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Availability

What is Availability?

The property of being accessible and usable upon demand by authorized users, one of the three pillars of information security along with confidentiality and integrity.

Information Security

Each of these is named in at least one of the same controls as availability. The number is how many controls name both.

What the standards actually require on availability

Requirements naming availability across 6 standards, quoted from the control text.

Maintain availability of information in the event of the loss of cryptographic keys by users.

NIST800-SC-12(1) · SC-12(1) Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management | Availability →
COBIT 201910 controls

The possible sources of funding, the options for obtaining it and what each source means for expected investment returns are worked out. Funds currently available and committed, spending approved and spending incurred so far are understood;

cobit-2019::APO05.01 · APO05.01 Determine the availability and sources of funds →

Maintain availability of information in the event of the loss of cryptographic keys by users.

nist-sp-800-53-revision-5-1-high::SC-12(1) · SC-12(1) Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management | Availability →

Agencies must work out the availability and recovery requirements of their systems and must put in place measures that support them, consistent with the agency SRMP.

new-zealand-information-security-manual-nzism::6.4.5.C.01 · 6.4.5.C.01 Availability and recovery requirements with supporting measures →

Continuous real-time monitoring of the capacity and availability of online services is performed.

ISM-1581 · Real-time capacity and availability monitoring →

Questions people ask about availability

What is Availability?
The property of being accessible and usable upon demand by authorized users, one of the three pillars of information security along with confidentiality and integrity.
Why is Availability important for compliance?
Availability is a key concept in Information Security. Understanding availability helps organizations meet regulatory requirements, reduce risk, and demonstrate due diligence during audits. Our compliance platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings.
Which compliance frameworks address Availability?
Availability appears in the requirement text of NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, COBIT 2019, NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 HIGH, New Zealand Information Security Manual (NZISM), Australian Information Security Manual. Across these standards we have identified 56 controls that name it directly, each linked to the control text on the compliance platform.
Where can I learn more about Availability?
Explore our compliance framework pages to see how availability applies across different standards and regulations. Our implementation guides provide step-by-step guidance, and the compliance platform offers AI-powered analysis of how this concept maps across 1,016 frameworks.

See how Availability applies across compliance frameworks

Our platform maps 1,016 frameworks with 316K cross-framework control mappings. Explore how this concept is addressed across standards.

Written and maintained by Gerard Blokdyk, The Art of Service.