When we are at our desk, we want the information system and the necessary information to be available. We want to be able to work with the computer and access the network and our files. What is the…

Question

Options

• AThe degree to which the system capacity is enough to allow all users to work with it
• BThe degree to which the continuity of an organization is guaranteed
• CThe degree to which an information system is available for the users
• DThe total amount of time that an information system is accessible to the users

• B
  5% (1)
• C
  90% (19)
• D
  5% (1)

Explanation

Option C correctly captures the standard definition of availability in information security and IT service management: it focuses on whether users can access the system when they need it - which directly matches the scenario of being at your desk and needing your files and network.

Why the distractors fall short:

• A describes capacity or scalability - how many users the system can handle simultaneously - not whether it's available at all.
• B describes business continuity, a broader organizational concept concerned with surviving disruptions, not just system access.
• D is close but subtly wrong: it defines availability as a total amount of time (a quantity), whereas the correct definition is a degree (a quality/percentage ratio). Availability is expressed as a proportion (e.g., 99.9% uptime), not a raw duration.

Memory tip: Think of availability as the "A" in the CIA triad (Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability). Ask yourself: "Can the right user get to the right resource right now?" - if yes, availability is met. Any answer that drifts toward how many users or how long in absolute terms is a distractor.

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