Which statement is NOT a component of the CIA triad?

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

Answer: (A)

The CIA triad describes three protective aims for information: confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Accountability isn’t part of those aims; it concerns tracking actions to individuals, maintaining audit trails, and enforcing responsibility. It’s essential for governance and incident response, but not one of the triad’s goals. That’s why this statement isn’t a CIA triad component. In contrast, confidentiality protects data from disclosure to unauthorized people, integrity guards against unauthorized changes and ensures data accuracy, and availability ensures authorized users can access data and services when needed.