Integrity ensures data remains accurate and unmodified. If attackers change data without detection, you cannot trust your systems.
You protect integrity through:
Hashing. SHA- detects any changes. A single bit flip produces a completely different hash.
Digital signatures. These prove data came from a specific sender and was not altered.
Audit logs. Track who changed what and when. Enable rollback if needed.
Without integrity, attackers could modify financial records, alter medical data, or inject malicious code.