easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
ISC2 CC Practice Question: A small business owner wants to ensure that their…
A small business owner wants to ensure that their company's data remains accurate and unaltered during transmission over the internet. They regularly send financial reports to their accountant via email. The owner is concerned that a hacker might intercept and modify the reports before they reach the accountant. Which security principle is most directly threatened in this scenario, and what is the best technical control to implement?
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; apply a digital signature or hash to the files
Integrity is the principle threatened because the scenario involves potential unauthorized modification of data. Digital signatures or hashes provide integrity by allowing verification that the data has not been altered. Option A (Confidentiality) is incorrect because encryption protects against unauthorized disclosure, not alteration. Option B (Non-repudiation) is incorrect because non-repudiation prevents denial of actions, but does not ensure data is unaltered. Option D (Availability) is incorrect because availability ensures data is accessible, not accurate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Confidentiality; encrypt the email attachments
Why it's wrong here
Encryption protects against disclosure, not modification.
- ✗
Non-repudiation; require read receipts
Why it's wrong here
Read receipts confirm delivery, not data integrity.
- ✓
Integrity; apply a digital signature or hash to the files
Why this is correct
Digital signatures and hashes detect and prevent unauthorized changes.
- ✗
Availability; use a redundant email server
Why it's wrong here
Redundancy ensures uptime, not data integrity.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to Security Principles
Key term
Encryption
Encryption is the process of converting readable data into a secret code to prevent unauthorized access.
Key term
Non-repudiation
Non-repudiation is a security principle that ensures a party in a digital transaction cannot deny their involvement or the authenticity of their digital signature.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.