Quick Answer
The answer is accountability. This is correct because the scenario describes a security policy requiring unique identification and auditing of access, which are the core technical components of accountability—ensuring that every action can be traced back to a specific user through logs and authentication. On the CompTIA ITF+ FC0-U61 exam, this concept tests your understanding that accountability is not one of the three classic CIA triad principles (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability) but is often presented as a supporting principle that relies on identification, authentication, and audit trails to enforce non-repudiation. A common trap is confusing accountability with integrity, but remember: integrity protects data from unauthorized changes, while accountability tracks who did what. A useful memory tip is to think of “accountability” as the “paper trail” principle—if you can uniquely ID and audit, you can hold someone accountable.
This FC0-U61 practice question tests your understanding of it concepts and terminology. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
A system administrator is reviewing a security policy that specifies that users must be uniquely identified and access must be audited. Which principle of the CIA triad is being addressed?
Availability
Why wrong: Availability ensures systems are operational.
Integrity
Why wrong: Integrity ensures data is accurate and unaltered.
Accountability
Accountability ensures user actions are traceable through identification and auditing.
Confidentiality
Why wrong: Confidentiality protects data from unauthorized disclosure.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Accountability
The scenario describes a security policy requiring unique identification and auditing of access. These are the core components of accountability, which ensures that actions can be traced back to a specific user. While accountability is not one of the three classic CIA triad principles (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability), it is often considered an extension or supporting principle that relies on identification, authentication, and audit logs to enforce non-repudiation.
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.
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability ensures systems are operational.
Integrity
Why it's wrong here
Integrity ensures data is accurate and unaltered.
Accountability
Why this is correct
Accountability ensures user actions are traceable through identification and auditing.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Confidentiality
Why it's wrong here
Confidentiality protects data from unauthorized disclosure.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse accountability with confidentiality, because both involve user identification, but accountability specifically requires auditing and traceability of actions, not just access control.
Detailed technical explanation
Accountability in IT security is implemented through AAA (Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting) frameworks, such as RADIUS (RFC 2865/2866) or TACACS+. The 'Accounting' component logs user actions, tying them to a unique identifier (e.g., a username or certificate subject). In practice, audit logs must be immutable and timestamped (e.g., using syslog with NTP synchronization) to provide legally defensible non-repudiation, which is critical for compliance with standards like PCI DSS or SOX.
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 FC0-U61 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
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FAQ
IT Concepts and Terminology — This question tests IT Concepts and Terminology — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Accountability — The scenario describes a security policy requiring unique identification and auditing of access. These are the core components of accountability, which ensures that actions can be traced back to a specific user. While accountability is not one of the three classic CIA triad principles (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability), it is often considered an extension or supporting principle that relies on identification, authentication, and audit logs to enforce non-repudiation.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This FC0-U61 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-U61 exam.
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