What is information security? A guide to secure business!

Every company holds information that is important to the company and must be protected. The measures and procedures to protect these things are collectively known as information security.

There are many reasons to secure your data:

For example, from a financial point of view, protecting trade secrets and ensuring business continuity are important, while security law and data security regulations govern the processing of various types of data, including personal data. In this article, we will define data security and introduce its different aspects.

What is information security? [definition]

Information security refers to the measures and methods used to secure data, information systems and networks. The aim of implementing information security is to ensure the availability, confidentiality and integrity of information. Each of these will be discussed separately below:

Availability (availability)

The usability of information security means the ability to provide users with continuous and reliable access to information and information systems. This means that systems operate in a planned and uninterrupted way, and that information is available when users need it.

Confidentiality (confidentiality)

The confidentiality principle of data security is a method that aims to prevent unauthorized access to an organization's data. It ensures that information is only available to those who have a right and need to know, protecting it from misuse.

Integrity

Data integrity means ensuring the integrity, consistency and accuracy of data and systems. Data must not be altered, corrupted or destroyed by accident or deliberate manipulation. The requirement of integrity applies not only to the content of data but also to their metadata and structures. It is important to note that security measures should be targeted only at those parts of the data that are specifically affected.

These three areas can be complemented by the following:

• Indisputability: Indisputability is the principle of information security, which ensures that digital activity leaves indisputable, unalterable evidence. For example, the digital signature used in email ensures the integrity of the message, confirming the identity of the sender and the integrity of the message.
• Testimony: Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a person, system or service based on, for example, a password or biometric data. For example, in online banking, a user is authenticated by means of a personal password and/or a list of passwords.
• Verification: Verification is the process of confirming that the identity of a person, system or service is real. An example is two-factor authentication, where a one-time code received as an SMS message confirms the user's identity in addition to the username and password.

Information security threat

What is a security threat? Information security threat refers to potential risks and threats that could undermine the basic security attributes mentioned above, i.e. data integrity, availability and confidentiality. Threats can be both internal and external and can be caused by, for example, malware, data breaches, hacking, human error or technical failures. Understanding and managing information security threats is key to implementing information security.

See what are the most common security threats?

Security threats on the production network

A production network, which is often a complex system of different IT components and software, can be subject to many different types of security threats:

• Malware: Viruses, worms, Trojans and other malware can infiltrate the production network and cause significant damage, such as data loss, malicious activity or even complete system paralysis.
• Hacking: Outside attackers may try to break into the network and gain access to its resources. This can lead to leakage of sensitive data, unauthorized access to the system or even denial of service attacks.
• Technical failures: Technical faults or incompatibility problems with hardware or software can cause interruptions or disruptions in the operation of the production network.
• Human error: Mistakes or ignorance on the part of employees can lead to security threats. For example, poor password practices or careless email handling can open the door to malware or hacking attempts.
• Internal threats: Less frequently mentioned, but equally important, is the risk of internal threats. This could be related to disgruntled employees who may deliberately damage the system, or internal data leaks that may expose sensitive information.

Each of these security threats requires its own specific countermeasures and security strategies. It is therefore important to understand the scope and diversity of security threats on the production network.

Find out more about OT networks in our extensive guide: What is an OT network - a guide to the world of production networks!

The data to be protected by data security covers many different data formats

01. Security of digital recordings

First, data security covers digital recordings. Digital records can include customer data, company financial data, email messages, software and much more. Digital data can be particularly vulnerable to security problems if accessed remotely, and can be subject to unauthorized access or modification.

02. Security of physical recordings

Secondly, physical recordings must also be protected. Although many companies have moved to electronic systems, many companies still use paper records to some extent. Physical records can include paper documents, written notes, printouts and other manually generated data sources. These physical records should be stored securely in locked filing cabinets or secure storage facilities and disposed of using secure methods such as shredding. This category also includes retired storage devices such as hard drives and memory sticks.

03. Protecting people's knowledge

Thirdly, information security also covers people's knowledge. This can include the knowledge of employees or other stakeholders about company operations, information systems or passwords. This knowledge can be particularly sensitive and valuable, so it needs to be properly protected. Employee security training and appropriate access rights are key to protecting this type of information.

04. Protecting data during transfer

Fourth, security must also cover the protection of data during transmission. The transfer of data is often associated with security threats, as during the transfer the data is particularly vulnerable to unauthorized access or damage. Data security can be improved by using encryption to send data, by using secure data transfer methods such as VPN connections, and by ensuring that only authorized persons have access to the data being transferred.

Information security components

Information security is divided into three main categories, all of which are key to building a company's overall cybersecurity posture:

• administrative data security
• technical security
• physical security

What does administrative information security mean?

Administrative information security refers to the policies, procedures and guidelines that guide the organisation's practical approach to information system security. This may involve, for example, establishing an information security policy, providing information security training or defining information security responsibilities.

Read more on administrative security?

What does technical information security mean?

Technical security refers to the methods and tools used to protect information technology and information networks. This can mean, for example, a firewall or firewall service, anti-malware software, encryption or access control systems.

Read more technical security?

What is physical data security?

Physical security refers to measures to protect physical devices, such as computers, servers and network devices, and the premises where these devices are located. Physical security may include, for example, locking systems, camera surveillance or secure disposal of obsolete equipment and records.

Read more physical security?

What is data protection?

Data protection is an essential part of an individual's right to privacy. It refers in particular to the protection of personal data - information that can identify a person, such as a name, address or social security number. Data protection applies to the activities of both individuals and businesses, and is designed to prevent the misuse of personal data and safeguard individual rights.

Data protection and data security are closely linked

Information security is a set of measures designed to protect data from damage, unauthorized access or misuse.

Data protection focuses on how personal data is collected, stored, processed and destroyed. In other words, data security is a tool to put data protection into practice.

Implementing data protection in your company

Companies use many services and functions that process personal data. In all of them, it is important to ensure data protection

• customer records
• online shops
• marketing systems
• human resources management systems

Companies must take various measures to protect personal data. These can take the form of technical solutions, such as encryption or firewalls, and organisational measures, such as privacy policies and training. These safeguards are designed to ensure that personal data is processed lawfully, securely and transparently.

Another important part of data protection is respecting the rights of users, i.e. the people who provide personal data. This means, among other things, the right to be informed about what data is collected, how it is used and who has access to it. Users also have the right to request the correction, deletion or transfer of inaccurate data.

Link to the Data Protection Act

Conclusion

In today's security environment, information security is an integral part of a company's core business and its importance cannot be overstated. As I have discussed in this introduction, it is not just a technical issue, but requires a broad understanding of a company's operations, risks and measures to manage those risks.

We are often asked about measures relating specifically to technical security, without realizing that security as a whole covers administrative, technical and physical security. Measures for protection range from hardware and software solutions to an organization-wide security policy and culture. Security is not something that is turned on once, but requires continuous monitoring, learning and improvement within the organization to maintain it.

In summary, every company should take information security seriously. They need to carefully protect the digital services they provide to their customers. This not only protects the company's data, but also the sensitive data of its customers. The work done on data security is never wasted. With data security in place, your business will be better prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. That's why businesses need to invest in data security now more than ever.

Frequently asked questions about information security