Guide to Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) Triad

What is the CIA Triad?
The CIA Triad is a well-established model in information security, used to guide policies for information-security within an organization. It stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability which are basic principles of any secure system.
Why is it important?
The CIA Triad forms the backbone of any information security policy and acts as an indicator for maintaining a system's security health.
Confidentiality: Only authorized individuals should access the data.
Integrity: The data should remain accurate and consistent over its entire life-cycle.
Availability: The data should be accessible to authorized individuals whenever needed.
How does the CIA Triad work?
The CIA triad helps balance the needs and constraints of a system, providing a framework for managing its security.
Confidentiality: Ensured through techniques like encryption.
Integrity: Ensured through hash matching and checksum methods.
Availability: Ensured through techniques like redundant systems and fail-safe approaches.
Exam Tips for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) Triad
Understanding the practical implications of each principle and its role within an overall security posture is critical. Recognize situations where all or a portion of the triad may be under threat and identify potential mitigation strategies. Practice applying the principles in different scenarios on practice exams.