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200-201 Practice Question: During an incident, the analyst finds that an…
During an incident, the analyst finds that an attacker modified system files. Which security principle was primarily violated?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between integrity and availability by presenting a scenario where an attacker modifies files (integrity) rather than deleting them or causing a denial of service (availability), leading candidates to mistakenly choose availability.
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
✓
Integrity
Integrity ensures that data and system files are not altered by unauthorized entities. When an attacker modifies system files, the trustworthiness and accuracy of those files are compromised, directly violating the integrity principle. This is distinct from confidentiality (unauthorized disclosure) or availability (denial of service).
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
Why it's wrong here
Confidentiality protects data from unauthorized viewing, not modification.
- ✗
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability is about ensuring systems are accessible, not about modification.
- ✓
Integrity
Why this is correct
Integrity ensures data and systems are not tampered with; file modification violates this.
- ✗
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation prevents denial of actions, but does not directly address modification.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 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 200-201 exam.