What is CIA triad?

Three goals of information security: confidentiality, integrity and availability.

In plain English

Confidentiality means only the right people can read data. Integrity means data has not been changed in ways it should not be. Availability means authorised people can reach the data when they need it. Most security controls protect at least one of the three, and many exam questions ask you to say which one is at risk.

Example

Encrypting a laptop protects confidentiality. A checksum that detects a changed file protects integrity. A backup power supply protects availability.

Where you will meet it

This idea belongs to the subject area of these practice tests. We do not publish or predict real exam questions.

• ISC2 CC practice tests
• Cisco CCST Cybersecurity practice tests
• CompTIA Tech+ practice tests

Related terms

• Least privilege: Give every person and system only the access they need to do their job, and nothing more.
• Encryption at rest and in transit: Scrambling data so it is unreadable without a key, while it is stored and while it moves.
• Zero trust: A security approach that never assumes a request is safe just because it comes from inside the network.

Written and checked by the Be Ready Education team, last reviewed 2 November 2026. General study information, not professional advice. Providers change names and rules, so confirm details on the official documentation. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any certification vendor or exam body. Certification names, exam codes and product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the exam a practice product prepares for. Our questions are original and are not actual exam questions.