Data Integrity

Data integrity is a fundamental component of information security. In its broadest use, "data integrity" refers to the accuracy and consistency of data stored in a database, data warehouse, data mart or other construct. The term - Data Integrity - can be used to describe a state, process or a function - and is often used as a proxy for "data quality".

Data with "integrity" is said to have a complete or whole structure. Data values are standardized according to a data model and/or data type. All characteristics of the data must be correct - including business rules, relations, dates, definitions and lineage - for data to be complete. Data integrity is imposed within a database when it is designed and is authenticated through the ongoing use of error checking and validation routines.

At INI, we ensure that data must be kept free from corruption, modification or unauthorized disclosure to drive any number of mission-critical business processes with accuracy. Our database security professionals employ any number of practices to assure data integrity, including:

• Recruitment and Training
• Data encryption, which locks data by cipher
• Data backup, which stores a copy of data in an alternate location
• Access controls, including assignment of read/write privileges
• Input validation, to prevent incorrect data entry
• Data validation, to certify uncorrupted transmission