Which security principle involves ensuring that data is not altered or tampered with?

The principle that focuses on ensuring that data remains unaltered and free from tampering is integrity. In the context of information security, integrity refers to the accuracy and consistency of data throughout its lifecycle. This involves measures that guarantee that data has not been modified or corrupted, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Maintaining integrity allows organizations to trust the information being processed and used, which is crucial for making informed decisions. Techniques to ensure data integrity include using checksums, hash functions, and digital signatures. These methods help verify that the data remains unchanged during storage or transmission.

Confidentiality relates to protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access, while availability ensures that information and resources are accessible when needed. Authenticity verifies the source of the data to ensure it is genuine. Although all these principles are vital to security, only integrity directly addresses the issue of data alteration and tampering.