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Cybersecurity and information security are not the same, although they are often used interchangeably. These terms are aligned with the security of computer systems. If you are unaware of the differences between these two terms, you may encounter difficulty dealing with computer systems’ security. In simple words, cybersecurity deals with data issues in cyberspace, while information security deals with data security in general. For a beginner, it is troublesome to grasp the difference between cyber security and information security. Let’s explore information security vs cyber security in detail.
Cybersecurity is the defense of servers, computers, electronic systems, mobile devices, data, and networks from malicious attacks. The requirements for cybersecurity can range from business organizations to individual devices. The attacks are categorized into information security, network security, operational security, application security, disaster recovery, and several others, along with business continuity. To evaluate cybersecurity vs information security further, let’s explore the definition of information security.
Information security and cyber security possess subtle differences. Information security can be defined as the prevention of illegal alteration or access during transferring or storage of data from one machine to another. This information includes social media profiles, biometrics, mobile phone data, and others.
There is a specific difference between cybersecurity and information security. Cybersecurity is evident to protect against attacks in cyberspace, such as storage sources, devices, data, and others. Conversely, information security is evident to protect data from significant threats regardless of being digital or analog. Other differences between cyber and information security are:
To understand the difference between IT security and cyber security further, let’s follow the below table:
| Parameters | Cyber Security | Information security |
|---|---|---|
| Protect | Competency to protect the use of cyberspace from cyberattacks | Deals with data protection from any threat. |
| Threat | Deal with cyberspace danger | Deals with data protection from every threat |
| Scope | Protect anything in cyber realm | Analyze information irrespective of the realm. |
| Attack | Action against cyber frauds, cybercrimes and law enforcement | Action against disclosure modification, unauthorized access and disruptions |
| Security | Secure data from outside the internet resource | Secure data from unauthorized users |
| Value of Data | Data breach is secured | Data is confidential. |
| Deals with | Deals with threat to protect the valuable information | Deals with information integrity and assets. |
| Professional | Deals with cyberspace threats and attacks | Deals with confidential information protection. |
| Defense | Acts as the primary or first line of defense | Acts when data breach has occurred. |
Looking into the degree title, it can be noted that the Master of Science in Cyber Security is the most popular degree. You may also pursue the following:
Considering the infosec side, you can pursue a Master of Science in Information Security. Other options include:
IT security vs cyber security highlights different specialization courses. Very limited cyber security and infosec master’s programs involve concentration tracks. There are different best Cyber Security courses. Cybersecurity is likely to offer students various concentrations, such as:
Additionally, infosec can be considered as a specialization in computer science, MBA programs and information technology. In some cases, a certified Ethical Hacker course is also available that holds a prospective career.
Before answering the question, what is the difference between information security and cyber security? You need to examine the top programs available for these. If you are looking for the top master’s programs besides infosec or cyber security degrees, you must understand that they are competitive and possess tough prerequisites.
The students are exposed to infinite opportunities to receive hands-on experience in a real-world scenario. The top programs in information and cyber security involve faculties from industry authorities, as well as guest lecturers who are experts in specific domains of IT and cyber security.
The institutions offering these programs possess valuable connections to security firms and government agencies. This helps students to get adequate access to high-value internships leading to reputed post-graduation placements.
The top master’s in cyber security programs are offered by different universities around the world, out of which the notable ones are -
It is not essential to possess a master’s degree to work in information assurance or cyber security. However, having one can enhance your earning potential and open new doors of opportunity to excel in your career. You might need to pay between Rs. 1.4-2.2 lakhs for an affordable cyber security master’s program. Investing in a master’s degree is profitable as a bachelor’s degree holder will earn Rs. 3,00,000- Rs. 5,00,000 per year, while a master’s degree holder can earn above Rs. 10,00,000 per year.
Conversely, the average cost of a master’s degree in information security is approximately Rs. 1.00-3.0 lakhs. The least expensive program is usually within Rs. 2 lakhs. You are likely to get a significant hike in salary with this degree. A bachelor’s holder gets about Rs. 3 lakhs- 5 lakhs per year, while a master’s holder earns approximately Rs.10 lakhs.
A Master’s program in both cyber security and information security takes 2-years to complete. On the contrary, a part-time master’s course may take up to 5 years. Although there are certain accelerated cyber security and information security master’s programs of 1-year duration, most are usually 4+1 degrees.
Here, the students must accomplish 30-35 credit hours of work to be eligible for graduation.
The Global Information Security Workforce study revealed that the information and cyber security workforce gap is likely to increase by 1.7 million by the end of 2023. A shortage of qualified cybersecurity experts is evident, and the demand may enhance as more businesses automate and digitalize every year.
On the other hand, the information security sector is likely to witness job growth in the coming years, and thus, it is a profitable career opportunity for students.
You will earn approximately Rs. 10 lakhs with a master’s degree in information security. However, the earning potential varies as per the job role. For instance, a person entering the cyber security industry may work as a cyber security administrator, cyber security consultant or cyber security engineer.
They are likely to earn approximately Rs.10 lakhs, 15 lakhs, and 20 lakhs, respectively. Conversely, common roles in information security involve chief information security officer, director of information system security, information security analyst and information security consultant. Their salary range is approximately Rs. 5 lakhs, 10 lakhs and 15 lakhs, respectively.
These attacks are usually supervised using different mediums involving malware such as trojans, viruses, spyware, adware, botnets, and ransomware. Phishing, SQL (structured query language) injection, and denial-of-service attacks are other malware.
Thus, it is essential to block every illegal access. Considering integrity, it can be noted that the stored data must be maintained sequentially. This will eliminate any significant unorderly modification by an unofficial person that must be canceled immediately. Hence, the data stored can be accessed anytime by an official person. Besides, a denial-of-service attack is likely to endanger that action.
Information security in cyber security is important. To affirm the effective operation of information security, firms design definite policies such as password policies, control policies, and operation policies along with data support. Measures also involve network intrusion detection systems, regulatory compliance, and mantraps.
There is some overlap between cybersecurity and information security, which leads to some understandable confusion between the two terms and gives rise to something other than cyber security vs. information security.
Still confused about whether to choose information security or cyber security. Both cyber security and information security careers are promising. There is no downfall to pursuing any of these career courses. You need to understand what drives your thinking and which course will bring profits to both your earnings and knowledge.
Due to ever-expanding attacks and threats, there is an urgent need to enhance security professionals. Thus, a growth of about 29.8% in cybersecurity professionals is essential in the information security and cybersecurity space. Therefore, although there lies a significant difference between information security and cybersecurity, these two terms are often used interchangeably. If you have an interest in this domain, KnowledgeHut’s best Cyber Security courses are suitable for you.
A master's degree holder in cyber security can earn above Rs. 5 00 000.
The usual job roles are chief information security officer, director of information system security, information security analyst and information security consultant.
Many universities offer bachelor's and master's programs in infosec and cyber security, such as Amity University, Lovely Professional University, and National Forensic Sciences University.
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