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Difficulty: HardParallel Principle Application

Principle: A software company is justified in releasing an application with known security vulnerabilities only if delaying the release would cause the company to lose its primary source of funding, and the vulnerabilities do not compromise sensitive user financial data.

Which of the following judgments most closely conform to the principle stated above? Select all that apply.

  1. A
    NovaTech's known software vulnerabilities do not compromise user financial data, and delaying the release would cause the company to lose its primary source of funding. Therefore, NovaTech is justified in releasing the application with the known vulnerabilities.
  2. Apex Systems released its software with known security vulnerabilities. However, delaying the release would not have jeopardized the company's primary source of funding. Therefore, Apex Systems was not justified in releasing the application.Answer
  3. C
    OmniCorp was not justified in releasing its new database software with known security vulnerabilities. Therefore, it must be the case that delaying the release would not have caused OmniCorp to lose its primary source of funding, or the vulnerabilities compromised sensitive user financial data.
  4. If ZenithTech is justified in releasing its new payment processing application with known security vulnerabilities, then it must be true that the vulnerabilities do not put sensitive user financial data at risk.Answer
  5. E
    GlobalApp's newly released software contains security vulnerabilities that compromise sensitive user financial data. Because delaying the release would have cost the company its primary funding, GlobalApp's actions were partially justified.

Answer

The correct judgments are the one regarding Apex Systems and the one regarding ZenithTech.
The correct options properly follow the logical flow of the original principle. The principle establishes that being justified guarantees two things: delaying would cost funding, and financial data is safe. Therefore, if a company is justified, we absolutely know financial data is safe (direct application). Conversely, if delaying would NOT cost funding, one of the mandatory requirements is missing, meaning the company cannot possibly be justified (contrapositive).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Diagram the formal logic of the stated principle.
Justified in Releasing -> (Delay Causes Funding Loss) AND (Vulnerabilities Do NOT Compromise Financial Data).
The phrase 'only if' introduces necessary conditions. Both conditions joined by 'and' must be met for the sufficient condition (being justified) to be possible.
2
Determine the valid logical inferences (contrapositives) that can be drawn from the principle.
Valid Inference 1: IF NOT (Delay Causes Funding Loss) OR NOT (Vulnerabilities Do NOT Compromise Financial Data) -> NOT Justified in Releasing. Valid Inference 2: IF Justified -> (Vulnerabilities Do NOT Compromise Financial Data).
If a sufficient condition occurs, all necessary conditions must have occurred. If any necessary condition fails, the sufficient condition cannot occur.
3
Evaluate each option against the established logical framework.
The Apex Systems scenario correctly applies the contrapositive (funding loss did not happen -> not justified). The ZenithTech scenario correctly applies the direct necessary condition (is justified -> financial data is safe).
Matching the logical structure of the stimulus is required for a parallel principle application.

Key Concept

Conditional Logic and Principle Application
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Topics

Parallel Principle Application

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