Study guide
Authentication, Authorization, Accounting, and Non-Repudiation
ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity CC
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1 Introduction & Exam Overview
Official 2026 CC Exam Facts and Timeline CAT Format and Beginner Security Judgment Domain Map and Time Allocation 30, 60, and 90 Day Study Plan with Readiness Thresholds
2 Domain 1: Security Principles (24%)
CIA Triad as a Practical Decision Tool Authentication, Authorization, Accounting, and Non-Repudiation Privacy in the CC Outline Beginner Security Decision Scenarios AI Security in Security Principles
3 Domain 1: Risk Management and Security Controls
Risk Identification in Business Context Risk Management Processes Risk Treatment Decisions Security Controls: Technical, Administrative, and Physical
4 Domain 1: Governance, Ethics, Policy, and Privacy
Governance and the ISC2 Code of Ethics Policies, Procedures, Standards, Laws, and Regulations Privacy and AI Governance Due Care, Due Diligence, and Governance Decisions
5 Domain 1: Physical Security Controls
Physical Controls and Their Monitoring Tailgating and Physical Penetration Testing
6 Domain 2: Security Governance - Business Continuity
Business Continuity (BC)
7 Domain 2: Security Governance - Disaster Recovery
Disaster Recovery (DR) Redundancy in Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
8 Domain 2: GRC Planning
GRC Planning: Purpose, Importance, and Tools
9 Domain 2: Measuring Cybersecurity Effectiveness
Security Metrics, KRIs, and Dashboards AI Security in Governance, Awareness, and Continuity
10 Domain 2 and Domain 5: Security Awareness and Triage
Security Awareness and Organizational Culture Phishing and Password Protection Security Event Triage and Human Review
11 Domain 3: Identity Lifecycle Management
Identification, Authentication, Authorization, and Accountability Multi-Factor Authentication and Password Protection Provisioning, Deprovisioning, and Access Reviews Service Accounts and AI Bots in Identity Management AI Bots and Service Accounts in Identity Management
12 Domain 3: Logical Access Controls
Least Privilege and Separation of Duties DAC, MAC, RBAC, and ABAC
13 Domain 4: Networking Fundamentals
Network Models and IP Addressing Firewalls: Ports and Applications Virtual Private Networks (VPN) Wireless Networks and Embedded Systems
14 Domain 4: Network Security Architecture and Cloud Security
Network Segmentation Defense in Depth and Zero Trust Cloud Characteristics and Shared Security Model Cloud Service Models, Deployment Models, and Shared Security AI in Network Security and Cloud Hosting
15 Domain 5: Incident Response
Incident Response (IR) and the Incident Response Plan Preparing the Incident Response Plan Incident Response Exercises and Tabletops AI in Security Operations and Incident Response
16 Domain 5: Security Monitoring
Logging and Monitoring Security Events
17 Domain 5: Threat Actors and Threat Intelligence
Threat Actors, Threat Intelligence, and Frameworks
18 Domain 5: Data Security
Encryption and Hashing for Data Security Data Handling: Classification, Labeling, Masking, and Sanitization Security of the AI Workspace
19 Domain 5: Asset Protection
Configuration and Change Management Change Management and Asset Protection Asset Lifecycle and End-of-Life Management
20 Domain 5: Data Handling Policy
Data Handling Policy and Classification
21 Domain 5: Security Testing
Security Readiness, Application, and Physical Testing
22 Integrated CC Scenario Labs
Risk and Control Selection Drill Continuity, Recovery, and Response Drill Access Control Design Drill Segmentation and Triage Drill
23 Final 14-Day Review and Exam Readiness
CAT Pacing and 100-125 Item Strategy Missed-Question Notebook and Domain Repair Exam Day Logistics and Rescheduling After Passing: AMF and CPE
Authentication, Authorization, Accounting, and Non-Repudiation
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Subdomain 1.1 names Authentication, Authorization, Accounting (AAA) and non-repudiation as cybersecurity concepts.
Authentication checks identity, authorization decides what that identity may do, and accounting records what it did.
Non-repudiation means a party cannot credibly deny an action it performed.
Shared accounts weaken accounting, because the record no longer identifies one person.
Source: ISC2 CC Exam Outline effective September 1, 2026, subdomain 1.1, checked 2026-10-22.
Last updated: October 2026
AAA in Order
The outline lists Authentication, Authorization, Accounting (AAA) as one concept. In an access decision they occur in order. Authentication establishes who or what is asking. Authorization decides what that identity is allowed to do. Accounting records what happened, so it can be reviewed later.
Source: ISC2 CC Exam Outline effective September 1, 2026 (v01/2026), subdomain 1.1, https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cc/cc-certification-exam-outline , checked 2026-10-22.
Non-Repudiation and Accountability
Non-repudiation means an action can be attributed to a party, which that party cannot credibly deny. It depends on the same chain: the identity was verified, the action was authorized, and the record ties the action to that identity.
Shared administrator accounts break the chain. Several people use one identity, so the accounting record shows the account, not the person. A scenario with a shared account is therefore a non-repudiation problem, even when the access itself was allowed.
What the Outline Lists for This Section
The outline names these items. Be able to explain each one in plain language and apply it to a short scenario:
- 1.1: Confidentiality
- 1.1: Integrity
- 1.1: Availability
- 1.1: Authentication, Authorization, Accounting (AAA)
- 1.1: Non-repudiation
- 1.1: Privacy
Common Traps
A common trap is naming the wrong objective. If the scenario is about who acted, the objective is accountability, not availability. Name the objective the scenario states before choosing among controls.