The CIA Triad is a widely known model in information security, representing the three core principles that guide security policies and practices.

Components

Confidentiality

  • Refers to the act of preventing unauthorized access to data
  • Example
    • Multi-factor authentication, encryption, passkeys

Integrity

  • Refers to the act of ensuring data is valid and untampered
  • Example
    • Git verifying commit hashes

Availability

  • Refers to the practice of ensuring systems and data are accessible when needed
  • Example
    • Redundant storage

Why it matters

  • Balancing the triad is key: maximizing one often impacts the others