The importance of information security

We are living in the present digital world where we are all depending on information technology more than ever and our health, happiness, and even our lives have its importance. Whether we are using medical equipment in hospitals, traveling on the latest cars, the security systems in our homes and full of technology smartphones, the computerized equipment performs a greater role in the current human experience with every passing year. We can say information security becomes the basic need of human life.

Information technology is not only the basic requirement of our lives but it has more importance for our business as well. The most important asset of an organization is Information and to ensure confidentiality and integrity of the valuable and crucial information and operational process in an organization, the demand for information security increases day by day. Our world is changing from an industrial economy to a digital society rapidly and with the advancement of information technology, cyberattacks have also emerged as a major risk to individuals, businesses, and governments alike. It is a big fact that cybersecurity challenges us in ways that no threat has faced before.

In a progressive environment that is more interconnected, data is exposed to a huge number and different types of risks. Threats such as computer hacking, malicious code, and denial-of-service (dos) attacks have gotten increasingly common. The implementation, maintenance, and updating of information security is a big challenge for an organization now to face. With the help of information security, an organization can protect the information and technology by responding, preventing and detecting internal and external threats. Information security strategy is the responsibility of both IT and senior management. It is very important for the support of the InfoSec strategy that all the staff in the organization should be aware of these information security issues with proper training and initiative.

The Infosec implements four very crucial functions for a company that enables the smooth application’s operation applied to the company’s IT systems. These functions are keeping the data safe that an organization gathers and utilizes, maintains and protects the technology assets which are in use to ensure they're functioning. For the protection of the information, the company will install or apply the correct software to secure and safeguard information like antivirus and other protected applications. Also, protect the valuable information as well as the applications that have been installed and used.

Infosec will guard the data of the organization that gathered and utilized. If the data is not protected, anyone can access the important information and if the data reached into the hackers’ hands, results will be dangerous like big business loss and other sensitive information lost. Infosec programs will make sure that all sorts of information are protected with both the legal and business requirements to guard the organization’s information. After all these steps to protect organizations’ information is a matter of continuing privacy and also helps in preventing identity theft.(Mujeeb, A 2019)

Reference:

Mujeeb, A 2019, why Information Security is Important, Infosec Academy, viewed 3 June 2021, 