Information Technology Specialist (ITS) Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Which of the following is a method of ensuring data integrity in a cybersecurity context?

1. Encryption

2. Obfuscation

3. Backups

4. Firewalls

The correct answer is: Encryption

Data integrity in the context of cybersecurity refers to the accuracy and consistency of data over its lifecycle. One of the primary methods to ensure data integrity is through encryption. When data is encrypted, it is transformed into a secure format that can only be read or decrypted by authorized parties with the correct decryption key. This not only protects the data from unauthorized access but also ensures that any alterations to the data can be detected. For instance, if encrypted data is tampered with, the decryption process will likely fail or produce an unexpected result, alerting the user to a potential integrity issue. While obfuscation, backups, and firewalls are important components of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, they serve different purposes. Obfuscation makes data harder to understand but does not necessarily provide a way to check for integrity. Backups ensure data availability and recovery but do not inherently protect against data corruption during use. Firewalls protect networks from unauthorized access and attacks but do not directly deal with data integrity. Therefore, encryption stands out as the most directly effective method for ensuring that data remains intact and unmodified.