Destiny Hale
February 12, 2023
The CIA Triad is a method that is commonly used within the field of cybersecurity. In this write-up, I’ll be discussing what the CIA Triad is and how it applies in everyday life. Also, distinguishing two other concepts that are a part of this system with examples of each.
What is the CIA Triad?
The CIA triad serves a model for security policies within an organization. This is also called the AIC Triad due to misinterpretation of a government agency which is also called the CIA. However, the acronym stands for Central Intelligence Agency. Within the model, there are three concepts which are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality protects sensitive information from any unauthorized user. This sets limits and boundaries in access to information. The second concept, integrity, involves keeping information consistent and creditable. All data must be accurate and unalterable in protection from malicious actors or unauthorized people. The last and third concept is availability. Availability makes sure that all information is accessible to any and everyone within the authorized network. In order to keep information in sight, systems must be maintained and updated.
How does it apply to everyday life?
Not only does this model work in authorized networks, but it also applies in our everyday lives as well. When signing on to your banking app, you use your login credentials to access your financial information. To further protect your information, two-factor authentication is enabled to verify it’s you. This is an example of confidentiality. When making important documents read-only, you’re protecting the integrity of the information. This will prevent anyone from making edits to the document and also keeping the credibility. Backing up files is practicing availability. Doing this will keep your documents protected in case of data loss.
Authorization vs. Authentication
There are two other concepts that are a part of the system which are authorization and authentication. Most people often misinterpret these two from one another. Authorization is a process that grants permission to a client to use a resource or access a file through a server. On the other hand, authentication involves the server needing to know who is accessing its information or site. An example of authorization is granting someone permission to download a file on a specific server or either to edit or view a document. An example of authentication is usernames and passwords also two-factor authentication. In similarity, these two processes give the client access to confidential information. However, the differences between the two are that one verifies to make sure it’s the client themselves and one grants control to the client or party. Despite their differences, both work together as keys to sensitive information.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the CIA Triad is the blueprint for numerous security policies. The three keys that shape this triad are confidentiality, integrity, availability. In which, they are also the foundation to cybersecurity. These keys contribute to our everyday lives as well. The other two concepts which are authorization and authentication often get mixed due to the similarity of their processes. However, one grants permission and the other verifies access to the client. All of these factors are what keeps the network and us intact and protected.
References
Authentication vs. authorization. Okta. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.okta.com/identity-101/authentication-vs-authorization/
Boston University . (n.d.). Understanding Authentication, Authorization, and Encryption. TechWeb RSS. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.bu.edu/tech/about/security-resources/bestpractice/auth/
Chai, W. (2023, February 10). What is the CIA triad? (confidentiality,integrity, and availability? WhatIs.com. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Confidentiality-integrity-and-availability-CIA
What is the CIA triad? definition, importance and examples. Intellipaat Blog. (2023, January 30). Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://intellipaat.com/blog/the-cia-triad/