What is a major application?

• A. An application that requires special attention to security due to risk and magnitude of harm resulting from loss, misuse, or unauthorized access to or modification of the information in the application.
• B. An application used by more than 10,000 users.
• C. An application that processes only non-sensitive data.
• D. An application that is open source.

Answer: (A)

A major application is one that requires heightened security because the potential harm from a breach or misuse of the information it handles is significant. This idea focuses on risk and impact: if loss, unauthorized access, or modification could cause serious damage, the application needs stronger protections and controls.

The best option explicitly ties security attention to the level of risk and the possible harm to the information in the application, which is exactly what makes an application major in this sense. The other possibilities—being used by many users, processing only non-sensitive data, or being open source—do not by themselves determine that level of risk or the need for stronger security measures.