How Cyber Security is Different from Information Security

Cybersecurity and information security are two terms related to computer systems’ security and are often perceived to be synonyms. The confusion about both words’ use is that both are responsible for protecting the computer systems from threats and information breaches. But, in terms of definition and understanding, the two are varied and should not be interchangeable.

To understand, where one deals with the security of data stored in cyberspace, the other one is about the safety of data in general. This article deals with understanding both the terms as well as explaining the differences between them. Let’s start with defining the terms-

Cybersecurity

Cyber Security is about protecting crucial information and data stored on the internet from unauthentic users. Cybersecurity experts are responsible for the protection of networks, servers, intranets, and computer systems. Cybersecurity also ensures that only the authorized users would be able to access that information.

So, it is said to be protecting computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from outside malicious attacks or hacking of business organizations to personal devices. The defense of the information is classified in different categories, as per the type of attack, including network security, application security, information security, operational security, and disaster recovery with business processes continuity.

Understanding the definition of cybersecurity is not complete until the categorization of attacks is known. Attacks are generally of three types: cybercrime (for financial gain), cyber-attacks (mostly political), and cyber-terrorism. These attacks are committing by using different mediums like malware, including viruses, Trojans, spyware, ransomware, adware, botnets, Artificial Intelligence attacks etc.

Information Security

Information security is just another name for data security. So, information security is all about the concern for confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. Most current business data keeps stored electronically on servers, desktops, laptops, or somewhere on the internet, but this took place around a decade ago. Information security is concerned with ensuring that data in any form is kept secure and is a little broader than cybersecurity.

In a simplified manner, information security can be best described as avoiding unauthorized access or alteration in the data secured in computer devices or transferring it from one machine to another. The information may include biometrics, social media profile, data on mobile phones, etc. Data involving personal data or information of high value requires being confidential and secret, and it is crucial to prevent all sorts of unauthorized access.

In terms of integrity, the correct order of information must be maintained, and it is needed to deny any manipulation by an unauthorized user immediately. Lastly, it is vital to ensure access to data for unauthorized personnel. Companies place several policies like access control policy, password policy with data support, and some operations plan to enable information security mechanism.

Difference between Cyber Security and Information Security

People usually consider cybersecurity and information security similar, but actually, they are entirely different as their capabilities are different. Both ensure protection against information and data theft or the breach, accessed or changed, but here the similarity ends. The significant differences between the two are:

Definition

Cybersecurity denotes the practices and techniques of protecting data, its associated technologies, and storage devices from threats. Information security refers to protecting information against unauthentic and not permitted access that may cause undesired data modification or removal. Thus, cybersecurity is concerned with the cyber realm and the associated data, and information security, on the contrary, focuses majorly on information and ensures confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Domain

Cybersecurity refers to protecting everything stored in the cyber realm, such as data, information, devices, and associated technologies. The other way, information security is about protecting all forms of communication, i.e., digital and analog, irrespective of the realm. Protecting Social media profiles and individual information throughout cyberspace is linked with cybersecurity, whereas; information security mainly deals with information assets and availability.

Process and Professionals

Cybersecurity primarily is about protecting the use of cyberspace for unlawful activities and preventing cyber-attacks, and on the other hand, information security deals with controlling access to information to anyone and averts a scary scenario.

Cybersecurity professionals focus on handling specifically advanced persistent threats. And the information security professionals build the platform of data security, and they give preference to resources for information protection before dealing with unauthorized access to information.

Protection

Cybersecurity is about handling any possible danger in cyberspace and affecting individuals and organizations’ privacy and identity. Simultaneously, information security is limited to taking care of the attempts, specifically targeting information. Cybersecurity is there to handle cybercrimes, cyber frauds, and law enforcement issues.

Information security is there to tackle the significant problems related to disclosure modification and disruption and unauthorized access to the set of information stored in particular computer or storage devices.

Preventing malicious intrusion

It is clarified that cybersecurity includes anything and everything that exists in cyberspace, and information security also applies in the cyber realm as a part of the cyber domain is also having some share of information. So, the cybersecurity professionals bear the responsibility of preventing malicious intrusion and threatening activities in cyberspace only.

Information security doesn’t care about the realm and works to protect information stored anywhere and in any realm. It is not wrong to state that someway, information security is a superset of cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity and information security are crucial aspects of technology advancing in modern times. So, if anyone is looking forward to building a career in data security, it must have sound knowledge of both aspects. Certified cybersecurity professionals and information security professionals are in high demand in organizations across industries.

To develop proficiency and better understand data security, several e-learning platforms such as Global Tech Council and many others offer online  courses and information security and ethical hacking tutorials. These tutorials would help you develop an in-depth understanding of data security aspects and stay a step ahead of those exploiting technology with the wrong intent and objectives. So, it’s the right time to gear up and join the right online certification courses to give your IT career the much required push.