How is integrity defined in the realm of cyber security?

Integrity in the realm of cyber security is fundamentally about ensuring that data remains accurate, consistent, and trustworthy over its lifecycle. This means that data should not be altered or tampered with without proper authorization. When integrity is compromised, it can lead to misinformation or misrepresentation, which can have severe consequences for decision-making and data reliability. Therefore, the assurance that data is accurate and has not been altered without permission directly aligns with the definition of integrity in this context.

Other aspects of cybersecurity, like protecting data from unauthorized access and recovery processes, are crucial as well, but they pertain to confidentiality and availability, respectively. Regularly backing up data is also an important practice, but it serves more as a preventative measure for data loss rather than the assurance of data integrity itself.