What is the difference between cybersecurity vs information security?
Often Interchanged
Both cybersecurity and information security are terms often interchanged. You might be surprised that even those in the cybersecurity field do.
But, are they really the same?
The straight answer would be, no. Of course, they are not. But, in some way, they are somehow related to each other.
So now, in this article, let us see through these terms and everything in between them.
First, What Is Cybersecurity?
Well, you can google for a cybersecurity definition, and you will surely find plenty. Most of them are similar, of course.
But personally, I would like to quote how NIST defines it.
“Cybersecurity is the ability to protect or defend the use of cyberspace from cyber attacks.”
Yes. Basically, cybersecurity is about protecting against cyberattacks from any external or internal sources. Attacks may come from the outside, from third-party vendors, and even from the inside of the organization.
So this is how cybersecurity is responsible for. Any vulnerability that may exist through hacks, attacks, or unauthorized accesses. Gateways can be through devices, networks, computers, servers, and programs, for instance.
Summing it all up, cybersecurity is mostly concerned with systems, networks, and also information in digital format.
How About, Information Security?
What readily comes to your mind when you hear about information security?
Usually, computers and digital data come into the scene. However, data can be in different means. Yes, it can be stored in different forms, also.
In line with this, what is information security?
Again, I would like to quote how NIST defines information security.
Information security is governed by three major principles in protecting data, the CIA triad. Namely, confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
You can easily think of it this way:
Information security is the act or process of protecting a cabinet full of sensitive files and data. However, in today’s case, we are protecting digital data, in most cases. But of course, this does not eliminate the need to protect hard copies of documents.
So basically, information security is the securing and protecting of data by all means. This well includes both hard copies and digital data.
As mentioned, information security is governed by three principles. Namely, the CIA Triad. The CIA Triad is as follows:
- Confidentiality- keeping data confidential from any illicit access
- Integrity- keeping the data’s original state. Thus, preventing it from any illicit modification and alteration.
- Availability- works closely with confidentiality. This ensures that significant data is made available to whom it is permitted.
Cybersecurity Vs Information Security
So now, can you see their difference?
First of all, both terms concern one main goal, and that is security.
On the other hand, both terms are different in functions. Information security is basically under the cybersecurity umbrella.
Cybersecurity concerns the protection of networks, data, and systems. Whereas, information security aims to protect merely data in all forms it may be.
