What are the three core principles of information security?

• A. Privacy, integrity, and availability
• B. Availability, confidentiality, and privacy
• C. Confidentiality, integrity, and availability
• D. Integrity, availability, and privacy

Answer: (C)

The three fundamental objectives of information security are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Confidentiality means keeping data secret from unauthorized people—only those with permission can access it. Integrity means information stays accurate and trustworthy, with safeguards to detect and prevent tampering or corruption. Availability means information and systems are accessible to authorized users whenever needed, even in the face of failures or attacks. This combination is why the option listing confidentiality, integrity, and availability is correct: it covers the essential goals without substituting related concepts like privacy, which focuses more on how data is collected and used rather than these three security outcomes.