What is Information Security Powerful Guide for 2026

What is Information Security & How to Master it Today

🚨 Live Example: Google Drive Breach

A leaking client file lands you a $50K bill, and your manager wants answers ASAP

Skills You’ll Learn

See where trouble is lurking – Identify existing threats within your company TODAY
CIA protection standards (Confidentiality = protect data; Integrity = keep data true; Availability = make data available when needed)
2026 Security Fixes – Copy/paste ready versions that work now

Once You Read This, You Can…

✅ Reduce security risks by 70% within 30 days
✅ Prevent data breaches and excess fines
✅ Save company money through smart security
✅ Implement pro-level security easily

InfoSec Core Concepts

What is information security? It’s the industry responsible for ensuring your personal data is confidential, accurate, and accessible at all times. Companies suffering from data breaches can incur losses of an average of $4.8 million.

Therefore, there are three basic rules every security team must adhere to in order to provide complete protection for their company’s data and tell the team about what is information security

CIA Triad – 3 major protection principles
Protection of Information Technology (IT).
Implementation of Governmental Data Protection Laws and Rules; Continuous Operation Of Business Even During Cyber Threats.

Confidentiality: The use of locks and passwords are used to ensure that only authorized personnel can view customer and account information.

Integrity: Integrity checks ensure that no one has tampered with your files, and by utilizing unique identifiers, you can be confident that the file you received was the same one originally created.

Availability: Backup and redundant copies allow your site to remain active despite a cyber-thwarting effort.

Real Example: In a recent hospital hacking incident: a total cost of $872 million due to an outdated computer system. The hospital could have completely circumvented the hacking incident using the basic CIA Security Principles.

Business Impact Analysis

There are numerous ways in which your what is information security department can help protect your business, and in doing so, save you large amounts of money. As a result of the possibility of cyber crime, cyber security will be able to protect the average company from $4.8 million in breach costs. However, it is important to note that the costs associated with preventing a breach far exceed those cost of fixing damage caused by a breach, and in banking terms it would be called “the opportunity cost”. Board members clearly understand the financial implications associated with this form of network security.

Direct Breach Costs

Organization’s investigation of the breach
Any ransom costs in relation to the breach
Fines that may have to be paid to the government

These direct costs can easily add up to millions of dollars for any organization.

Indirect Breach Costs

Lost customers due to the association of the company’s name with a breach
Decrease in stock value caused by the breach

These costs are more difficult to quantify and determine the impact on an organization after a breach, but according to various studies and reports, they will be higher than the actual costs associated with the investigation of the breach, ransom paid, and any fines that may have been incurred, when compared to the direct costs associated with the breach.

Regulatory & Financial Penalties

GDPR penalties can be up to 4% of the total revenue of the organization that had the data breached
The average cost of cyber insurance premiums increases after a company experiences a data breach

Customer & Revenue Impact

Because of the high cost of acquiring new customers, it is five times more cost efficient for organizations to retain current customers as compared to acquiring new customers
After a ransomware attack, it would take an average of 24 days for a company to recover from that type of attack
For mid-size organizations (between 100 and 5,000 employees), it would take approximately $1.2 million per day in lost revenue due to ransomware
When an organization loses its reputation due to the loss of trust from its customers, it is estimated that approximately 30% of customers will stop doing business with that organization in Year 1
Customers who were lost due to a data breach will never return

SEC Reporting Requirements

The new SEC rules require organizations to report all breaches within four days of discovery, and as a result of this requirement, an organization’s stock will decrease between 7% to 12% immediately after reporting a breach.

InfoSec Benefits

Organizations with effective information security programs can receive significant discounts on cyber insurance premiums and have faster access to business deals through the implementation of effective information security programs.

CIA Triad Implementation

The CIA triad uses three types of protection: keeping information private (confidential), accurate (integrity), available (available). The NIST connects 800+ NIST rules to these types of gaps in what is information security (IS) of the CIA triad and recommends that audit processes should use the three types of protection to develop those auditing processes.

Confidentiality of information has three levels of security (lock, watching, computing) to ensure confidentiality
we also provide file integrity (no alteration, and protection on the web)
by having extra backups and blocks on attacks, we will maintain a high level of availability

When CIA is out of balance, the weakest spot is subject to a ransomware attack; therefore to stop attacking us with ransomware, we should keep our CIA in balance. Each level will use statistical methods to track the amount of protection provided.

Confidentiality of information is ensured through secure connections and double locking. The next best method to maintain confidential data is to change your password regularly.

Integrity of files is maintained by using files that cannot be altered and storing files in safe locations following the backup rule of 3-2-1. This means that we will always have three copies of the data stored in two different places, with one of the two places being kept at a location that is a safe distance from the original location of the files.

Availability of information during times of attack is guaranteed by having extra locations to back up the information and by blocking the attacks before they have a chance to gain access. Therefore, we will provide a 99.99% uptime on our systems, even when they are under heavy attack.

When the availability of information is not maintained, the backup plan is no longer effective; therefore, if both levels of CIA are not maintained, the attacker is allowed to easily recover from attacks and will eventually be able to undermine your business and make it no longer viable.

Active Threat Vectors

The InfoSec industry is committed to preventing

The greatest threat are phishing e-mails (36% of all attacks);
Ransomware (23%);
Supply chain attacks (15%);

Daily the attacker maps can show the exact danger that exists out there.

Phishing attacks generally have two major things occurring:

They steal passwords;
They take advantage of an employee impersonating their supervisor. Phishing emails are generally sold online as kits for $100.

The only true way to provide protection against phishing emails is to implement two-factor authentication (2FA) and have email filtering.

Ransomware is used to steal confidential information and block access to files. There are tools available to monitor your computer for ransomware and create backup copies to avoid ransomware from spreading to other computers.

3CX is a major company. An attack on them resulted in the compromise of 10,000 businesses. You can reduce the risk of future attacks by using a partner check and determining your partner’s risk score.

Permission checking tools are available for free on the internet. You can limit access to a specific timeframe and grant temporary permissions.

InfoSec vs CyberSec

What is information security protects all data (paper + digital) at InfoSec. CyberSec protects only from digital threats. Both InfoSec and CyberSec must see both the physical and digital threat pictures.

InfoSec (paper files, USB devices, email)
CyberSec’s domain (the Internet, computers, cloud storage)
Physical Security (card access, cameras, shredders)
Digital Security (monitors, network security, cloud gate security)
Layering the security is most effective.

There is a risk to paper files stored in unlocked drawers. If the file is shredded using a cross-cut shredder and kept in a locked filing cabinet, this risk is eliminated.

The new No-Trust Networking replaces traditional VPNs. All devices must be checked for compliance with policies and owners verified using ID checks.

Card reader security at a facility, entry through double door systems, and variations of policies limiting access to, but allowing, authorized personnel, all contribute to secure facilities.

Layering protection = Delay for Attacker = More time to Detect.

Security Frameworks

What is information security frameworks like NIST CSF 2.0, ISO 27001 and CIS Controls 8 make audits easier if you select one of the above and follow it through completely.

NIST has five steps for Information Security: Find/Protect/Watch/Fix/Recover
The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has added Management Rules in 2024 that now include Risk Levels and Partner Checks
ISO 27001/2022 includes Threat Analysis and Cloud addition with 93 Rules across 14 Categories
The ISO 27001 is your Security System Certification

CIS Rules #1 and #13 include:

Know Everything and 2) Fix your holes. Cover 80% of the Risk.

By performing Yearly Gap Checks, organisations are always prepared for any Cybersecurity breaches. Automating the gap checks makes this process much simpler for organisations.

Human Factor Mitigation

The leading cause of 95% of breaches is human fallibility. Implementing a system of fake email trials and developing a culture of safe computing would help to develop a healthy habit.

Fake email trials have decreased clicks from 70% to 60%.
Two-Factor Authentication on all accounts and New Key Services
Only offer limited, temporary access
Provide Data and Inside Threat Awareness Training
Create Security Helpers programs within Teams

Run Fake Email trials monthly to achieve an under 5% click rate.

Replace passwords with new Secure Keys to prevent clicking fake sites.

Establish special access with temporary raises. Do not create permanent high-level access accounts.

Implement Security Helper Programs for teams of up to 50 players; accountability to the team holds more weight than accountability to managers.

System Hardening

Using a security checklist to mitigate at least 80% of risk. Automatic deployment will allow for minimal resources (cost) to manage and understand security through the use of intuitive technologies.

Two-Factor Authentication and unique Passwords for every user will significantly reduce both the frequency of and the impact of phishing attacks
Agencies should provide their Employees with a minimum level of access to sensitive data until absolutely necessary
Use of an automatic e-mail and/or password reset process for all personnel who have lost their credentials. (See below)
Frequent security updates and patching (within 72-hours of a vulnerability)
Limit permissions granted to required permissions

No in-house development on security related technologies (including encryption)
Diverse and small segment networks (including; Firewalls, Intrusion Detection System and Anti-Virus Systems)
Website logins with smart policy rules will help to prevent unauthorized access. This will help identify “potential” breaches to agencies or systems

Frequent updates and repairs to production releases and critical fixes to vulnerabilities should be completed within 24-hours. All other vulnerabilities should be patched within 72-hours.

Each agency should implement policies regarding who has access to sensitive information and how long that individual’s permission will remain active. Each agency should review their list of users with access to sensitive data on a monthly basis.

All data stored on servers (and backups) must be encrypted. Encryption algorithms must be created and implemented by an outside vendor.

Do not allow users to create backups to removable or portable devices (USB flash drives, etc.). Only lock and unlock access to the backup database.

Security Tooling

The modern layer of protection in today’s security world is represented by four main components (watchers, protectors, cloud checkers and network watchers). Each of these plays a significant role in protecting against cyber threats. For example, a watcher monitors network activity; however, a protector observes user actions.

Additionally, both types of monitoring can work together to create a much more powerful type of protection than using either alone. In fact, the combination of the two types of measures has been proven to reduce false positives by 90%.

Therefore, it is important to select three to five of these components that you wish to learn in-depth and create a protection approach to cyber threats based on the selected components.

Emerging Trends

In 2026, Secure Access will be enabled provides a Smart Security solution that utilizes Auto-Configuration and Automated Fixes for your Security Systems.

No Trust: Priority for Identity.
Future Encryption: New Security Codes.
Privacy: Abstraction over Encrypted Data.
Partner to review and check the requirements for all.

All Threat Data from Smart Attack – Let Your Tools learn by utilizing Real Threat Data.

All Networks Everywhere Will Not Trust Any Entity Until The Will Be Validated in Real Time.

New Encryption Technology has been approved. This means that All Certificates Must Be Updated by 2026.

All Partners of Security must demonstrate that they have completed this requirement. All Contracts with Government Agencies require the Security Provider to have documented proof.

For Security Professionals: Implementing Two-Step Verification Now, Mapping out Rules for the Government Next, and on Auto-Hunting Threats in the Future. Be Sure to review the Zero Trust Guide and Cloud Permissions Fixes.

FAQ:What is inforamtion security

What is information security definition? Keeps CIA triad (secret, true, available) across all data from wrong access/change/stop. NIST rules guide everything.

What is information security with example? Public Google Drive exposes customer files. Fix: sharing rules + two-step delete + activity logs.

What is information security course covers? Risk checking, data protection, security work, login rules, safe software building.

What is information security in computer systems? System hardening + approved apps + network splits + watchers + auto-updates.

What is information security PDF resources? NIST 800-53, CIS rules, attack maps, ISO 27001 guides – all free downloads.

What is information security types? Network, computer, app, cloud, data, room protection families.

What is information security and cyber security difference? InfoSec = all data everywhere. CyberSec = digital dangers only. Both needed together.

Why is information security important for businesses? $4.8M breach cost. 30% customer loss. 4% revenue fines. 12% stock drop.

What is information security components? People training + rule systems + tech tools + room locks working together.

What is information security policy? Sets risk limits, protection rules, who does what, exceptions, yearly reviews.

What is information security risk assessment? Find assets + danger models + risk scores + fix plans + watch always.

What is information security awareness training? Fake email tests + rule agreement + people tricks + data sorting + report rules.

What is information security framework? NIST/ISO rule books matched to business needs and laws.

What is information security certification? CISSP (complete), CISM (management), CCSP (cloud), CRISC (risk), CISA (checks).

What is information security best practices? Two-step everywhere, minimum access, safe backups, no trust, partner checks, 3-day fixes.

What is information security tools? Watchers/protectors/cloud checkers/network watchers/data blockers. Cuts false alarms 70%.

What is information security compliance? SOC2 + ISO + GDPR records + PCI rules + always checking.

What is information security incident? CIA break needing contain + clean + recover + lessons + reports.

What is information security metrics? Find/fix under 24hrs, 95% updates, under 5% fake clicks, 100% backups.