Integrity
Integrity is the degree to which information and systems are protected from unauthorized modification, ensuring that data remains accurate, complete, and trustworthy.
“The degree to which only authorized access and modification is allowed to a component, a system or data.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Integrity?
Integrity ensures that information is changed only through authorized actions and remains consistent throughout its lifecycle.
Data accuracy: Information should remain correct and complete.
Unauthorized modification: Controls prevent improper changes.
Security relationship: Integrity is one of the three pillars of the CIA triad.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Integrity appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Integrity as interchangeable with nearby ISTQB terms. That makes test scope blurry and can lead to weak evidence for the release decision.
The tester anchors the discussion in the official definition, asks where the concept appears in the product, and designs examples that show the difference between Integrity and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Integrity is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Integrity in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Integrity to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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