Information Assurance vs. Information Security

At ICT Reverse, we offer information assurance services for businesses that rely heavily on information technology for the storage and exchange of sensitive data. Having information assurance measures in place is a massively important business practice, and without them you could encounter a number of problems down the line.

But one common question that arises among our clients is what the difference is between information assurance and information security.

Here, we will outline the key distinctions, so you can see why both are important in different ways for comprehensive protection against information-related threats.

The Details

First and foremost, a big distinction between the two concepts is their focus. Information assurance involves formulating a strategy for the entire approach of protecting information and data. This means a broad spectrum of managing and securing data is taken, looking at the big picture and deciding how various approaches can be harnessed in tandem to optimise processes and run information management efficiently.

Information security, on the other hand, focuses on more precise details like which tools and tactics will be put to use. It puts the emphasis on the technologies and operations that will be put in place to enact the broader strategies formed by information assurance services.

The Big Picture

Information assurance, therefore, is concerned with all the overall risk and mitigations of an organisation. When enacting information assurance, issues like privacy, compliance and audits will be thoroughly assessed and strategies formed to minimise issues with these factors. When everything is examined as a whole, decisions can be made on the recruitment and training of staff, and the formation of policies and practices that will protect the organisation as a whole against the key security issues it is likely to face.

Where information security comes in is the consideration of technologies and software to be applied for keeping company operations safe and secure, and enacting the strategies for infrastructure that are agreed during the information assurance process. These details need to have the big decisions for how strategic objectives are to be met, but they can’t be made without those strategies being put into place.

From the General to The Specific

What is obvious from the distinctions highlighted here is that information security is something that makes up a part of information assurance. If an organisation’s information assurance practices involve looking at all the data and information that it works with, ways in which this data could be compromised, and rules/regulations that must be complied with, then information security looks at the options available to meet the demands of these areas.

At ICT Reverse, we provide information assurance services to help your company assess the risks and potential compliance issues that may come up, and develop strategies to eliminate these risks from bringing consequences down upon you.

With bags of experience and training to be able to work with the information and data concerns of all manner of businesses, we can worry about those things, so you don’t have to. If you’d like to find out more about how we can serve you, please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll answer any questions you may have about our information assurance services.