FC0-U71 Security Practice Question
Which component of the CIA triad ensures that data cannot be modified by unauthorized users?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse authentication with integrity, as candidates often think that verifying a user's identity (authentication) also ensures data cannot be modified, but authentication only controls access, not the modification itself.
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
✓
Integrity
Integrity, the 'I' in the CIA triad, specifically ensures that data remains accurate, complete, and unaltered unless modified by authorized parties. It protects against unauthorized modification, deletion, or corruption, whether the data is at rest, in transit, or in use. Authentication verifies identity, availability ensures access, and confidentiality prevents unauthorized disclosure—none of these directly address modification prevention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Integrity
Why this is correct
Integrity guarantees data remains accurate and unaltered unless changed by an authorised party, directly matching the requirement that unauthorised users cannot modify it. Confidentiality restricts who can read data, and availability ensures timely access, so neither addresses modification.
- ✗
Authentication
Why it's wrong here
Authentication verifies a subject's claimed identity through credentials; it does not govern whether data can be altered once stored. It would be correct for a question about proving who a user is, whereas the property preventing unauthorised modification is integrity.
- ✗
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability ensures data and systems remain accessible to authorised users when needed; it addresses uptime and denial-of-service, not modification. It would be correct for a question about redundancy, failover or service outages rather than preventing unauthorised alteration of data.
- ✗
Confidentiality
Why it's wrong here
Confidentiality prevents unauthorised disclosure through encryption and access controls, so it protects against reading data, not altering it. It would be correct for a question about keeping information secret from those lacking clearance, whereas modification prevention belongs to integrity.
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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.