Cyber Security and Information Security are terms that are often used interchangeably in the information security community. In fact, cyber security and information security are so closely related, they often seem synonymous and are used synonymously because they both provide protection for computer systems from threats. The key to securing data on a network is its protection from malicious users and threats as being the basic concept of data security. There is also a question regarding the difference between the concept of data and the concept of information. It is important to understand that “not all data can be information”. However, if the data is interpreted in the right context and given a meaningful interpretation, it can be considered information. It is important to note that in this case, “100798” is data, but once we know that it is the date of birth of a person, then we can say that it is information because it has some meaning to it. In other words, information is data that has some meaning attached to it.

The following are some examples of cyber security and how it is included in these examples:

  • Security of networks
  • Security of applications
  • Security in the cloud
  • Infrastructure that is vital to society

The following are some examples of information security and how it is included in these examples:

  • Controls over the procedure
  • Controls for access to the system
  • Controls and technical measures
  • Controls for ensuring compliance

Essentially, both the terms, cybersecurity and information security, can be used interchangeably in the context of computers and are used to describe the protection of computers in general. If you are not aware of the difference between the two terms, it is important to point out that there is a lot of variation in their definitions and understandings, which is why they should not be interchanged as it is often the case. If I had to summarize both of these requirements into one sentence, one is concerned with protecting data in cyberspace, whereas the other is concerned with the security of data in general. Beginners might find it hard to grasp the concept because it is both simple and complicated.

Here, we will begin with a definition of both terms, then we will go over their differences and the differences between them in this article so that you can get a sense of what each is all about.

Cybersecurity

It can be defined as the activity of defending a wide range of objects from malicious attack, ranging from business organizations to your personal devices, such as computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks and data. This article will discuss the different types of attacks that can be categorized into different categories such as those related to network security, application security, information security, operational security, or disaster recovery and business continuity. Computer network security is concerned with the protection of the network infrastructure along with software and devices against potential threats and vulnerabilities, whereas application security focuses on protecting the application itself. As a result of a loss of data, disaster recovery is the process by which an organization reacts in case of such a loss and tries to restore its operational capabilities in order to continue operating during the crisis.

If the different types of hacking attacks are not known to the extent needed, understanding the definition of cybersecurity will not suffice to protect us from these attacks. Generally speaking, cybercrime (targeting financial gain) and cyber-attacks (mostly political attacks) can be classified as the four types of cyberattacks, while cyberterrorism can be categorized as the fifth type. There are many ways in which these attacks are controlled, including malware, such as viruses, trojans, spyware, ransomware, adware, and botnets. It is expected that other approaches to naming attacks such as SQL injection, phishing, and denial-of-service attacks will be developed in the future.

A report says that there has been a rapid rise in cyber threats in the last few years, stating that in the year 2019 alone, there has been a breach of more than 7.9 billion records, which is unacceptable. As a result of the growing threat of cybercrime, the world’s spending on cybersecurity solutions and services will reach almost $133.7 billion by the year 2022, as estimated in another report. 

We have now covered the basics of cybersecurity, now that we have covered the basics of cybersecurity, let’s take a look at information security, shall we?

Information security

It can be simplified to describe the concept of information security as the prevention of unauthorised access or alteration to data at any time when it is being stored or transferred from a machine to another through the use of various security techniques. Biometrics, social media profiles, mobile phone data, and so on are some of the most common types of information. Thus, the research for information security ranges from cryptocurrency to online forensics, and from these to biometrics. 

CIA, or Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability, are the three main objectives of high quality information security in terms of confidentiality, integrity and availability. Information, including personal information or sensitive information, should be kept confidential at all times, and all unauthorised access to it should be blocked at all times. As for integrity, the stored data needs to be kept in the right order, so any changes that are unintentionally made by someone who is not authorized need to be reversed as soon as possible. Additionally, it is essential that authorised persons have the ability to access the information stored at any time if it is needed. As a result of a denial-of-service attack, this action is likely to be jeopardized as a result.

Various policies are put in place in order to ensure that information security operates efficiently in an organization. These policies include access control policies, password policies as well as data support and operation procedures. Aside from mantraps, network intrusion detection systems, and regulatory compliance, there are also other measures that can be put in place to ensure security.

Differences

An important component of cyber security is the protection of data, storage sources, devices, and other resources in cyberspace from cyber attacks. As opposed to data security, which aims to protect data from any type of threat, whether it is analogue or digital, information security aims to protect data from all sorts of threats. There is a lot of discussion going on about cybercrime, cyber fraud, and law enforcement in cyber security. The information security field deals more with unauthorized access, disclosure, modification, disruption, and modification of information. 

Cybersecurity is handled by professionals who possess specialized training in dealing with advanced persistent threats (APTs) as well as other types of threats. On the other hand, information security is the foundation of data security, and it is trained to priorities resources in an effort to eradicate threats or attacks before eradicating them and preventing further damage.

Outlook

As online threats lurk over organizations every second, the convergence of information security and cybersecurity is a must for maintaining a secure environment during an era when online threats are lurking over organizations every second. In order to keep up with the growth in threats and attacks, there is an increasing need for security professionals around the world and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that there has been a 28% growth in the area of cybersecurity and information security in the last year. There are different job roles that can be found in this industry depending on one’s level of interest in the field, such as information security analyst, information security officer, cryptographer, penetration tester, or other related positions.

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1 Comment

  • It’s hard to find knowledgeable people on this topic, but you sound like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks

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