Which practice is key to maintaining data integrity in an information system?

Regular data backups are essential for maintaining data integrity in an information system because they ensure that a copy of the data is preserved at various points in time. This allows an organization to restore data in case of corruption, accidental deletion, hardware failure, or other issues that may compromise the data integrity. By performing regular backups, an organization can protect itself against data loss and ensure that it can recover information that is accurate and reliable.

The integrity of data also relies on having access to consistent and accurate information, and regular backups play a vital role in this process. They help maintain a historical record of data, which can be crucial for compliance, auditing, and analysis. In the event that the current data becomes unreliable, having backups ensures that a valid version of the information is available for recovery.

In contrast, options like providing unlimited data access or restricting all user permissions may adversely affect data integrity. Unlimited access can lead to unauthorized changes or accidental data alterations, while overly restrictive permissions can hinder legitimate access to necessary data. Ignoring user input disregards the need for validation and accuracy in the data entered into the system, ultimately undermining data integrity as well.