Part of my interest with cybersecurity stemmed from experiencing data loss and identity theft from people I know (and, to some extent, myself as well). Keeping data is vitally important, whether it’s due to compliance and regulatory mandates (such as HIPAA), or just keeping PII safe, it’s a crucial area for working with information systems.

The goal is CIA: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. That is, keeping data from being accessed by unauthorized parties, making sure it’s not tampered with by the wrong people, and that’s it’s available when needed (by the right people).