In order to ensure systems and networks are operating to maximum efficiency and that user data is secure, companies and IT teams work to maintain stability of the CIA Triad. The CIA Triad is an acronym for its three components: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality is defined as ensuring only authorized individuals can access the information and system, integrity means that the data is accurate, unaltered, and exactly where it needs to be, and securing availability makes sure that the information is accessible whenever an authorized user calls upon it. These three important aspects are crucial for the authorization and authentication of data and users, and are deeply entwined.
The initial component of the CIA Triad is confidentiality, which focuses on the protection of information, systems, networks, and applications, software, and hardware (Elysium 2024). This puts confidentiality acting as the initial layer of security in regards to the triad, as it functions similar to a security guard at an airport who checks for the correctness of information, allowing the authorized passengers to continue to their designated ports. If confidentiality is breached, then unauthorized users have gained access to systems and sensitive information. A security measure that an organization might put into place that would protect confidentiality is two-factor authentication or ID recognition (Elysium 2024).
The assurance that the data within a company’s systems is accurate, intact, and unaltered is known as integrity, which checks that the correct information has made it to the correct location at the correct time. Integrity focuses more on protecting the individual data and software than structures like networks and applications, and ensures that the system information is authentic and valid (Elysium 2024). An example of maintaining integrity is a bank verifying that the correct amount of money is being transferred within their systems. The compromising of integrity results in private data being destroyed, stolen, or manipulated.
The final component of the CIA Triad, availability, is making sure the systems and data are accessible only when authorized users request it. This works hand-in-hand with confidentiality, allowing that only authorized users are able to access when they are requested, and, as a result, preventing integrity from being compromised (Elysium 2024). If availability wasn’t functioning correctly, hackers would detect a weaker system and have easier chances to breach the systems.
The CIA Triad operates jointly to effectively secure information and systems using different methods of authorization and authentication. However, while they are very similar to each other, authorization is verifying that users with the right permissions are operating in the right manner, prioritizing confidentiality and availability, while authentication is verifying that the right information is right where it needs to be, securing integrity but also availability.
Information technology focuses on the protection of digital information and online systems, preventing hackers and malicious users from accessing sensitive data and damaging networks and disrupting applications. The CIA Triad, confidentiality, integrity, and availability, work together to effectively ensure that information is authentic and users accessing the information are authorized. Together, the Internet and the contents within it continue to remain secure and intact.
References Page
Mccullough, E. (2024, December 1). CIA Triad – What is Authentication vs. Authorization? Elysium McCullough. https://sites.wp.odu.edu/elysium-mccullough/2024/02/04/cia-triad-what-is-authentication-vs-authorization/