Distinguish between system availability,

confidentiality, and integrity. Why are these

three important in digital or information
security?

In digital security, "system availability" refers to ensuring a

system is accessible and operational when needed,
"confidentiality" means protecting sensitive information from
unauthorized access, and "integrity" guarantees the accuracy and
trustworthiness of data, all of which are crucial for maintaining
robust information security as they represent the three pillars of
the "CIA triad" - ensuring data is accessible, private, and reliable
respectively.
Breakdown:
• System Availability:
• Meaning: The ability for a system to be up and running
when needed, allowing authorized users to access
information without interruption. Data availability is
When an organization ensures that all of its business-
related data is available to the organization, partners, or
end-users at any time of the day whenever and wherever
required. Businesses can run without interruptions with
24/7 data availability.
• Importance: Critical for business operations as a system
unavailable can lead to significant disruptions and
financial losses.
• Example: Implementing redundancy measures like
backup servers to ensure access even if a primary system
fails.
• Confidentiality:
• Meaning: Limiting access to sensitive information to only
authorized individuals, preventing unauthorized
disclosure. Also pertains to the protection of sensitive data
from unauthorized access and disclosure. It ensures that
information is accessible only to those with the appropriate
privileges, preventing unauthorized individuals or entities
from viewing, using, or modifying sensitive data. Encryption,
secure access controls, and authentication mechanisms are
vital tools that help maintain confidentiality.

Importance: Protects privacy and sensitive data like personal

information, financial records, and trade secrets from
unauthorized access.

• Example: Using strong passwords, encryption

techniques, and access control mechanisms to restrict
who can view certain data.
• Integrity:

Meaning: Ensuring data is accurate, complete, and has not been

tampered with, maintaining its trustworthiness. Integrity ensures
data accuracy and trustworthiness, protecting it from
unauthorized changes using hashing, digital signatures, and
version control. Integrity ensures data remains accurate,
trustworthy, and unaltered.

• Importance: Critical for maintaining the reliability of

information and preventing data manipulation or
corruption.
• Example: Implementing data validation checks, digital
signatures, and version control systems to monitor changes
and prevent unauthorized modifications.

Why are these important in digital security?

• These three concepts are fundamental to information security

because they represent the core principles to safeguard data in a
digital environment. By ensuring data is accessible when needed
(availability), protected from unauthorized access
(confidentiality), and remains accurate and reliable (integrity),
organizations can mitigate risks

• The CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability) is

crucial in digital or information security because it provides a
comprehensive framework for evaluating and implementing
security measures to protect data, ensuring that information
remains private, accurate, and accessible to authorized users
when needed, thereby mitigating risks and maintaining the trust
of stakeholders across an organization. associated with data
breaches and maintain public trust.

• It also gives leader a way to think about security challenges

without being security experts. It helps data professionals assess
what went wrong during a malfunction or cybersecurity attack
and determine how to fix the issue.

Put simply, confidentiality is limiting data access, integrity is

ensuring your data is accurate, and availability is making sure it is
accessible to those who need it. This triad can be used as a
foundation to develop strong information security policies. But
Integrity in cyber security means data is complete, trustworthy and has
not been modified or accidentally altered by an unauthorized user. The
integrity of data can be compromised unintentionally by errors in
entering data, a system malfunction, or forgetting to maintain an up-to-
date backup.

In terms of cybersecurity availability is most important even

if data is kept confidential and its integrity maintained, it is often
useless unless it is available to those in the organization and the
customers they serve. This means that systems, networks, and
applications must be functioning as they should and when they
should.

Its main goal is to protect data from breaches, corruption, or

disruption in various types of cyberattacks or system
failures. Its values are to make sure there is integrity;
service; excellence; courage; teamwork; and stewardship.

Good information security practices protect the data subjects

your organizations hold data about and the company’s
assets. For instance, unauthorized access to personal data
could result in identity theft, harm to individuals’ rights and
freedoms and emotional damage.
As well as protecting data subjects, information security is
crucial in protecting your organization from cyberattacks
unauthorized access to sensitive information, data
corruption or alteration, and system downtime, ensuring
that critical data like medical records remains private,
accurate and accessible when needed.
References: Gemini AI Assistant, VinciWorks Blogs, Coursera,
RiskXchange, Tibco, NextDLP, CIA.gov.com