Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What are the three core protection goals of information security (CIA triad)?
The CIA triad consists of Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability — the three fundamental objectives of information security.
* Die CIA-Triade: Vertraulichkeit, Integrität und Verfügbarkeit als die drei Grundschutzziele der Informationssicherheit. — Michel Bakni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. *
| Goal | Meaning | Threat Example |
|---|---|---|
| Confidentiality | Only authorized people can access information | Data breach, eavesdropping |
| Integrity | Information is accurate, complete, and unaltered | Data tampering, man-in-the-middle |
| Availability | Information and systems are accessible when needed | DDoS attack, hardware failure |
Extended protection goals sometimes include:
- Authenticity — Verifying the identity of a sender/source
- Non-repudiation — Ensuring actions cannot be denied later
- Accountability — Tracing actions back to a specific entity
Tip: Remember CIA — but in InfoSec, the "A" can expand: Availability, Authenticity, Accountability. The core three (C-I-A) are always present in any security framework or standard.
Go deeper:
Informationssicherheit (Wikipedia DE) — Vertraulichkeit, Integrität und Verfügbarkeit sowie die erweiterten Schutzziele (Authentizität, Nichtabstreitbarkeit).- Information security – CIA triad (Wikipedia EN) — Ordnet die CIA-Triade historisch ein und nennt Erweiterungen wie die Parkerian Hexad.
- Parkerian Hexad (Wikipedia EN) — the six-element extension of CIA (adds possession, authenticity, utility).