Which security property ensures information and systems are accessible to authorized users when needed?

Which security property ensures information and systems are accessible to authorized users when needed?

• A. Availability
• B. Confidentiality
• C. Integrity
• D. Non-repudiation

Answer: (A)

Availability is the security property that ensures information and systems are accessible to authorized users when they need them. It means keeping services up and responsive, even in the face of failures or attacks, through redundancy, fault tolerance, backups, and good incident response. The goal is that legitimate users can reach the systems and data without unnecessary delays or interruptions. This differs from confidentiality, which focuses on preventing access by unauthorized people to data; integrity, which ensures data remains accurate and unaltered; and non-repudiation, which provides proof of origin and delivery to prevent denial of actions. For example, redundant servers and backup power help keep a website online during a failure, ensuring authorized users can still access the service.

Availability is the security property that ensures information and systems are accessible to authorized users when they need them. It means keeping services up and responsive, even in the face of failures or attacks, through redundancy, fault tolerance, backups, and good incident response. The goal is that legitimate users can reach the systems and data without unnecessary delays or interruptions. This differs from confidentiality, which focuses on preventing access by unauthorized people to data; integrity, which ensures data remains accurate and unaltered; and non-repudiation, which provides proof of origin and delivery to prevent denial of actions. For example, redundant servers and backup power help keep a website online during a failure, ensuring authorized users can still access the service.