(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

What property ensures that data has not been unauthorizedly altered?

1. Data Integrity

2. Availability

3. Non-repudiation

4. Accountability

The correct answer is: Data Integrity

The property that ensures data has not been unauthorizedly altered is data integrity. This concept is fundamental in cybersecurity, as it assures that the information remains accurate, consistent, and trustworthy throughout its lifecycle. Data integrity mechanisms involve various techniques such as checksums, hashes, and validation processes that can detect any unintended changes or tampering. When data integrity is upheld, it allows organizations and users to maintain confidence that the information they are relying on has not been modified in an unauthorized manner, which is crucial for making informed decisions based on that data. Other properties like availability relate to ensuring that information and systems are accessible when needed. Non-repudiation involves providing proof of the origin of data, preventing an entity from denying the authenticity of their signature or the sending of a message, but it does not inherently verify that the data itself has not changed. Accountability ensures that actions taken within a system can be traced back to the individual responsible, but it does not specifically address whether the data has been altered or not. Thus, data integrity stands out as the essential property focused on maintaining the unaltered state of data.