In a situation where patients can access other patients' medical records, which network characteristic is compromised?

In a scenario where patients are able to access other patients' medical records, security is fundamentally compromised. Security in networking refers to the measures and protocols that protect data from unauthorized access. Medical records are sensitive personal information, and they should only be accessed by authorized personnel who have legitimate reasons to view them, such as healthcare providers or the patients themselves.

When unauthorized access occurs, it not only exposes personal data to those who should not see it but also raises concerns about privacy, data integrity, and compliance with regulations such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). This breach of security can erode trust in the healthcare system and lead to serious legal and ethical implications.

Other aspects like reliability, scalability, and performance are essential for a functioning network but are not directly impacted by the unauthorized access to sensitive data in the same way that security is. Maintaining security is paramount in environments handling sensitive information like medical records, making it clear why security is the compromised network characteristic in this situation.