The CIA Triad in Networking

The CIA triad is the core model of information security. CIA stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability, the three goals every security control aims to protect.

Every firewall rule, password, and backup serves at least one of these three. If you can map a control to a CIA goal, you understand why it exists. (Note: this CIA is unrelated to the government agency.)

Confidentiality means only authorized people can read data. It keeps secrets secret, blocking eavesdroppers and unauthorized users.

Network tools that protect confidentiality include encryption (scrambling data so only the right key unlocks it), strong authentication, and access controls. When you browse over HTTPS, encryption protects the confidentiality of your traffic from anyone snooping on the wire.