Information security and system security are two closely related but distinct fields of study. Information security is concerned with protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information, while system security is concerned with protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems.

Information security refers to the protection of information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It is a broad field that encompasses a wide range of security measures, including:

• Access control: This is the process of granting or denying users access to information and systems based on their need to know.
• Authentication: This is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system.
• Authorization: This is the process of granting users the right to perform specific actions on information and systems.
• Data encryption: This is the process of scrambling data so that it is unreadable to unauthorized users.
• Security auditing: This is the process of monitoring systems for signs of unauthorized access or activity.
• Incident response: This is the process of responding to security incidents, such as data breaches or cyberattacks.

System security refers to the protection of systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It is a broad field that encompasses a wide range of security measures, including:

• Physical security: This is the protection of systems from physical threats, such as theft, vandalism, or natural disasters.
• Network security: This is the protection of systems from network-based threats, such as cyberattacks and data breaches.
• Application security: This is the protection of systems from application-based threats, such as SQL injection attacks and cross-site scripting attacks.
• Operating system security: This is the protection of systems from operating system-based threats, such as buffer overflow attacks and privilege escalation attacks.
• Data security: This is the protection of data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.

Examples of information security include:

• A company that uses encryption to protect its customer data.
• A government agency that uses access control to restrict access to sensitive information.
• A hospital that uses data backup and recovery to protect its patient records.

Examples of system security include:

• A company that uses firewalls to protect its network from cyberattacks.
• A government agency uses intrusion detection systems to monitor its systems for signs of unauthorized access.
• A hospital uses physical security measures to protect its medical equipment from theft.

Kalpa Kalhara Sampath Thank you very much for the detailed response.

I would respectfully disagree with Kalpa's reply above. He is correct in that he is just giving the currently accepted "state of the art" definitions as far as they go. However, they are really just different ways of looking at the security problem from different perspectives when the end user is looking for a comprehensive "zero trust" solution. I would ask you to consider the case of a "passive aggressive" defense, where "offensive" code is embedded in data using Steganography, which then becomes active either on access by analysis software or after a time interval without receiving a "sleeping pill". [Where the latter case is used to insure the infected data set is replicated across backup cycles.] I believe this scenario could considered both Info Sec and Sys Sec? I only mention this because I believe the industry has perhaps become to comfortable with the existing tools in the Security areas, and the area deserves much more research. The "security holes" opened by the "Big Data" capture and Generative AI training data collection directly to storage without thoughtful security filtering could be extremely problematic.

Jim Overbyiii, I am grateful for explaining a related but different aspect & the suggestion.

Information security refers to the protection of information and data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It involves implementing measures such as access controls, encryption, and backups to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.

System security, on the other hand, refers to the protection of computer systems, networks, and infrastructure from threats such as malware, viruses, hacking attempts, and physical damage. It involves implementing measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security patches to prevent unauthorized access and ensure the reliability and availability of systems.

Pierre Fabrice Nlend Bayemi, I appreciate your answer respected Sir. The answer is clear and easy to understand. Thank you.

A system is a number of things working together in coordination to achieve certain goals. A system does not have to be an information system. System security is about securing a system.

Information systems provide desired information. Information systems should be secure to secure information. Information system security could not be separated from information security.

Adebayo A.O., I would like to thank you for your response, respected Sir.

Information Security and Systems Security, while often used interchangeably, refer to distinct aspects of security in the digital world.

Information Security focuses on protecting data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. It is concerned with the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data, regardless of the form the data may take (electronic, print, or other forms). For example, encrypting a file to prevent unauthorized access, using access control measures to ensure only authorized personnel can view sensitive information, and maintaining backups to prevent data loss are all practices under information security.

Systems Security, on the other hand, is more concerned with securing the systems that store, process, and transmit this information. It deals with the protection of computer systems and networks from information disclosure, theft of or damage to the hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide. Implementing firewalls, antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, and securing network infrastructure are all examples of systems security measures.

In summary, while Information Security is about safeguarding the data itself, Systems Security is about protecting the infrastructure and systems that house and manage this data. Both are crucial and often overlap in the cybersecurity field.

I hope i was of some help . Good luck !

Mohit Tiwari Thank you very much.

Information Security and System Security are two closely related but distinct concepts in the field of cybersecurity. Here is how they can be differentiated with some solid examples:

Example: Implementing encryption protocols to secure sensitive data transmitted over a network, such as using SSL/TLS to protect online transactions or encrypting files stored on a server.

Example: Installing and regularly updating antivirus software on all computers within a network to prevent malware infections and protect system integrity.

In summary, Information Security focuses on safeguarding data and ensuring its confidentiality, integrity, and availability, while System Security focuses on protecting the hardware and software components of a system or network from various threats. Both are essential aspects of cybersecurity and work together to ensure comprehensive protection against cyber threats.

Thank you very much Mr. Yashar Salami