Information security does it instantly bring to your mind something related to the information technology or the computer systems?
This is actually closer to the Information Systems Security, which is almost a part of information security.
But when we are dealing with information security on the whole, from the broader perspective, the concern is more relevant to the protection and safeguard of every type of information and data documentation related to any kind of media.
What are the basic elements to secure information in any form?
Secrecy: Keep the information confidential
- Interestingly, even kids know this. When a child whispers some information in his/her friend’s ears, both of them very well know that it has to be kept secret.
- Whether the information is related to the computer systems, information technology, information and communication technology, or a simple means of communication, the first element is maintaining the confidentiality of the matter.
- The International Organization of Standardization has regarded confidentiality, or secrecy, to be the key element of information security.
ISO clearly states ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to have access is the basis of maintaining secrecy about any information.
Integrity: Maintaining honesty
- Integrity in information security is related to data integrity.
- This concept of data integrity is closely relevant to telecommunications. Computer Science also has data integrity, as a core element, to protect its information database.
- In fact, data integrity is to maintain the accuracy of the data while it’s in operation, storage, and more importantly when it is being transferred.
Most illegal steps and cybercrimes take place during the transfer process.
Therefore, if the basic honesty in data integrity is violated, information security cannot be sustained.
- The integrity of information shares a close relationship with data preservation. Specifications of data users ought to be maintained for the security of information.
Availability: Ease of use
- With secrecy and integrity, the factor availability is also required to maintain the security of information.
- Now, availability does not mean that any data or documentation is free to be accessed.
The specifications of accessing any type of information are coded and hence made available.
In this way, availability becomes an integral factor in information security.
- Relating to the field of telecommunications, availability has a direct connection with a time-frame.
Got it? Actually, when it comes to maintenance of secrecy, or being concerned with the security of information, no operational function in the telecommunications field can be made available at all times.
Thus, the condition of functionality can be otherwise stated as the availability of the information.
These three are the basic elements of information security in its technical application, as well as the common sharing of information and expression.
The International Standardization Organization may not play any role in it, but when you want to maintain the safety of any precious thing in your house, what do you instantly look for?
- You take one or two members of your family into your confidence and maintain the secrecy about that thing or information.
- Secondly, you see to it that the honesty among those sharing the information is retained. The information should not go in the wrong hands.
- Finally, you don’t share it in everyone’s presence. It is always expressed privately. Hence, it’s not always available.
Therefore, if this is the basic structure of security maintenance in information transfer at home, at a hi-fi technological level the basic elements do remain the same.
