Raymond Griffin
9/11/2025
CIA Triad Write Up
The difference between authorization and authentication is that authentication verifies
who you are for example, by entering a username and password—while authorization
determines what you’re allowed to do or access. The role authentication plays in the
CIA Triad is confidentiality. As the article states, “Confidentiality is roughly equivalent to
privacy,” meaning it keeps sensitive information protected from unauthorized access.
Authorization plays two roles: confidentiality and integrity. The article also notes that
“integrity is the assurance that information is trustworthy and accurate.”
The reason the CIA Triad is important is because it helps organizations develop
effective security policies and rules. More specifically, the CIA Triad helps prevent data
breaches and identity theft by securing data through encryption, access controls, and
authentication key components of confidentiality. Integrity focuses on preserving data
accuracy. Examples of threats to integrity include tampering and data corruption. To
ensure data remains unchanged and trustworthy, systems use techniques like
checksums, hashing, and version control.
Availability ensures that systems and data are accessible whenever users need them
day or night. It helps prevent downtime and service disruptions by implementing
backups, redundancy, and failover systems.
The CIA Triad Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability is the backbone of cybersecurity,
guiding how organizations protect their data and systems. By understanding the roles of
authentication and authorization within this framework, we see how identity verification
and access control directly support the protection and accuracy of sensitive information.
Each pillar of the triad plays a vital role: confidentiality prevents unauthorized access,
integrity ensures data remains trustworthy, and availability guarantees users can access
resources when needed. Together, they form a balanced and effective strategy to
defend against threats like data breaches, tampering, and service disruptions making
the CIA Triad essential for building secure, resilient systems.