CIA Triad

The CIA triad↗ refers to the three foundational goals of information security↗: confidentiality (only authorized people can access information), integrity (information stays accurate and unaltered), and availability (information and systems are accessible when needed). Nearly every security control maps back to protecting one or more of these three properties.

Balancing the triad often involves trade-offs, for example, requiring multiple approvals to change a record improves integrity but can reduce availability by slowing things down. Understanding which part of the triad a given control protects helps teams design defenses that address the actual risk rather than applying security measures blindly.