What term describes the assurance that a system performs its intended function without unauthorized manipulation?

• A. System Integrity
• B. Availability
• C. Accountability
• D. Authenticity

Answer: (A)

The term that describes the assurance that a system performs its intended function without unauthorized manipulation is system integrity. System integrity focuses on maintaining the accuracy, consistency, and trustworthiness of data and systems throughout their lifecycle. It ensures that information within the system cannot be altered, corrupted, or tampered with by unauthorized users.

This concept is fundamental in information security, as it helps to protect systems from both external threats and internal failures, ensuring that the outputs produced by the system are reliable and reflect the true state of the data being processed. Maintaining system integrity includes implementing controls, such as access rights, auditing, and validation processes, that actively work to prevent and detect unauthorized changes.

In contrast, availability refers to ensuring that systems and data are accessible to authorized users when needed, accountability relates to the trackability of actions performed on the system or data, and authenticity concerns the verification that a user or entity is who they claim to be. While these concepts are related to security and privacy, they do not encompass the specific focus on maintaining the system's operational integrity free from unauthorized interference, which is the essence of system integrity.