This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which of the following is a primary goal of the CIA triad?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Redundancy
Why wrong: Redundancy supports availability but is not a primary goal of the triad itself.
Scalability
Why wrong: Scalability is not part of the CIA triad.
Availability
Availability ensures systems are accessible when needed.
Maintainability
Why wrong: Maintainability is not part of the CIA triad.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Availability
The CIA triad's primary goals are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Availability ensures that authorized users have reliable and timely access to data and resources when needed, which is a core security objective. Option C is correct because availability is explicitly one of the three pillars of the CIA triad.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Redundancy
Why it's wrong here
Redundancy supports availability but is not a primary goal of the triad itself.
Scalability
Why it's wrong here
Scalability is not part of the CIA triad.
Availability
Why this is correct
Availability ensures systems are accessible when needed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Maintainability
Why it's wrong here
Maintainability is not part of the CIA triad.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between a primary goal of the CIA triad and a supporting mechanism or operational characteristic, so candidates may confuse redundancy (a means to achieve availability) with availability itself.
Detailed technical explanation
Availability is often measured in terms of uptime and is supported by mechanisms such as failover clusters, load balancers, and redundant power supplies. In Cisco environments, protocols like HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) or VRRP provide first-hop redundancy to maintain network availability. A real-world scenario is a DDoS attack overwhelming a server, which directly violates availability by denying legitimate users access.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 200-201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Security Concepts — This question tests Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Availability — The CIA triad's primary goals are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Availability ensures that authorized users have reliable and timely access to data and resources when needed, which is a core security objective. Option C is correct because availability is explicitly one of the three pillars of the CIA triad.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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