Bruce Schneier
If you’ve ever taken a computer security class, you’ve probably learned about the three legs of computer security—confidentiality, integrity, and availability—known as the CIA triad. When we talk about a system being secure, that’s what we’re referring to. All are important, but to different degrees in different contexts. In a world populated by artificial intelligence (AI) systems and artificial intelligent agents, integrity will be paramount.
What is data integrity? It’s ensuring that no one can modify data—that’s the security angle—but it’s much more than that. It encompasses accuracy, completeness, and quality of data—all over both time and space. It’s preventing accidental data loss; the “undo” button is a primitive integrity measure. It’s also making sure that data is accurate when it’s collected—that it comes from a trustworthy source, that nothing important is missing, and that it doesn’t change as it moves from format to format. The ability to restart your computer is another integrity measure.
The CIA triad has evolved with the Internet. The first iteration of the Web—Web 1.0 of the 1990s and early 2000s—prioritized availability. This era saw organizations and individuals rush to digitize their content, creating what has become an unprecedented repository of human knowledge. Organizations worldwide established their digital presence, leading to massive digitization projects where quantity took precedence over quality. The emphasis on making information available overshadowed other concerns.
No comments:
Post a Comment