--Originally published at Stories by Juan Andrés Rocha on Medium
Remember, this is a blog series about Computer Security, so in this context we’re not talking about the Central Intelligence Agency. We’re talking about the three goals of a Secure Computer System: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.
These are the three maxims we need to accomplish to ensure a system is secure. So if the system you’re creating, or the one you’re paying for does not stick to these three definitions, then why are you even using it?
Confidentiality /känfədenSHēˈalədē/:
Confidentiality pertains to the treatment of information that an individual has disclosed in a relationship of trust and with the expectation that it will not be divulged to others without permission in ways that are inconsistent with the understanding of the original disclosure.
- University of California, Irvine (Department of Research)
Basically, keeping confidentiality is just leting the users know what will happen to their information and, if they agree, stick to the rules and make sure all of this information is kept safe and private by all means.
Integrity /inˈteɡrədē/:
Integrity involves maintaining the consistency, accuracy, and trustworthiness of data over its entire life cycle. Data must not be changed in transit, and steps must be taken to ensure that data cannot be altered by unauthorized people (for example, in a breach of confidentiality).
- TechTarget
And, the last, but not least goal:
Availability /əˌvāləˈbilədē/:
It is important to ensure that the information concerned is readily accessible to the authorised viewer at all times. Some types of security attack attempt to deny access to the appropriate user, either for the sake of inconveniencing them, or because there is some secondary effect.
- Suprema Project
Imagine a bank app or website that wouldn’t let you check your balance whenever you wanted to, would you still use it? Why? You really don’t
