Which approach best safeguards data integrity during system changes?

• A. Bypass change control
• B. No formal process
• C. Formal change control processes
• D. Data integrity is not affected by changes

Answer: (C)

When protecting data during system changes, having formal change control in place is essential. This approach introduces a structured process: a change is documented, its potential impact on data integrity is analyzed, it receives appropriate approvals, it’s tested in a controlled (non-production) environment, and there’s a planned schedule with a rollback option and an auditable record of what was done. These steps help catch issues before they affect live data, preserve data relationships and constraints, and ensure you can revert if something goes wrong.

Bypassing change control allows changes to be made without review or testing, which can introduce data corruption, mismatches, or loss, especially when data structures or validation rules are altered. Having no formal process means there’s no consistent way to assess risk or track changes. And saying that data integrity isn’t affected by changes ignores the reality that altering systems often changes how data is stored, related, or validated. Formal change control is the safeguard that minimizes those risks and maintains reliable, trustworthy data during updates.