Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT1 S3 Q15 Explanation

Computer operating system software

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsStrengthen

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Stimulus

Computer operating system software has become increasingly standardized. But when a large business with multiple, linked computer systems uses identical operating system software on all of its computers, a computer vandal who gains access to one computer automatically has access to the data on all the computers. Using a program known as of computer compatibility to the business. Therefore, it is advisable for businesses to implement such variations.

What this question is testing

Strengthen

Conclusion

The author wants businesses to tweak their operating systems so each computer is slightly different. Why? So that if a hacker breaks into one machine, they can't automatically reach all the others.

Evidence

The author says variations would virtually eliminate the simultaneous-access risk and can be done without breaking compatibility.

Evaluate

The conclusion is that implementing variations is advisable — meaning, worth doing. To call something worth doing, the benefits have to be worth more than the costs. The author has named one benefit (less risk) and ruled out one cost (lost compatibility). But what about the basic cost-benefit picture: is the damage you're preventing big enough to justify the prevention work?

If preventing the damage is far cheaper than fixing it later, the case for variations gets stronger.

Goal

Find an answer that ties the prevention cost to the damage cost in a way that makes prevention worthwhile.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
15.

Which one of the following, if true, supports the conclusion in

Answer choices

  1. No Impact8% picked this

    Standardization of computer operating system software has increased computer compatibility among

    This is about compatibility between different businesses, but the argument is about a single business with linked internal computers. Whether standardization helped inter-business compatibility doesn't bear on whether one business should vary its own systems. The argument's scope is internal.

  2. Correct72% picked this

    Correcting any damage resulting from an invasion by a computer virus program is more expensive

    Why this is right

    This makes the case for prevention cost-effective. If correcting virus damage costs more than preventing it, then implementing the variations (the prevention measure) saves money on net. That tips the cost-benefit verdict in favor of the policy being advisable. Exactly the kind of support the conclusion needs.

    Skill tested: Strengthen · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  3. Opposite (if anything)11% picked this

    It is not costly for a business to maintain incompatible computer

    This says it's not costly to maintain incompatible systems — which sounds friendly to the argument until you read the conclusion carefully. The argument's scheme isn't about maintaining incompatible systems; it's about adding minor variations without losing compatibility. If anything, this answer suggests an alternative path (just go incompatible) that competes with the author's recommended path. It doesn't support the specific conclusion that minor variations are advisable.

  4. Opposite1% picked this

    There are other kinds of destructive computer programs that do not depend

    If there are other destructive programs that don't depend on inter-computer links, then the variations the author proposes (which only block link-dependent attacks) leave those threats untouched. That weakens the case for going to the trouble of implementing variations — the variations don't cover the full threat landscape. This pushes against the conclusion, not for it.

  5. No Impact8% picked this

    Not all businesses need to share data among their internal

    The argument was already framed around businesses that do share data among internal systems (the kind of business where a single vandal can hop between computers). Whether some other businesses don't need to share data isn't relevant — the conclusion targets the businesses that do.

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