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Home / Glossary / CIA
Glossary · Security

CIA

Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability

In plain language

The three goals of information security: keep data private, keep it accurate, and keep it available when needed.

The metaphor

Like the three promises of a good safe-deposit box: only you can open it, nothing inside is altered, and it is open during business hours.

Going deeper

How it works

  • Confidentiality means only the right people see it.
  • Integrity means it is correct and unaltered.
  • Availability means you can use it when you need to.
  • Most security decisions trade between the three.
In practice
  • Encryption protects privacy of a laptop's files.
  • Backups protect availability after a failure.
  • Access logs help protect accuracy.

A question owners ask

Which matters most to a small business?

It varies: a clinic worries about privacy, a shop about availability of its till, and an accountant about accuracy.

Related terms
AAAAuthentication, Authorization, and AccountingAccount takeoverACLAccess Control ListAdmin accountAESAdvanced Encryption StandardAES-256Advanced Encryption Standards 256-bitAISAutomated Indicator SharingAPTAdvanced Persistent Threat

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