What Is the CIA Triad?

The CIA Triad is a conceptual model designed to represent the core components of information security as they craft their cyber security strategies. CIA is an acronym that stands for confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Confidentiality is the conceptual principle of security to maintain the privacy of an organization’s data, giving access to only authorized parties and processes that should have data access privileges. Examples of confidentiality can be found in various access control methods, like two-factor authentications and password-less sign-on.

The principle of Integrity is the preservation of the coherence of data. It is an organization’s priority to prevent tampering and malicious modification. Digital purchases are a great example of integrity in reflection to a purchaser’s account and allowing you to contact a representative if there’s a discrepancy.

The final principle completing the triad is Availability. Availability is the component of security which ensures that an organization’s data is made accessible to authorized parties by maintaining and securing networks and systems. An example of this principle is exemplified by an individuals ability to log in to your social media accounts for example whenever you want.