Security Goals: CIA Triad

Cryptography · Axiom Academy

LESSON Security Goals: CIA Triad Understanding the fundamental security objectives that cryptography aims to achieve 1. Confidentiality: Keeping Secrets Definition: Ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to access it. Confidentiality is what most people think of when they hear "encryption." It protects secrets from eavesdroppers who might intercept communications. Real-world example: Encrypting credit card numbers during online shopping Threat model: An attacker intercepts network traffic but cannot read the contents Cryptographic solution: Encryption algorithms (AES, RSA, etc.) 2. Integrity: Preventing Tampering Definition: Ensuring that information has not been modified by unauthorized parties. Integrity protection ensures that data remains trustworthy and hasn't been altered in transit or storage. This is critical for financial transactions, legal documents, and software updates. Real-world example: Digital signatures on software downloads Threat model: An attacker modifies a message in transit Cryptographic solution: Hash functions, MACs, digital signatures 3. Availability: Ensuring Access Definition: Ensuring that authorized users can access information and resources when needed. While cryptography doesn't directly solve availability, it plays a supporting role through secure key management and resistance to resource-exhaustion attacks. Real-world example: Rate-limiting cryptographic operations to prevent DoS

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