What does data integrity mean in AMQS, and what controls protect it?

• A. Data integrity means accuracy, completeness, and traceability of records; controls include access controls, audit trails, version control, and secure backup/restoration.
• B. Data integrity means data encryption only.
• C. Data integrity means only the speed of data entry.
• D. Data integrity concerns physical storage of data.

Answer: (A)

Data integrity in AMQS means the records are accurate, complete, and traceable, with a verifiable history of changes so the data can be trusted for airworthiness decisions and regulatory compliance. This trust hinges on knowing what happened to the data, when, and by whom, and that the data remains reliable over time.

Protecting this integrity relies on several controls. Access controls limit who can create or modify records, reducing the chance of unauthorized or accidental changes. Audit trails capture the life of a record—who changed it, what was changed, and when—providing a verifiable history. Version control preserves revisions and allows you to see and restore previous states if needed. Secure backup and restoration ensure data can be recovered after loss, corruption, or a security incident, preserving the integrity of the information.

Encryption, while important for confidentiality, does not guarantee data integrity on its own and isn’t a complete solution for maintaining a trustworthy record. Data speed or merely storing data physically does not address the need for traceability and controlled changes.