Information Security vs Cyber Security: How Do They Differ

Venturing into the world of business security can be a confusing journey at times. The terms information security and cyber security are common enough that most of you must have heard of them. But did you know that they both encompass different scopes? Confusing, isn’t it? This blog post offers clear and concise definitions of the concepts while providing insights into the areas where they overlap and diverge. So, strap in and prepare to gain a deeper understanding of these two critical business security domains.

Defining Information Security

The most straightforward definition of information security is the process of preventing any unauthorized access to information. The National Institute of Security and Trust (NIST) builds on this to define information security as “to protect information and information systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction to provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability”. The key to fully grasping the concept, however, is to understand that these definitions do not apply just to digital information and systems. That is right, information security includes both the digital and physical realm.

Often referred to as InfoSec, professionals implement information security through detailed plans that ensure the security and integrity of organizational information. The main components of information security programs are:

• Risk Assessment: The process of assessing risk during an information security audit involves an in-depth analysis of an organization’s information systems to better understand the scope of threats and what security approach can eliminate said risk.
• Identifying Vulnerabilities and Threats: Vulnerabilities refer to any cracks in organizational security that malicious actors can exploit, while threats are the actions themselves that can compromise the system (DoS attacks, HTTP flooding, etc.).
• Incident Response Planning: A plan of action outlining the steps an organization should follow during an attack or breach.

Defining Cyber Security

At its core, cyber security is a subsection of information security. Cyber security deals with the protection of digital systems and data from attacks that have the potential to disrupt, destroy, or leak business information. The main difference between cyber and information security should be clear now. Information security deals with physical and digital data security while cyber security only concerns itself with digital data assets and systems.

The prevalence of technology means that everyone has access to it. While you can use it to your advantage and propel your business forward, others might use it to try and derail your success. This is why cyber security is gaining so much traction. And its relevance is not limited to just businesses. The extensively connected world we live in today is only possible due to our reliance on technology. We share almost every aspect of our lives over social media and communication apps, making robust cybersecurity technologies essential for protecting both personal and business information.

Distinguishing Information Security from Cyber Security

The table below provides a summarized view of what differentiates cyber security from information security.

Criterion	Information Security	Cyber Security
Scope	Broader; encompasses protection of all types of information, including physical and digital forms.	Narrower; focuses specifically on protecting digital assets and information systems from cyber threats.
Primary Focus	Ensures confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data across various platforms.	Protects networks, systems, and data from digital attacks and breaches.
Security Measures	Includes physical security (e.g., locked doors), administrative controls (e.g., policies), and technical measures (e.g., encryption).	Primarily involves technical measures (e.g., firewalls, antivirus software), along with incident response and threat management.
Threat Landscape	Covers threats such as unauthorized access, data theft, and loss of data integrity in both physical and digital realms.	Concentrates on cyber threats like hacking, malware, ransomware, and phishing.
Risk Management	Encompasses broader risk management practices, including physical security assessments and organizational policies.	Focuses on managing risks specific to digital threats, such as network vulnerabilities and system exploits.
Professional Roles	This includes roles like information security managers, data protection officers, and compliance analysts.	This includes roles like cybersecurity analysts, ethical hackers, and incident response specialists.
Examples	Protection of confidential documents, securing physical access to data centers and implementing data handling policies.	Defending against DDoS attacks, securing network perimeters, and responding to malware infections.

Best Practices for Information Security

Maintaining information security involves a range of practices to ensure that confidential information does not fall into the wrong hands. This section explains the three best practices for managing information security.

1. Regularly Review and Update Access Rights: It is suggested that businesses implement periodic reviews to adjust employee access permissions to reflect their job roles and project requirements. This minimizes the risk of accidental data breach and data loss, while also reducing vulnerabilities in the system.
2. Secure Backup Procedures: Making it a habit to backup and safely store business-critical data is a practice worth inculcating. Ideally, these backups should be encrypted and stored on the cloud for swift recovery.
3. Training and Awareness: As briefly touched upon in the first point, the most common routes of information attacks are the ones that target the users. It is necessary to conduct regular training sessions to educate your employees on information security practices, potential threats, and how to recognize and respond to them.

Best Practices for Cyber Security

Organizations can significantly mitigate the risk of cyber threats by following the practices mentioned below.

1. Regularly Updating Your OS and Software: This step is critical in ensuring that your systems have the latest security updates and features installed and operational. Certain patches might also be crucial in addressing critical vulnerabilities.
2. Strong Password Security Measures: Often, hackers can gain access to digital systems without even initiating any complicated attacks, simply by cracking weak and outdated passwords. It is crucial to ensure that employees periodically change their passwords, create strong and unique passwords, and make use of password managers to securely store and retrieve them.
3. Implementing Cyber Security Measures like MFA and Encryptions: Several tools make exploiting digital systems much harder and significantly enhance their security. Software and tools like multi-factor authentication (MFA), encryption for data in transit and at rest, firewalls, and security services like Microsoft Defender for Office 365 create formidable and nearly impenetrable barriers against unauthorized attacks.

Conclusion

Having understood the difference between information and cyber security, it is time for you to implement appropriate policies and measures to strengthen your organization’s security posture. By combining physical, administrative, and technical measures with specialized digital services, organizations and individuals can better protect their data. This integrated approach not only enhances overall security but also ensures that systems remain operational even in the face of disruptions and attacks.

Contact our dedicated support team to learn how we can help you improve the security of your Microsoft 365 suite of applications.