What does it mean if data is said to be "unaltered"?

When data is described as "unaltered," it indicates that the information remains unchanged from its original source. This means that the data has not been modified, tampered with, or subjected to any alterations since it was first created or recorded. Maintaining unaltered data is crucial in many fields, especially when it comes to ensuring data integrity, reliability, and authenticity. For instance, in legal, financial, or research contexts, unaltered data serves as a trustworthy foundation for analyses and decision-making processes.

Regarding the other choices, while regular updates (as mentioned in the first option) can reflect a dynamic data environment, they do not ensure the data's unchanged status. Storage in a non-editable format (the second option) may prevent alterations, but it does not specifically guarantee that the data is unaltered from its source. Lastly, replication across multiple systems (the fourth option) pertains to data distribution and redundancy rather than the integrity of the original data state.