Cybersecurity vs Information Security

What is Cybersecurity?

Most companies rely on computers for a variety of critical business functions, such as hosting applications, storing sensitive data, and communications. Cybersecurity focuses on protecting these IT assets against external and internal cyberattacks. This includes a wide range of security operations, including cloud security, network security, and application security (AppSec).

An organization can face various types of cyber threats. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack may disrupt access to corporate applications and services. Data breaches may result in the disclosure of sensitive customer and corporate information. Ransomware may deny an organization access to critical files. Cybersecurity focuses on identifying and mitigating these threats to an organization and its operations. This includes identifying potential threats and risks, triaging them, and developing and implementing strategies and solutions that can reduce or eliminate the risk to the business.

The Difference Between Cybersecurity and Information Security

While there is significant overlap between cybersecurity and information security, they are distinct concepts. Some of the primary ways in which they differ include the following.

Digital vs. Non-Digital

One of the ways in which cybersecurity and information security overlap is that they both address threats to digital systems. For example, both a cybersecurity and information security strategy may include controls designed to protect against ransomware, which is a threat to data stored digitally.

However, while cybersecurity only covers digital systems and the threats to them, information security also includes non-digital forms of data storage. For example, printed files may be covered under an organization’s information security strategy but not its cybersecurity strategy.

Human vs. Non-Human Threats

Another way that cybersecurity and information security overlap is their consideration of human threat actors. An attacker can target an organization’s data or systems with a variety of different attacks. However, while cybersecurity is mainly focused on human threat actors, information security can also consider non-human threats. For example, a fire in a records room may be considered as part of an information security policy.

Data vs. Everything Else

A final way that cybersecurity and information security overlap is that they address threats to an organization’s data. As most companies’ most valuable asset, data must be protected for an organization to remain in business. However, while information security is focused on protecting data, cybersecurity also considers other threats to an organization’s IT assets. For example, an organization’s web applications may be the target of an attack and may be covered by a cybersecurity strategy.