Which statement describes the CIA triangle restrictions in information security?

Which statement describes the CIA triangle restrictions in information security?

• A. More Security Means Less Functionality and Usability
• B. More Security Means More Functionality and Usability
• C. Security Has No Impact on Usability
• D. More Security Means Always Better Usability

Answer: (A)

Security is a balancing act among confidentiality, integrity, and availability. When you strengthen protections—stronger authentication, encryption, stricter access controls, and more extensive monitoring—these measures add steps, checks, and potential performance overhead. That extra friction can reduce user convenience and how easily features can be used, so increasing security often comes at the expense of functionality and usability. While smart design can minimize this friction (for example, single sign-on or seamless encryption), the general tendency described by the statement reflects real-world trade-offs. The other ideas—that security doesn’t affect usability or that more security always improves it—ignore these practical tensions and the impact of controls on user experience.

Security is a balancing act among confidentiality, integrity, and availability. When you strengthen protections—stronger authentication, encryption, stricter access controls, and more extensive monitoring—these measures add steps, checks, and potential performance overhead. That extra friction can reduce user convenience and how easily features can be used, so increasing security often comes at the expense of functionality and usability. While smart design can minimize this friction (for example, single sign-on or seamless encryption), the general tendency described by the statement reflects real-world trade-offs. The other ideas—that security doesn’t affect usability or that more security always improves it—ignore these practical tensions and the impact of controls on user experience.