Which method directly supports data integrity?

Data integrity refers to the accuracy and consistency of data over its lifecycle. To support data integrity, methods must ensure that data remains uncorrupted, reliable, and trustworthy.

Data correction codes are specifically designed to detect and correct errors in data storage or transmission. They work by adding additional information (redundancy) to the data, allowing for the identification of errors and enabling necessary corrections. This method directly addresses the potential for corruption by validating data and ensuring its accuracy.

Regular data backups also play a critical role in maintaining data integrity. While their primary purpose is to ensure data availability in the event of loss or failure, they also provide a means to restore information to a previous state. If data integrity is compromised due to corruption or unauthorized alterations, having recent backups allows for the restoration of the original, untainted data. Thus, backups indirectly support data integrity by ensuring that corrupted data can be replaced with accurate information.

Both methods—data correction codes and regular data backups—contribute to maintaining the integrity of data, making the combination of them particularly effective in a comprehensive data integrity strategy.