What Is Information Security?

Keeping information secure is more important than ever. Even though companies take steps to protect their data, breaches still occur. In 2024, the average global cost of a data breach was $4.88 million, which is a 10% increase compared to the previous year.

Securing sensitive information from cyber threats is essential to maintaining customer trust, ensuring legal compliance and safeguarding an organization’s assets.

Discover the different aspects of information security and why they must be addressed, what an Information Security Management System is, and how ISO 27001 can help in the defense against cyber criminals.

Information security is a crucial part of modern business practices, aimed at protecting data and systems from cyber threats. It involves creating strategies and tactical measures to safeguard sensitive information from unauthorized access, use, sharing, modification or destruction. This helps organizations to keep important data private, accurate, and accessible only to those who need it.

The main goal of information security is to maintain the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of information. While these principles are essential, information security also involves a variety of actions and protocols, such as:

• Setting up firewalls
• Using encryption
• Conducting regular security audits
• Training employees in security best practices

By preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information, organizations can protect themselves and their clients from data breaches and cyber attacks, which can in turn lead to financial losses, reputational damage, and legal issues.

Information security also helps businesses to comply with industry standards and regulations, which is vital for building trust with clients and stakeholders.

At its core, information security is about building a strong framework that defends against external cyber threats and ensures secure and reliable internal processes.

Companies that prioritize information security are better equipped to protect their assets.

There are three key principles of information security: confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality means that that only authorized individuals can access sensitive information. This involves using tools like encryption, access controls, and authentication protocols to block unauthorized access and sharing. By maintaining confidentiality, businesses can protect their data from threats, keeping personal and crucial business information secure.

Integrity

Integrity focuses on maintaining the accuracy and completeness of information and its processing. This principle requires safeguards to ensure that data remains unchanged and unaltered by unauthorized individuals. Techniques such as hash functions, checksums and version controls help detect and prevent unauthorized changes. By ensuring integrity, businesses can prove their information is trustworthy and reliable, aiding in better decision-making.

Availability

Availability means that authorized users have timely and reliable access to information and related assets when they need them. This involves keeping hardware in good shape and performing regular system updates. It also involves having crisis recovery plans in place to prevent downtime during a cyber attack. By doing so, organizations can minimize disruptions and ensure that important operations continue smoothly, supporting productivity and efficiency.

Information security and cyber security are terms that are often used interchangeably, but they focus on different aspects of protection.

Information security is a broad field that aims to protect all types of data, whether it’s digital, physical, or in another format. Its main goal is to keep data safe from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction.

Cyber security is a part of information security that specifically focuses on protecting digital data and systems from cyber threats. It involves safeguarding networks, computers, and other electronic devices from attacks like hacking, malware, and phishing.

Organizations need to consider several interconnected aspects of information security to be as secure as possible:

• Network Security – Network security involves protecting an organization’s network infrastructure from unauthorized access, misuse or theft. It uses tools like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and virtual private networks (VPNs) to monitor and secure network traffic. By implementing strong network security measures, businesses can prevent breaches and protect data transmissions, adding a crucial layer of defense against cyber threats.

• Application Security – Application security focuses on finding and fixing software vulnerabilities. This includes using secure coding practices, conducting vulnerability assessments, and applying firewalls. By addressing weaknesses during application development and use, businesses can reduce the risk of attacks that exploit software, safeguard sensitive data, and maintain trust in their services.

• Data Security – Data security involves protecting a company’s data from unauthorized access, corruption or loss. Techniques such as encryption, access controls, and data masking are used to secure data both when it’s stored and when it’s being transmitted. Ensuring data security helps businesses maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their information, maintaining compliance with regulations and resilient against data breaches.

• Endpoint Security – Endpoint security focuses on protecting devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets that connect to an organization’s network. It involves using antivirus software, endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, and device management policies to secure these endpoints. By doing so, businesses can prevent attackers from accessing the network through less secure devices, strengthening overall security one device at a time.

Strong information security is crucial, as inadequate security can lead to unnecessary risks with serious consequences.

These risks include data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage. A data breach can expose confidential information, resulting in costly legal battles and loss of customer trust. Financial losses can stem from theft, fraud or the costs associated with responding to an incident and implementing corrective measures.

High-profile security breaches highlight the potential impact of insufficient information security. For example, millions of people were impacted in a 2024 ransomware attack on Change Healthcare.

Such incidents demonstrate how a single breach can significantly affect a company’s reputation and financial health.

Beyond financial and reputational risks, businesses also face penalties for not protecting sensitive information. State-specific regulations like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) have strict requirements regarding data protection. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines and legal implications.

By prioritizing information security, organizations can mitigate risks to their staff and clients or customers, and protect their reputation.

Discover the benefits of ISO 27001 certification.

An Information Security Management System (ISMS) is a structured framework of policies and procedures designed to manage and enhance an organization’s information security. It provides a systematic approach to protecting sensitive data by addressing security risks.

An ISMS plays a crucial role through several key activities:

• Risk Assessment: An ISMS helps organizations systematically identify and evaluate risks to their information assets, enabling them to prioritize security measures effectively.
• Identifying Vulnerabilities: By regularly assessing systems and processes, an ISMS identifies vulnerabilities that threats could exploit, allowing organizations to implement the appropriate security measures.
• Identifying Threats: An ISMS facilitates the recognition of potential threats, both internal and external, helping organizations prepare and respond proactively.
• Incident Response Planning: The ISMS includes procedures for effective incident response, supporting a quick and efficient recovery from cyber attacks.

ISO 27001 is the globally recognized standard for information security management that provides a comprehensive framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an Information Security Management System. It offers organizations a structured approach to managing sensitive information.

By adopting ISO 27001, organizations can identify and assess risks to their information assets, allowing them to use relevant security controls that address these risks. The standard promotes a proactive, risk-based approach and resources are efficiently allocated to the areas of greatest concern.

ISO 27001 also fosters a culture of continual improvement by requiring regular audits and assessments of the ISMS. This ongoing evaluation helps businesses adapt to new threats and changing security needs as they grow, ensuring their information security practices remain effective over time.

This standard can be a valuable tool for organizations seeking to improve their information security and achieve compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Learn more about ISO 27001 requirements.

Setting up an Information Security Management System (ISMS) that complies with ISO 27001 can greatly benefit your organization. It helps you to protect your sensitive information more effectively and enhances your business’s ability to identify and handle new threats. Additionally, it supports compliance with data security regulations, maintaining your customers’ trust and preserving your brand’s reputation.

Amtivo can support you at every step of the ISO 27001 certification journey—from the initial audit of your current ISMS to your three-year recertification audit.

We are proud to have an “Exceptional” Feefo rating of 4.8/5 stars and are committed to excellence.

We promise no hidden costs and transparent pricing at each step.

Get started on your journey to ISO 27001 certification—get a quote today or contact our team to discuss your needs.