What does the A stand for in the CIA triad?

A = Availability — timely, reliable access to data and services for authorized users.

A = Availability

Availability ensures timely and reliable access to data and services for authorized users.

How it's achieved:

• Redundancy
• Backups
• Disaster recovery
• Load balancing

Examples of breaches:

• DDoS attacks
• Hardware failures
• Power outages

Memory tip: Availability = "Always accessible" — legitimate users can access what they need, when they need it.

Go deeper:

• NIST CSRC glossary: availability — authoritative: ensuring timely and reliable access to information.
• Information security / CIA triad (Wikipedia) — availability alongside confidentiality and integrity.