Information Security vs Cyber Security: A Detailed Comparison

According to PwC's 2022 Global Digital Trust Insights, 66% of organisations anticipate a double-digit increase in their budget for Cyber Security. Even among some people working in the Cyber Security industry, the terms "Cyber Security" and "Information Security" are frequently used interchangeably.  

However, the two terms are not interchangeable. Each one addresses a specific type of security. Thus, any firm investing in an appropriate security framework must understand each phrase, what it implies, and how the two differ.  

Businesses increasingly depend on computer systems, strengthening the connection between Cybersecurity and Information Security. However, there are key differences that must be understood in detail. Even though they overlap in many ways, they differ significantly. We will talk about the two fields and how they are different from one another in this blog. 

Table of Contents

1) What is Information Security? 

2) What is Cyber Security? 

3) Information Security vs Cyber Security: key differences 

4) How do Information Security and Cyber Security overlap? 

5) Conclusion 

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What is Information Security? 

Information Security aims to secure someone's personal information, which can only be accessed and used by authorised individuals. Teams working on Information Security develop and put procedures and systems into place to safeguard data. To secure their clients, big businesses need to implement strong security measures.  

Data availability, confidentiality, and integrity are the three main concepts in Information Security. When we think of Information Security, we usually think of computers, and important data can be stored in various ways. Both your company's database and a filing cabinet full of essential documents can be protected with Information Security.  

Information Security generally protects all of your data, regardless of its format, safeguarding data and information systems from illegal access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction to maintain: 

1) Integrity- It involves assuring the nonrepudiation and validity of information, preventing unauthorised information from change or deletion. 

2) Confidentiality- It involves maintaining permitted constraints on access and disclosure, as well as safeguards for personal privacy and proprietary information. 

3) Availability- It refers to ensuring timely and reliable access to information. 

Listed below are a few reasons stating the importance of Information Security:  

1) Safeguarding the business's ability to run effectively 

2) It protects data that organisations acquire, store, and use 

3) It enables enterprises to operate applications in IT systems in a secure manner  

4) It protects the company's technology
 

What is Cyber Security? 

Cyber Security is known as the ability to secure, safeguard, and defend electronic data held in servers, computers, mobile devices, networks, and other electronic devices against attacks and exploitation. To secure this data, it is essential to identify the critical data, the risks to which it is exposed, the location of the data, etc. It attempts to protect critical and sensitive information from outside threats and unwanted attacks. 

The following are a few of the critical reasons why Cyber Security is important for organisations:  

1) Cyberattacks impact both people and businesses  

2) Numerous cyberattacks have increased as a result of quick technological progress and advancement 

3) Without Cyber Security, hackers and attackers can seriously harm an organisation's operations, cause data loss, and even cost jobs 

4) Cybersecurity can help develop new and better regulations that protect people and businesses from potential threats 

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Information Security vs Cyber Security: Key Differences 

To further understand the differences between these two concepts and how to effectively use their methods to increase the security of sensitive data, follow the table below: 
 

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How do Information Security and Cyber Security overlap? 

Both Cybersecurity and Information Security have a physical security element. It’s evident that physical protection would be required if a company keeps a warehouse full of sensitive paper records so that no one could look through the data. As more data is converted to digital form, more advanced IT security technologies are needed to protect it.   

Therefore, even if you cannot physically lock a desktop computer, you can lock the door to your server room. To put it another way, whether your data is stored digitally or physically, you need to ensure that the appropriate physical controls are in place to prevent unauthorised individuals from gaining access.  

If you work in Information Security, your top priority is preventing unauthorised access to your company's data; if you work in Cybersecurity, your top priority is preventing unauthorised electronic access to your company's sensitive data. The importance of the data's worth is crucial in both situations.  

Whether you work in Information Security or Cybersecurity, you must understand which data is most important to your business to implement the proper cyber risk management and monitoring controls. In some cases, an Information Security professional will assist a Cybersecurity professional in prioritising data protection, and the Cybersecurity professional will then select the appropriate course of action for data protection. 

Common Security Procedures 

1) The CIA (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability of information) triangle model is used by infosec and Cybersecurity to define security policies, which is the area where the two fields most significantly intersect.  

2) Confidentiality is the first element of the triangle model, assuring that only authorised people can access and modify data. From the consumer's standpoint, for instance, we anticipate that online merchants will keep our data secure, such as credit card numbers, residential addresses, and other personal information.  

3) Second, information integrity assures that it has not been tampered with and is reliable. Using the online shop as an example, the information sent between the retailer and your bank needs to be safe. Otherwise, there can be a disparity between the amount you paid and the actual cost of your goods.  

4) Lastly, the availability of data means that the data is available as per your requirement.
 

Conclusion

Cybersecurity and Information Security have become more linked over the past ten years as these previously different fields have merged. But with the changing times, the role of Cybersecurity risk management professionals is changing as this issue becomes more critical for companies to protect data effectively. We hope that you now have a better understanding of these types of assessments and how they might benefit organisations. 

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