Data integrity: Encyclopedia - Data integrity

Data integrity

In telecommunication, the term data integrity has the following meanings:

1. The condition that exists when data is unchanged from its source and has not been accidentally or maliciously modified, altered, or destroyed.
2. The condition in which data are identically maintained during any operation, such as transfer, storage, and retrieval.
3. The preservation of data for their intended use.
4. Relative to specified operations, the a priori expectation of data quality.

Often such integrity is ensured by use of a number referred to as a Message Integrity Code or Message Authentication Code. These are abbreviated MIC and MAC respectively.

Specifically, data integrity in a relational database is concerned with three aspects of the data in a database:

1. Accuracy
2. Correctness
3. Validity

Data integrity - Sources

• Federal Standard 1037C
• MIL-STD-188
• National Information Systems Security Glossary

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Data integrity", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki