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Difficulty: HardConfusing Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

To receive authorization for deployment across state government networks, a software vendor is required to undergo a comprehensive third-party cybersecurity audit and remediate all critical vulnerabilities identified. Apex Systems recently completed a third-party cybersecurity audit and successfully resolved every critical vulnerability highlighted in the auditor's report. Therefore, Apex Systems will certainly receive authorization to deploy its software across state government networks next month.

Which of the following best describes the flaw in the argument's reasoning?

  1. A
    It assumes that completing a cybersecurity audit causes an increase in software performance rather than merely coinciding with it.
  2. B
    It presumes that state government networks have stricter security standards than private commercial networks.
  3. It treats a condition that is essential for obtaining deployment authorization as though it were sufficient to guarantee that authorization.Answer
  4. D
    It fails to consider that resolving critical vulnerabilities might inadvertently introduce new, minor software glitches.
  5. E
    It relies on a shift in the meaning of the term 'critical vulnerabilities' between the premises and the conclusion.

Answer

The argument incorrectly treats a mandatory requirement (a necessary condition) for deployment authorization as a guarantee (a sufficient condition) that authorization will be granted.
The correct answer accurately highlights the core logical error in the passage. The author establishes that completing an audit and fixing critical vulnerabilities is a mandatory prerequisite (necessary condition) for deployment authorization. However, the author incorrectly concludes that fulfilling this prerequisite is enough to guarantee authorization (treating it as a sufficient condition), ignoring the possibility that additional requirements must be met.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the premises and main conclusion of the argument.
Premise: Undergoing an audit and remediating critical vulnerabilities is required ('is required to') for authorization. Premise: Apex Systems completed the audit and remediated all critical vulnerabilities. Conclusion: Apex Systems will certainly receive deployment authorization.
Deconstructing the argument isolates the conditional relationship established by the author.
2
Analyze the formal logic of the conditional requirement.
The phrase 'is required to' indicates a necessary condition: Authorization → Audit & Remediation. Fulfilling the requirement means the necessary condition is satisfied, but it does not mean no other requirements exist.
Distinguishing necessary conditions from sufficient conditions is essential to evaluating argument validity.
3
Evaluate the logical gap in the conclusion.
The author concludes that satisfying the requirement guarantees authorization (Audit & Remediation → Authorization). This is a classic formal fallacy of confusing a necessary condition with a sufficient condition.
Matching the structural breakdown to the correct flaw description reveals the correct answer choice.

Key Concept

Confusing Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
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Confusing Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

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