information security vs cybersecurity. Both deal with the security of computer systems. That is why many confuse one as the other.
People who are not into techs may say that it is one and the same. But they are not.
So, to put it simply, one deals with the security of data as a whole. But one deals with keeping data in cyberspace safe. Does it still sound confusing?
In this article, we will dig deeper into the two. So keep on reading to know more.
Information Security (Infosec)
Information security, Infosec, data security. These are some of the ways to call it. But what does it mean?
Infosec means keeping the data’s CIA triad or:
- Confidentiality. Blocking all unauthorized people to access data.
- Integrity. Keeping the data intact, accurate, and complete. Then, block all unwanted changes.
- Availability. To let authorized people access data with no hassle. Anytime they need it.
So, this deals with keeping data safe in a general sense. Then, may it be physical data or data in cyberspace. Whether while stored or transferring.
Then, what are these data? Here are some:
- data on documents or folders
- biometrics
- company data
- customer data
- employee data
- personal data
- medical records
- social media profile
- data on phones
Also, you can make a lot of Infosec policies like:
- access control policy
- password policy
- remote work policy
So, Infosec is much broader than cybersecurity when it comes to keeping data safe.
Cybersecurity
While the other deals with data, cybersecurity is about protecting digital things. Like:
- computers
- networks
- servers
- electronic systems
- mobile devices
- data
So, it does not focus on data alone. It is broader in terms of protecting cyberspace. Also, it does not let any of those above and more suffer from any attacks.
Then, there are three main reasons for cyberattacks:
- Cybercrime. For money.
- Cyberattacks. For personal reasons. Like hatred, revenge, etc.
- Cyberterrorism. For political reasons.
But how are these delivered? Here is some sample:
- malware
- trojans
- man-in-the-middle (MitM)
- SQL injection
- phishing and spear phishing
- denial-of-service (DoS)
- cross-site scripting (XSS)
- spyware
- ransomware
Sounds a lot, right? Thus, to avoid any cyberattacks, there are five kinds of cybersecurity:
- network security
- information security
- operational security
- application security
- disaster recovery
So, in a sense, Infosec is under cybersecurity.
Information Security vs Cybersecurity
So, we have seen the meaning for each of them. How do they differ? Here are some:
- Information security. Meant to keep data safe from any form of threats. May it be analog or digital data. Deals with unwanted access and change. Experts focus first on data before removing threats and attacks.
- Cybersecurity. Meant to keep digital things safe. Like data, devices, storage, and more. Deals with criminals, frauds, attacks. Experts focus first on dealing with threats.
They are not the same, right? They are very different from each other.
Yes, they both take part in securing physical things. Also, they both see the value of data.
But, as said, they are not the same. Is it now clear? What have you learned today? Did you learn a lot?
