What is Information Security? Definition, Roles, Salary

what is information security
  1. What is Information Security?
  2. Information Security vs. Cybersecurity
  3. What are the 3 Principles of Information Security
  4. What is Information Security Management?
  5. Information Security analyst Role
  6. Information Security Analyst Responsibilities
  7. Information Security Analyst Salary

What is Information Security?

Information security, also known as infosec is the process of securing data and information secure from any kind of violations in the form of theft, abuse, or loss. Information security aims to protect data at different stages- whether it is while storing it, transferring it or using it. For practical reasons, it is also referred to as data security as it involves protecting all kinds of print or electronic data.

Information security has evolved as one of the main requirements of businesses worldwide today. Since data is our main asset in the digital economy, it becomes of paramount importance to protect that data. Companies of all scales, from big corporate giants to self-funded startups have all started to invest in information security, creating a huge demand for experts in the domain. Expand your knowledge with this information security course where you will learn the fundamentals, understand the various risks that may affect your business data, and also understand how you can protect yourself from them.

Information Security vs. Cybersecurity

Though often used interchangeably, the terms information security and cybersecurity are actually two different domains. Cybersecurity is a broader domain which deals with all kinds of digital security activities which involves securing all kinds of IT assets from any kind misuse, theft and disclosure. Information security is a specific sub-domain under the umbrella domain of cybersecurity. Similar to information security, there are other sub-domains within cybersecurity like network security, application security, and more. Let’s Understand Cyber Security with this Introduction to Cyber Security free course.

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What are the 3 Principles of Information Security

Information security is based on three main aspects of data security, frequently referred to as the CIA- namely confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

  1. Confidentiality: This is the primary foundation of information security. Confidentiality ensures that any kind of information is not disclosed to unauthorised sources or is not accessed by any unwarranted party. Information security systems put processes in place to identify and block any kind of unauthorised access attempts. These processes range from password protections, encryptions, and authentication, to identifying malware to prevent data theft and misuse. Confidentiality is highly valued in all kinds of business setups because of competitor aggression, cyber crimes and more. Information security addresses these concerns by providing adequate protection against it.
  2. Integrity: This is another key aspect of information security. Integrity refers to the process of ensuring that data is maintained in its intended state and not modified by any accident or compromised in any other way. Edits, if any are made to the data should be done in such a way that if anything is modified accidentally, could be recovered back. Integrity systems in information security consist of tools that can verify data integrity and provide adequate defence against any kind of breach. These systems also help you backup data frequently so that you can restore the most authentic version. Data integrity is an extremely important concept, especially when legal rights are involved.
  3. Availability: Availability refers to how accessible the data is on a regular basis. Businesses always prefer high availability since it enables seamless operations with optimised data usage. High or effective availability also results in ready information processing which can be of high value to any business environment. 
    The availability of any data depends on the hardware and software of the device. Hence, information security professionals take special care to keep both the hardware and software requirements in place. 

Quite often, malicious softwares prevent the servers from hosting or accessing the data which is referred to as distributed denial of service (DDoS). This kind of attacks has become very common now with major corporates like Google, Apple, Sony and more falling victim to it. Security experts are constantly coming up with ideas and ways to fight these kinds of cybercrimes. 

What is Information Security Management?

An information security management system is a framework that ensures policies and rules of security are carried out without any interruption. Information security management controls security and risks systematically to enable a smooth flow of information across the entire organization.

Information security management usually focuses on risk assessment and risk management. This structured approach to risk mitigation helps companies curtail risk management costs. These security measures might follow common standards or be more focused on industry specific requirements. In the case of tightly regulated industry verticals such as healthcare or national defence, the scope of information security management and risk mitigation measures gets much broader to counter all kind of probable breaches.

Benefits/Use Cases of Cybersecurity Across Different Domains

Information Security analyst Role

Information security analysts are responsible for protecting the digital assets of a company. They ensure that both the online and on-premise data which includes infrastructure, metrics and more are safe from any kind of malicious intervention. The filtering process is extremely important to weed out any suspicious activity and safeguard the data. In the case of any cyberattack, information security analysts device ways of combating these attacks and restore the data that has been lost or manipulated. They also document the entire process for any future reference.

Security analysts also look into the entire security system of the company and ensure they are updated and optimised. They create plans for disaster recovery and incident response apart from training resources on the best practices. 

Information Security Analyst Responsibilities

  • Monitoring security access
  • Conducting security assessments through vulnerability testing and risk analysis
  • Performing both internal and external security audits
  • Analyzing security breaches to identify the root cause
  • Continuously updating the company’s incident response and disaster recovery plans
  • Verifying the security of third-party vendors and collaborating with them to meet security requirements

Information Security Analyst Salary

On average, information security analysts make around ₹12,00,000 per year. This number, of course, depends on a number of factors and can vary from city to city. However, it is safe to assume that if you are an expert of the domain, you can bag a lucrative offer.

There is no dearth of job opportunities in this domain. From corporate giants to self-funded startups, businesses of all size take their information security very seriously and invest in making it full-proof. If you wish to pursue a career in this field, there’s no better time than now. Check out the post-graduate diploma in cyber security online to get started with your upskilling journey. 

In today’s digital age, learning about information security is crucial for protecting sensitive data. For those looking to expand their knowledge, enrolling in a free ethical hacking course online can be a great first step. This course offers valuable insights into ethical hacking practices, equipping individuals with the skills needed to identify and mitigate cyber threats.


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Marina Chatterjee
Marina is a content marketer who takes keen interest in the scopes of innovation in today's digital economy. She has formerly worked with Amazon and a Facebook marketing partner to help them find their brand language. In a past life, she was an academic who taught wide-eyed undergrad Eng-lit students and made Barthes roll in his grave.

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