FC0-U71 Security Practice Question
A security analyst is explaining the CIA triad to new employees. Which scenario best illustrates a breach of integrity?
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests the ability to distinguish between confidentiality, integrity, and availability by presenting scenarios that sound similar but map to different pillars; candidates may confuse data theft (confidentiality) with data modification (integrity).
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
✓
An attacker modifies financial records in a database without authorization
Integrity in the CIA triad refers to protecting data from unauthorized modification. An attacker modifying financial records in a database without authorization directly violates integrity because the data is altered, potentially leading to incorrect decisions or fraud. This scenario best illustrates a breach of integrity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
An employee accidentally deletes a critical file
Why it's wrong here
Accidental deletion removes data, which is an availability loss, not unauthorised modification. Integrity concerns data being altered without authorisation; deletion by a careless employee destroys the file rather than corrupting its contents, so it fails this scenario.
- ✓
An attacker modifies financial records in a database without authorization
Why this is correct
Integrity concerns unauthorised alteration of data, not its disclosure or availability. Modifying financial records without authorisation corrupts their accuracy and trustworthiness, so this scenario illustrates an integrity breach rather than a confidentiality or availability failure.
- ✗
An attacker steals customer credit card numbers from a database
Why it's wrong here
Stealing credit card numbers is unauthorised disclosure, which breaches confidentiality. Integrity covers unauthorised alteration of data; the records remain unmodified in this scenario, so the theft does not illustrate integrity even though it is a serious security incident.
- ✗
A denial-of-service attack makes a website unavailable
Why it's wrong here
A denial-of-service attack renders a website unreachable, which is an availability breach. Integrity concerns data being changed without authorisation; the attack disrupts access rather than modifying stored records, so it does not illustrate the integrity principle.
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About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every FC0-U71 question from scratch — 988 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 and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This FC0-U71 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 FC0-U71 exam.