Which term describes 'providing timely and reliable access to information' as part of the information security triad?

• A. Integrity
• B. Availability
• C. Confidentiality
• D. Authentication

Answer: (B)

Availability is the principle that ensures information and the systems that host it are accessible to authorized users when they need them. It involves uptime, reliable performance, and quick recovery from failures, supported by measures like redundancy, backups, failover-capable infrastructure, and solid incident response. In the information security triad, Availability stands alongside Confidentiality (protecting data from unauthorized access) and Integrity (keeping data accurate and trustworthy). Authentication, while essential for verifying identity to grant access, is a control that supports access but does not define the idea of keeping information available.