What term defines the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with?

The correct answer is integrity, which refers to the assurance that data has not been altered or tampered with during its storage, processing, or transmission. Maintaining integrity is crucial in data security as it ensures that the information remains accurate, consistent, and trustworthy over its lifecycle. Various techniques, such as checksums, hashes, and digital signatures, are employed to verify data integrity, helping detect any unauthorized changes.

In contrast, availability focuses on ensuring that data and systems are accessible and operational when needed. Confidentiality refers to protecting information from unauthorized access and ensuring that it is only accessible to those who are authorized to view it. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system to ensure that they have the legitimate right to access resources or data. Each of these terms plays a distinct role in the broader context of information security, but integrity specifically addresses the need to confirm that data remained unchanged.