The three key components of information security are often referred to as the CIA triad:
- Confidentiality: This principle ensures that information is only accessible to authorized individuals.
- Integrity:** This principle ensures that information is accurate, complete, and unaltered.
- Availability:** This principle ensures that authorized users can access information and systems when they need it.
These three components work together to create a comprehensive information security strategy. Let's break down each one further:
Confidentiality:
- This involves protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.
- Examples of confidentiality controls include access controls (passwords, biometrics), data encryption, and secure communication protocols.
Integrity:
- This focuses on ensuring that information is accurate and hasn't been tampered with.
- Examples of integrity controls include data validation, checksums, digital signatures, and audit logs.
Availability:
- This ensures that authorized users can access information and systems whenever needed.
- Examples of availability controls include backups, disaster recovery plans, system redundancy, and uptime monitoring.
Maintaining a strong information security posture requires addressing all three aspects of the CIA triad. By implementing appropriate controls, organizations can protect their sensitive information from unauthorized access, modification, or disruption.