Information and its value; confidentiality, integrity and availability

This week’s topics

Information and its value; confidentiality, integrity and availability

1. Starting point: the CIA triad
2. Information and its value: information-theoretic, semantic and impact-oriented definitions
3. Classes of information (files, documents, messages, systems and software)

What you will be able to do

• 1.1 Define information and give examples of information.
• 1.3 Analyse the value of information from contrasting perspectives.

Activity

Start with this week’s 3 videos, then: Seminar, guided reading and a short written task: define information and give examples of information.

Study materials

Videos

• Big data · Oak National Academy, Key Stage 4 (GCSE level) · for registered students
• What is the CIA Triad · YouTube · IBM Technology · 4 min · for registered students
• The CIA Triad - CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 - 1.2 · YouTube · Professor Messer · 5 min · for registered students

Further resources

• NIST SP 800-12r1, 1.4: Important Terminology · PDF · NIST SP 800-12 Rev. 1 (2017), 1.4: official definitions of confidentiality, integrity and availability, pp. 2–3 · for registered students
• Foundations of Information Systems, 5.1: Information worth protecting · PDF · OpenStax Foundations of Information Systems (2025), 5.1 on intellectual property, financial, employee and health data, pp. 158–160 · for registered students
• Computer Security Fundamentals, ch. 1: Terminology and concepts · PDF · Easttom, Computer Security Fundamentals 4e, publisher sample, ch. 1 sections on security terminology and the CIA triad, pp. 16–21 · for registered students
• Defining cybersecurity · Open-access article · Craigen et al. (2014), Technology Innovation Management Review. Short review of how 'cybersecurity' is defined and what it covers. · for registered students
• Why information security is hard: an economic perspective · Open-access article · Anderson (2001), Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC). Classic short paper on why security fails in practice. · for registered students