Quick Answer
The answer is confidentiality, as the unauthorized disclosure of a 'Confidential' document to an external partner directly violates the principle that data must not be accessible to unauthorized individuals. Confidentiality, a core pillar of the CIA triad, is specifically concerned with preventing unauthorized access and disclosure, which is exactly what occurred when the employee emailed the document without authorization. On the Certified Information Systems Security Professional CISSP exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish confidentiality from integrity, availability, and non-repudiation—a common trap is confusing a disclosure breach with an integrity violation, but remember that integrity deals with unauthorized modification or destruction, not viewing or sharing. A useful memory tip is to link the word "confidential" with "confide"—if you wouldn't confide a secret to someone, sharing that data breaks confidentiality.
This CISSP practice question tests your understanding of asset security. 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's data classification policy labels information as 'Internal Use Only' and 'Confidential.' An employee emails a 'Confidential' document to an external partner without authorization. Which type of data security objective has been violated?
Non-repudiation
Why wrong: Non-repudiation prevents denial of actions, not disclosure.
Confidentiality
Unauthorized disclosure violates confidentiality.
Availability
Why wrong: Availability ensures timely access, not restriction.
Integrity
Why wrong: Integrity involves unauthorized modification, not disclosure.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Confidentiality
Confidentiality ensures that data is not disclosed to unauthorized parties. Option B is wrong because integrity is about accuracy, not disclosure. Option C is wrong because availability is about access when needed. Option D is wrong because non-repudiation is about proof of origin.
Key principle: Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Non-repudiation
Why it's wrong here
Non-repudiation prevents denial of actions, not disclosure.
Confidentiality
Why this is correct
Unauthorized disclosure violates confidentiality.
Related concept
Authentication checks who the user is.
Availability
Why it's wrong here
Availability ensures timely access, not restriction.
Integrity
Why it's wrong here
Integrity involves unauthorized modification, not disclosure.
Common exam traps
Logging in proves the user can authenticate. It does not automatically mean the user is allowed to enter privileged or configuration mode. Watch for AAA authorization, privilege level and command authorization details.
Detailed technical explanation
This kind of question is testing the difference between identity and permission. A user may successfully log in to a router because authentication is working, but still fail to enter configuration mode because authorization is missing, misconfigured or mapped to a lower privilege level.
Key takeaway
Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access.
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. Authentication proves identity; authorization controls what that identity can do after login. Both must work for full privileged access. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related CISSP questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Asset Security — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Asset Security — This question tests Asset Security — Authentication checks who the user is..
The correct answer is: Confidentiality — Confidentiality ensures that data is not disclosed to unauthorized parties. Option B is wrong because integrity is about accuracy, not disclosure. Option C is wrong because availability is about access when needed. Option D is wrong because non-repudiation is about proof of origin.
Review Cisco AAA concepts — authentication, authorization, and accounting. Study privilege levels (0–15), command authorization under TACACS+, and how RADIUS differs. Then practise related CISSP questions on access control and AAA configuration.
Authentication checks who the user is.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CISSP 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 CISSP exam.
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