Multiple choice technology security

Which of the following is used to ensure availability in software?

  1. Encryption

  2. Hashing

  3. Recovery

  4. Redundancy
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Redundancy - including backup systems, duplicate hardware, failover clusters, and replicated data - is the primary method for ensuring availability in software systems. When one component fails, redundant components take over seamlessly. Encryption (A) protects confidentiality, not availability. Hashing (B) ensures integrity. Recovery (C) is reactive, restoring after failure, whereas redundancy is proactive and maintains availability during failures. High-availability architectures explicitly design redundancy at all layers: network, server, database, and geographic.

AI explanation

This is a classic CIA-triad mapping question: Confidentiality is ensured via Encryption, Integrity via Hashing, and Availability via Redundancy (and related fault-tolerance measures). Redundancy — duplicate servers, power supplies, network paths, RAID, failover clusters — keeps a system operational continuously so authorized users can access it without interruption, which is the definition of availability. Recovery (disaster recovery/backup restoration) is a reactive measure that restores availability after a failure has already caused downtime; it complements availability but redundancy is the standard, canonical mechanism cited in security certification material (e.g., Security+) for 'ensuring' availability. Given the encryption/hashing/recovery/redundancy option set mirrors the standard confidentiality/integrity/availability teaching pattern, Redundancy is the intended correct answer.

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