authentication because both involve access control and are used together in security processes.
Analysis generated from the official 200-301blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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Key term
Confidentiality
Confidentiality means keeping sensitive information secret and accessible only to authorized people or systems.
Key term
Integrity
Integrity is the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with in an unauthorized way, preserving its accuracy and consistency from source to destination.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 200-301 question from scratch — 1,389 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.