Quick Answer
The answer is accountability because disabling an employee’s account within 24 hours directly supports the principle that all system actions must be traceable to a specific, authorized individual. When an account remains active after an employee leaves, any actions taken through that account cannot be reliably attributed, breaking the chain of accountability and opening the door to unauthorized use or repudiation. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish accountability from the other core security principles—confidentiality, integrity, and availability—which are often presented as distractors. A common trap is to confuse accountability with confidentiality, but remember that disabling accounts is about ensuring non-repudiation and audit trails, not about keeping data secret. To lock in the concept, use this memory tip: “Accountability asks ‘who did it?’—so if you can’t trace the action, you can’t hold anyone accountable.”
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security principles. 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 company implements a policy that after an employee leaves, their account must be disabled within 24 hours. Which principle is this policy primarily intended to support?
Availability
Why wrong: Availability is system accessibility.
Integrity
Why wrong: Integrity is about data accuracy.
Confidentiality
Why wrong: Confidentiality is about data secrecy, not account management.
Accountability
Accountability requires that actions can be traced to individuals; disabling former accounts prevents untraceable actions.
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
Correct: C - Accountability. Disabling accounts ensures that actions are traceable to active employees, preventing unauthorized use and maintaining accountability. Option A is wrong because confidentiality is about data secrecy. Option B is wrong because integrity is about data accuracy. Option D is wrong because availability is system accessibility.
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 is system accessibility.
Integrity
Why it's wrong here
Integrity is about data accuracy.
Confidentiality
Why it's wrong here
Confidentiality is about data secrecy, not account management.
Accountability
Why this is correct
Accountability requires that actions can be traced to individuals; disabling former accounts prevents untraceable actions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Identify which CC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Security Principles — This question tests Security Principles — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Accountability — Correct: C - Accountability. Disabling accounts ensures that actions are traceable to active employees, preventing unauthorized use and maintaining accountability. Option A is wrong because confidentiality is about data secrecy. Option B is wrong because integrity is about data accuracy. Option D is wrong because availability is system accessibility.
Identify which CC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.
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