Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam

How does Semantic integrity ensure data quality?

1. By validating user access rights

2. By ensuring every value matches the data type

3. By backing up data regularly

4. By monitoring network security

The correct answer is: By ensuring every value matches the data type

Semantic integrity primarily focuses on the correctness and meaning of the data within a database. It ensures that the information adheres to specified rules and constraints that reflect the real-world scenarios it is intended to model. By ensuring that every value matches the data type, semantic integrity guarantees that the information stored is appropriate and meaningful for its intended use. For example, if a field is supposed to store a date, semantic integrity checks to confirm that only date formats are accepted in that field, thereby maintaining the data's relevance and accuracy. Other choices do not directly pertain to the core concept of semantic integrity as related to data quality. Validating user access rights pertains to access control and security measures, which, while important, do not ensure the validity of the data itself. Backing up data focuses on data recovery and protection rather than ensuring its quality or correctness. Monitoring network security is a proactive security measure that aims to prevent unauthorized access or breaches rather than ensuring that the data is semantically valid. Thus, matching values to the correct data type is essential for maintaining semantic integrity and ensuring high data quality.