Both information security and data protection concern maintaining cyber security. However, these are not the same. Why?
In this post, let us consider the differences between information security and data protection. Knowing their differences can help you apply them right.
Information Security and Data Protection Difference
Information security or information assurance is the practice of defending information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording, or destruction.
On the other hand, data protection is ensuring that personal data are handled securely.
In a nutshell: Information security protects your information. Data protection protects your data.
What is Information Security?
Information security (or information assurance) is the practice of protecting information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording, or destruction.
Information security is concerned with all aspects of protecting information and its related systems from unauthorized access and use.
Aside from the financial loss, it brings to an organization, an information security breach can also cause reputational damage. Aside from that, it carries the risk of exposing sensitive data to the public. This could compromise an organization’s competitive edge in business.
The information security of corporations can also be compromised by foreign nation-state-sponsored hackers trying to steal sensitive information about the company’s operations or for espionage activities.
How to Secure Information Security
To manage these risks effectively, organizations need to have a good understanding of what information needs protecting and how it needs to be protected. They also need to have a strategy for dealing with any attack by hackers on their systems.
Good information security practice involves implementing strong policies for access control and file permissions in the operating systems that are in place in the company’s IT infrastructure. These policies should be backed up by appropriate training for staff on data protection policies and processes so they can apply them properly in their daily work activities.
What is Data Protection?
Data protection is the practice of safeguarding data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, perusal, inspection, recording, or destruction.
Data protection is concerned with all aspects of protecting personal data. It encompasses:
1. Data Protection Compliance
Data Protection Compliance is a legal requirement in some jurisdictions that you should protect data in a certain way. This is to ensure that only authorized individuals should handle them.
2. Data Protection Policy
A company’s data protection policy should also describe how the organization will protect its customers’ data.
3. Data Protection Training
Good data protection practice requires staff training. For instance, about what personal information they can and cannot disclose to others outside of the organization.
In Summary: Information Security and Data Protection Difference
In summary, information security protects your information from hacking. While data protection also protects your personal information from mishandling by your employees or contractors.
However, there are also some similarities between the two. Both are equally important to any organization’s cyber security. It is not an either-or situation.
Thus, it is all about striking the right balance between information security and data protection.
