Which term refers to data consistency?

Which term refers to data consistency?

• A. Confidentiality
• B. Integrity
• C. Authentication
• D. Availability

Answer: (B)

Data consistency means information stays accurate, complete, and trustworthy across storage, transmission, and processing. That quality is captured by the term integrity. Keeping integrity involves ensuring data isn’t tampered with, corrupted, or altered in unintended ways, and that any authorized changes are verifiable. Mechanisms like checksums, hash functions, digital signatures, and audit trails help verify integrity and detect any changes, keeping data in its correct state. Confidentiality is about preventing unauthorized disclosure, authentication is about verifying identities, and availability is about ensuring access to data and services when needed—none of these directly address maintaining the correctness and trustworthiness of the data itself, which is why integrity is the best fit.

Data consistency means information stays accurate, complete, and trustworthy across storage, transmission, and processing. That quality is captured by the term integrity. Keeping integrity involves ensuring data isn’t tampered with, corrupted, or altered in unintended ways, and that any authorized changes are verifiable. Mechanisms like checksums, hash functions, digital signatures, and audit trails help verify integrity and detect any changes, keeping data in its correct state. Confidentiality is about preventing unauthorized disclosure, authentication is about verifying identities, and availability is about ensuring access to data and services when needed—none of these directly address maintaining the correctness and trustworthiness of the data itself, which is why integrity is the best fit.