Integrity
Field: Security · Also called: Data integrity
Integrity is the security property of guarding information against improper modification or destruction, so that data has not been altered in an unauthorized or undetected way since it was created, transmitted, or stored.
Integrity is one of the three properties of the CIA triad and one of the five CIANA properties. The U.S. federal definition, “guarding against improper information modification or destruction, and includes ensuring information nonrepudiation and authenticity” (44 U.S.C. § 3552), folds non-repudiation and authenticity into integrity. The CIANA model lists those as separate properties instead.
In cryptographic standards, integrity is usually verified with hashes, message authentication codes, or digital signatures.
A classic example of integrity in transit is the use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt connections between web browser clients and servers. That uses strong encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the data in transit. For more, see Confidentiality and McCumber Cube.
Sources
- integrity, NIST Computer Security Resource Center Glossary. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- 44 U.S. Code § 3552, Definitions, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Retrieved September 24, 2026.
- RFC 8446, The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.3, IETF, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2026.