What does information security ensure?

Information security primarily aims to protect data in three fundamental ways: integrity, confidentiality, and availability, often referred to as the CIA triad.

Integrity ensures that the data remains accurate and unaltered, safeguarding it from unauthorized modifications. This means that any data that is stored or processed maintains its correctness and reliability over time.

Confidentiality involves keeping sensitive information private and accessible only to authorized individuals or systems. This is crucial for protecting sensitive data from unauthorized access, thus maintaining the privacy of individuals and organizations.

Availability ensures that data and systems are accessible when needed by authorized users. This means that information security measures must be in place to prevent downtime and ensure that legitimate users can access the information they need promptly.

The other options do not wholly encompass the scope of what information security aims to achieve. Maximal data redundancy, while it may support availability, does not directly align with the broader principles of integrity and confidentiality. Regular software updates are important for security management but do not define the core objectives of information security. Outsourcing data management can introduce vulnerabilities rather than securing information. Thus, the emphasis on integrity, confidentiality, and availability captures the essence of what information security ensures.