CIA triad: define and apply to IT systems.

• A. Confidentiality ensures data availability; Integrity ensures authentication; Availability ensures privacy.
• B. Confidentiality prevents unauthorized access; Integrity ensures data is not altered; Availability ensures access when needed.
• C. Confidentiality is about backups; Integrity is about logging; Availability is about speed.
• D. Confidentiality ensures auditing; Integrity ensures access; Availability ensures privacy.

Answer: (B)

The CIA triad guides how we protect information in IT systems by focusing on three goals: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality means data is accessible only to those authorized to see it, achieved through encryption, access controls, and proper authentication. Integrity means data remains accurate and unaltered, with mechanisms like hashing, digital signatures, and audit trails to detect any changes. Availability means systems and data are accessible to authorized users when needed, supported by backups, redundancy, and robust recovery plans. The correct statement matches these meanings: confidentiality prevents unauthorized access; integrity ensures data is not altered; availability ensures access when needed. The other ideas mix up the concepts—for example, confidentiality isn’t about data being available, integrity isn’t about authentication, and availability isn’t about privacy.