Confidentiality, integrity, and availability represent the three pillars of information security. They work together to create a foundational model that helps organizations protect people, data, and assets.
Here’s a general overview of what each pillar symbolizes:
Confidentiality: Keeping information private – This one is the most straightforward of the three: ensuring private information remains private. That means not only preventing attackers from stealing data, but also preventing mistakes that lead to data leaks.
Integrity: Keeping information accurate – The concept behind integrity refers to securely maintaining data so it’s always accurate and never tampered with by unauthorized parties. This includes preventing it from being harmfully modified or deleted, whether accidentally or intentionally, and protecting data throughout its lifecycle.
Availability: Keeping information accessible – When authorized people can’t access assets or information, it impacts entire operations. Ransomware is a prime example of this scenario. It’s a form of malicious software (malware) that encrypts systems or data, blocking access until a ransom is paid.
Find more information about the three pillars , plus more in this pdf.
Want to know more? You can find Cybersecurity resources about the following topics below:
