What is the CIA triad? A principled framework for defining infosec policies

The CIA triad is a model used in information security to protect data. It stands for confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality ensures that data is accessed only by authorized individuals, integrity ensures data is accurate and untampered with, and availability ensures that data is accessible to authorized users when needed. This model helps organizations focus their security efforts and align them with these three core principles, which are often balancing in tension with each other. Examples like bank ATMs illustrate the practical application of the triad. While comprehensive, the triad faces criticism and has alternatives like the Parkerian Hexad, which adds three more principles. The triad's origins are not credited to a single person, but have evolved as collective wisdom among security professionals. This article was sourced, curated, and summarized by MindLab's AI Agents.

Original Source: CSO Online