"Necessity is the mother of invention" is a quote that many people are well aware of, and its effect can be seen in how various needs have led to great advancements in the human race.
The computer is one of the best inventions of the past century, and its contribution towards development and progress cannot be understated.
Furthermore, the Internet has also played its part in uniting the globe, and reducing the distance between countries, businesses, as well as individuals.
This is because people can relate as if they were in the same room, thousands of miles apart, thanks to the Internet.
Since people and businesses store very important information on their computers, there are some evil-minded individuals who seek to acquire such information, and hopefully make money from their evil ways.
The need to protect the information that is locked in people's computers has given rise to database security measures, kind of like the security guards who spend their time and energy protecting homes and businesses from thieves and burglars.
In the recent past, there have been hackers who have targeted companies that deal with people's personal records, and from their hacking obtained information that has given them access to people's bank accounts.
Such criminal acts have forced people to invest in security measures that will deny hackers any form of access to records or documents in computers or online databases.
Such security measures operate on a principle, whose basics are outlined here below:

1. Confidentiality - No one, except the personnel in charge of manipulating, altering and updating any company data ought to have access to the data.
   If for any reason another individual gains access to the same, then there is no confidentiality upheld.
   
2. Integrity - No one, except the individual whose job is to deal with the sensitive data, ought to have the ability to change or alter the data in any way.
   If for some reason someone else finds a way of altering the data, then there is no integrity in the database.
   
3. Availability - If the people in charge of handling and manipulating the data cannot access the database, for any reason, then the system is compromised and is not available.
   Quick and easy access is a sign of an available system.
   

Knowing the above, it is important for the handlers of databases and the people who have access to such information to take good care of their passwords.
Hackers look for every opportunity and loophole to gain access through their various methods, and carelessness is one way they gain entry and exploit the weaknesses.