Difference Between Cyber Security and Information Security

Introduction

Due to digital supremacy, all organizations, irrespective of size, now turn to the internet. People now spend significantly more time on the internet than they did a couple of decades ago, as technology has advanced at an unparalleled rate. With everything becoming digital, businesses have also made an online presence for the convenience of the general masses. People need easy access to everything starting from goods to services as well as information which is just a click away. Therefore, going digital or being available online is the new trend. Also, just being online or going digital is not the only criteria for having a virtual presence, it is also about being available at the required moment, having official websites and accounts of the business, creating social media profiles of one’s business and so on. All these can only lead to the marketing success of an organization.

Though digital business and online marketing have several advantages, it also comes with different threats and disadvantages. There is the problem of security in most cases. People might be the victim of cybercrime and thus they might lose their privacy or their information to online hackers. The terms cyber security and information security are very often used interchangeably. Since they both mean protecting the system from threats and malicious users, hence the two terms seem synonymous. However, there arise some differences between the two and they are not the same They each cover distinct types of protection, and it's critical for any firm engaging in comprehensive security architecture to grasp each phrase, what it implies, and how they differ. This article shall deal with the differences that are present between cyber security and information security.

Cyber Security vs Information Security

The key difference between cyber security and information security is that cyber security is the process of securing data from outside sources on the internet. It is solely concerned with the security of data that is created digitally. On the other hand, information security is the protection of data and information from the unrecognized user or any other third party. It is concerned with the security of data from any type of danger. It is also about information access and data change or elimination to ensure privacy, consistency, and accessibility.

Differences Between Cyber Security and Information Security in Tabular Form

Parameters of Comparison	Cyber Security	Information Security
Meaning	It is the practice of protecting different data from outside the resource on the internet.	It is the practice of protecting information from third-party apps, and unrecognised users and also removing the data access from various sources to provide security, reliability and privacy.
Dealings	It deals with advanced threats that are imminent and persistent.	It deals with data security. The safety of the data is the first step to information security.
Threats	Cyber security solely addresses cyber risks, cybercrime, cyber fraud, and law enforcement.	Threats to information security include unapproved access, disclosure manipulation, and interruption.
Data Value	The key worry in cyber security is protecting one's company's confidentiality and security technologies against unwanted web access. It encompasses anything that may be accessible via the web.	Safeguarding one's corporation's data from any sort of danger is what information security entails. The major issue here is ensuring the database's secrecy, quality, and portability.
Priorities of Security Professionals	Proactive risks, such as data breaches and viruses, are the primary focus of cyber security specialists. Sophisticated recurring threats are dealt with by cyber security. This indicates that the danger is close at hand and capable of infiltrating the digital world and retrieving data.	In contrast, information security is the cornerstone of data security and the security professionals who work with it allocate the resources before mitigating the risks. Information security specialists have a larger responsibility, which includes policies, protocols, and institutional duties to assure authenticity, validity, and dependability.
Function	The function of cyber security is to deal with threats which may not be in the realm of the cyber world like protecting social media accounts, phishing etc.	The function of information security is to deal with protecting important information from data breaches and ensuring proper security protocols in areas where necessary.
Examples	Cloud security, network security and application security are some examples of cyber security.	Technical control, access control and compliance control are some examples of information security.

What is Cyber Security?

The practice of safeguarding any company’s confidential information and data from unrecognized users or any third party by implementing different protocols as needed is known as cyber security. In simple words, it is all about protecting the data and information from unauthorized access that can be obtained via the internet. It is about being able to defend the usage of virtual worlds from cyber assaults. It is the architecture for safeguarding and maintaining everything subject to phishing, intrusions, or information theft, which mostly includes computers, devices, networks, servers, and applications.

Cyber attacks are also aimed at accessing, changing or destroying sensitive information, demanding online transactions from users or interrupting an organization’s business procedure. Cyber security thus deals with the process of data and systems in networks that are connected to the web. All businesses one way or the other is vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Even while maintaining appointments or keeping various contacts, only a small amount of data is seen to be protected with the available technology. Most of the technologies are an issue for the organization which leads to data breaches. In such cases, sometimes the users can click on any unauthorized link provided through email which may lead to the opening up of the private information of a firm.

Since every organization or company may fall prey to cyber threats, hence all organizations must implement strong authentication practices to mitigate the effect of digital dangers. Cyber security is a process that protects the company's sensitive and confidential information from unauthorized intrusion. Security processes and standards defending communications technologies change quickly, therefore organizations must keep themselves updated about the newest cyber security measures to successfully counter their digital world from cyber assaults.

Types of Cyber Security

There are five classifications of cyber security. They are as follows:

1. Application Security: this type of security protects the application’s code and information against malicious threats. Firewalls, anti-virus programmes, encryption programs etc are some of the most common examples of application security. They help in protecting any software from third party access.
2. Cloud Security: It is a software-based security application that secures and monitors private cloud services' information. Cloud providers are continually focusing on implementing enhanced security capabilities to assist corporate users in effectively protecting their material.
3. Critical Infrastructure Security: it focuses on protecting cyber-physical systems, networks, and assets that modern societies rely on. Shopping centres, hospitals, grocery stores, electricity boards, traffic etc. are associated with infrastructure security.
4. Internet of Things Security: this type of security is connected to data breaches and cyber threats. Wi-Fi routers, security cameras, printers etc are some examples of cyber-physical systems related to the internet of things security. This form of cyber security solution defends, analyzes, and detects hazards while also assisting in the repair of vulnerabilities in devices that might pose security dangers to any organization.
5. Network Security: extra log-in, new passwords, encryption etc are some of the examples of network security which guards against malicious software thereby protecting the network or internal signals from providing access to abnormal sites trying to interfere.

What is Information Security?

As the name suggests, information security is all about securing data and information from unauthorized users, access and data modification or removal to provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The two terms data and information can be used interchangeably while talking about information security. However, the two terms are not the same. When data is interpreted in a context to generate some type of meaning, it is referred to be information. 13121995 for instance is a piece of data without any context. They are just numbers without any meaning. It may be a phone number, a security code, a database, a date or even may mean a variety of things. But the same data becomes information when we come to know its context of it. In this case, this data is a birth date along with month and year i.e. the person was born on the 13th day of December 1995. As a result, the data provided became a piece of information for us after we came to know the context. Thus, both data and information are used for security terms which prevent illegal access to unwanted information and data breach.

Types of Information Security

There are generally six classifications of information security. They are as follows:

1. Infrastructure Security: Infrastructure security is concerned with the safeguarding of intranet and remote access networks, laboratories, network infrastructure, workstations, computers, and mobile devices.
2. Cloud Security: The term "cloud" simply refers to the program functioning in a shared environment. Cloud security is concerned with the development and hosting of safe programs in a virtualized environment, as well as the secure consumption of third-party cloud apps.
3. Vulnerability Management: Businesses are continually adding apps, users, equipment, and so on to various networks. As a result, it is critical to regularly analyze the network for any weaknesses. Vulnerability management is the practice of scanning infrastructure for flaws (such as unencrypted technology) and ranking remedies based on risk.
4. Cryptography: in today’s digital world and with the invention of modern technology, cryptography has become increasingly important. The common use of cryptography for ensuring authentication of information and data provided is the digital signature. Advanced Encryption Standard is one of the best examples of cryptography.
5. Incident Response: it is the function that monitors for along with investigating malicious and unwanted behaviour. While dealing with data breaches, the professionals in information security must possess incident response for devising plans to mitigate threats and restore networks.
6. Application Security: It is a broad topic that includes security vulnerability in internet and mobile apps, as well as development platforms. Application security is an essential example of information security's perimeter defence.

Differences Between Cyber Security and Information Security in Points

• Cyber security is the process of securing various data from outside resources on the internet. On the other hand, information security is the process of shielding information from third-party apps and unknown people, as well as eliminating data access from multiple sources, to ensure security, dependability, and privacy.
• Cyber security deals with cyber risks that may or may not exist, such as securing one's social media profile, private information, and so on. Information security, on the other hand, is concerned with information assets, as well as their integrity, confidentiality, and availability.
• Cyber security attempts to secure an organization's information for decision making and IT platforms from electronic phishing operations that might lead to access to important data. On the other hand, the function of information security is to protect the value of the industry's personal information against any sort of danger, electronic or otherwise.
• Cyber security experts are most concerned with proactive hazards such as data leaks and malware. Cyber security deals with sophisticated, persistent threats. This suggests that the threat is there and capable of penetrating the digital realm and recovering information. Information security, on the other hand, is the foundation of data security, and security researchers who deal with it allocate resources before reducing hazards. Information security professionals have a broader obligation to ensure legitimacy, legality, and reliability, which encompasses guidelines, protocols, and organisational responsibilities.
• Network security, application security, cloud security etc ate some examples of cyber security. Whereas, technical controls, cryptography, access controls etc. are some examples of information security.

Conclusion

Before the invention of computers, information security was a priority. Because of the large volume of data and information maintained by every company, as well as the potential of lawsuits if it is not sufficiently safeguarded against unauthorized access, it is even more vital today. Cyber dangers have existed for a long time, have risen enormously in recent years, and are now growing at an exponential rate. Although there is a distinction between cyber security and information security, both are equally critical to any company. While cyber security is a subcategory of information security, both are concerned with data preservation and safeguarding.

References

• https://www.cisco.com/c/en_in/products/security/what-is-information-security-infosec.html
• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-cyber-security-and-information-security/
• https://securityscorecard.com/blog/information-security-versus-cybersecurity
• https://itchronicles.com/information-security/basic-differences-between-information-security-cybersecurity/