What refers to the principle that guards against improper information modification or destruction?

The principle that guards against improper information modification or destruction is integrity. In the context of information security, integrity ensures that data remains accurate, consistent, and trustworthy over its entire lifecycle. This means that any unauthorized alterations or deletions of the data can be prevented, and mechanisms are in place to detect any such tampering.

Integrity is crucial because it instills confidence in users and stakeholders that the information being relied upon is correct and has not been improperly changed. For instance, in databases, integrity checks might be implemented to verify that records have not been altered without appropriate authorization.

Other principles, such as availability and confidentiality, serve different purposes. Availability focuses on ensuring that information and resources are accessible to authorized users when needed, while confidentiality is concerned with keeping sensitive information secret from unauthorized access. Accountability relates to the ability to track user activity and ensure individuals are held responsible for their actions, which, while important, does not directly protect against unauthorized modifications to information itself.