Quick Answer
The correct answer is accountability. Accountability in cybersecurity relies on the principle of unique identification, where every action must be traceable to a single individual. When an employee shares their password with a colleague, that unique link is broken, making it impossible to determine who performed a specific action, thus violating accountability. On the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC exam, this concept tests your understanding of how non-repudiation and audit trails depend on individual credentials; a common trap is confusing accountability with confidentiality or integrity. Remember that accountability is about “who did what,” and password sharing destroys that evidence. A useful memory tip is to think of accountability as a “digital signature” for every action—if the password is shared, the signature is forged.
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security principles. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 security analyst discovers that an employee shared their password with a colleague to complete a task. Which security principle has been violated?
Availability
Why wrong: Availability ensures systems are accessible, not compromised by password sharing.
Confidentiality
Why wrong: Confidentiality protects data, but the issue here is about identity.
Integrity
Why wrong: Integrity ensures data accuracy, not directly related to password sharing.
Accountability
Password sharing undermines accountability because actions cannot be tied to a specific individual.
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
Accountability relies on unique identification. Password sharing breaks this link.
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 accessible, not compromised by password sharing.
Confidentiality
Why it's wrong here
Confidentiality protects data, but the issue here is about identity.
Integrity
Why it's wrong here
Integrity ensures data accuracy, not directly related to password sharing.
Accountability
Why this is correct
Password sharing undermines accountability because actions cannot be tied to a specific individual.
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 — Accountability relies on unique identification. Password sharing breaks this link.
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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