200-201 Security Concepts Practice Question
Which element of the CIA triad is primarily concerned with preventing unauthorized access to data?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between confidentiality and integrity, where candidates mistakenly choose integrity because they conflate 'preventing changes' with 'preventing access'.
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
Confidentiality is the CIA triad element that ensures data is accessible only to authorized users. It is primarily enforced through encryption (e.g., AES-256 for data at rest, TLS 1.3 for data in transit) and access control mechanisms (e.g., RBAC, ACLs). Preventing unauthorized access directly aligns with confidentiality's goal of protecting data from disclosure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation is not a CIA triad element; it provides proof of origin or delivery so a party cannot deny an action. It tempts because it is a security property often listed beside confidentiality, integrity and availability in exam objectives and control frameworks.
- ✗
Integrity
Why it's wrong here
Integrity guards data against unauthorised modification, not against unauthorised reading, so it does not address preventing access. It tempts because integrity controls such as hashing and checksums are often deployed alongside access controls on the same sensitive data stores.
- ✓
Confidentiality
Why this is correct
Confidentiality guards data against disclosure to unauthorised parties, directly satisfying the stem's requirement to prevent unauthorised access. It achieves this through encryption, access controls and classification, unlike Integrity, which addresses unauthorised modification, or Availability, which addresses timely, reliable access for legitimate users.
- ✗
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability ensures data and systems remain accessible to authorised users, so it concerns uptime and resilience rather than blocking unauthorised access. It tempts because denial-of-service attacks are access-related, yet the CIA element they primarily threaten is availability, not confidentiality.
Quick reference
Symmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Size | Block Size | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES-128 | 128-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | NIST approved; WPA3, TLS |
| AES-256 | 256-bit | 128-bit | Current standard | Preferred for sensitive / govt data |
| 3DES | 112-bit effective | 64-bit | Deprecated (2023) | Replaced by AES |
| DES | 56-bit | 64-bit | Broken | Cracked in < 24 h; never deploy |
| ChaCha20 | 256-bit | Stream cipher | Current | TLS 1.3, WireGuard |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 968 original 200-201 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 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.