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 THREE are principles of the CIA triad? (Select three.)
Non-repudiation
Why wrong: Non-repudiation is not part of the CIA triad; it is an additional security goal.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is a core principle of the CIA triad.
Accountability
Why wrong: Accountability is not part of the CIA triad.
Integrity
Integrity is a core principle of the CIA triad.
Availability
Availability is a core principle 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
Confidentiality
The CIA triad is the foundational security model consisting of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. Option B (Confidentiality) is correct because it ensures that data is accessible only to authorized users, typically enforced through encryption (e.g., AES-256) and access control lists (ACLs).
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.
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation is not part of the CIA triad; it is an additional security goal.
Confidentiality
Why this is correct
Confidentiality is a core principle of the CIA triad.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Accountability
Why it's wrong here
Accountability is not part of the CIA triad.
Integrity
Why this is correct
Integrity is a core principle of the CIA triad.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Availability
Why this is correct
Availability is a core principle of the CIA triad.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between the CIA triad and other security principles like non-repudiation or accountability, leading candidates to mistakenly include them as part of the triad when they are separate concepts.
Detailed technical explanation
The CIA triad is a model used to guide security policies; confidentiality is achieved through encryption (e.g., TLS 1.3 for data in transit) and access controls (e.g., RBAC), integrity via hashing (e.g., SHA-256) and checksums, and availability through redundancy (e.g., load balancers) and DDoS mitigation. In practice, a breach of confidentiality might involve an attacker decrypting HTTPS traffic, while a loss of integrity could be detected by a mismatch in a file's hash value.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Security Concepts — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Security Concepts practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All 200-201 questions
507 questions across all exam domains
Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
200-201 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Security Policies and Procedures.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Security Concepts.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Security Monitoring.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Host-Based Analysis.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to Network Intrusion Analysis.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to 200-201 fundamentals.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to 200-201 scenario.
Practise 200-201 questions linked to 200-201 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Security Concepts — This question tests Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Confidentiality — The CIA triad is the foundational security model consisting of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. Option B (Confidentiality) is correct because it ensures that data is accessible only to authorized users, typically enforced through encryption (e.g., AES-256) and access control lists (ACLs).
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.