ISC2 CC Security Principles Practice Question
According to the (ISC)² Code of Ethics, if a conflict arises between protecting society and providing diligent service to your employer, which should take precedence?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may pick 'Provide diligent service' because it feels like the most direct professional obligation, but the (ISC)² Code explicitly subordinates employer service to the protection of society.
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
✓
Protect society
The (ISC)² Code of Ethics establishes a strict priority order among its canons, with 'Protect society, the common good, necessary public trust and confidence, and the infrastructure' as the highest obligation. When this conflicts with providing diligent service to an employer or client, protecting society must take precedence. This hierarchy ensures that security professionals prioritize public safety over commercial or contractual interests.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Advance the profession
Why it's wrong here
Advancing the profession sits below the public-safety canon in the Code's ordered preamble, so it cannot take precedence over protecting society. It is tempting because professional development genuinely matters, and it would be the correct canon when the dilemma involves raising industry standards rather than harm to the public.
- ✗
Act honorably
Why it's wrong here
Act honorably is the second canon; protecting society is the first.
- ✓
Protect society
Why this is correct
The (ISC)² Code of Ethics canon places the safety and welfare of society and the common good above all else, including duties owed to an employer. Protecting society therefore takes precedence when the two obligations conflict, satisfying the stem's precedence requirement.
- ✗
Provide diligent service
Why it's wrong here
Diligent service to principals ranks below the canon requiring protection of society and the infrastructure in the Code's ordered preamble, so employer loyalty yields here. It is tempting because the scenario frames an employer conflict, and this canon would govern if no societal harm were at stake.
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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 ISC2 exam blueprint
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.