What Are The 5 Pillars Of Information Security?
Information is one precious resource for any business in this digital world. Because of stiff competition in business, you need to provide your information with the highest security as possible so as not to offer your competitors any form of advantage. Information security is, therefore, paramount for your business to ensure that no amount of information is compromised.
Information sent through online networks is vulnerable to malicious attacks. Therefore there is a need to create a secure information system to safeguard vital data. Building a secure system follows five essential pillars.
Five Pillars To Consider When Securing Information
- Confidentiality
Confidentiality is the most vital part of information security. If the information or data transmission is through the network, it should use coded language that can only be decrypted by the sender and receiver of the information. Third parties should not be able to decrypt the data in any way. The right people should only view very confidential information.
- Data and information integrity
The information sent is supposed to always remain in its original nature. It should not Rbe altered during the transmission process. Tampering or modification by unauthorized agents is not something that should be allowed to happen. An efficient information security system provides a method of ensuring the non-tampering of data. For instance, hash signatures are used by many firms and businesses, which allows verification of non-tampering of the received information.
- Availability
The availability of information means that only qualified people who are granted access to the system can get the information any time they like with no fail. It can be enabled by having a robust framework making up the IT infrastructure. It ensures that the system remains fully functional even during adverse situations like database fall overs. Having excellent resources ensures that information can Itbe accessed in a comfortable and timely manner. The typical way of ensuring the availability of data is by having load balancers which provide non-failure of server resources.
- Authenticity
Authentication measures prevent impersonation, and it requires that users provide proof that they are authorized to access the system and resources. It is essential as it establishes the validity of transit of information and where it originated. The conventional way of ensuring authenticity include the use of passwords, usernames, and reliable biometrics, among others.
- Non- Repudiation
It is a critical element in information security as it confirms the delivery of data to the sender. The receiver can also verify the identity of the sender of the information. Between the two agents, no one can deny the sending or receiving of the data. It means there should be some form of audibility. The information security system provides logs which can be opened to provide proof of who sent and received the data.
Additional measures not included in the five pillars but are also essential include
- Recoverability– in scenarios that the system is compromised, there should be measures in place to restore the data to its original form. Back-up resources best do it
- Auditability-this provides a system where potential security threats are detected, and the appropriate response actions are taken. It is done by monitoring the system to confirm and records all those that access the information.
Contacting IT experts is an excellent way of improving information security in your business. They recommend the best practices for managing your data. The one you settle on should be able to provide a robust technological infrastructure that will ensure the security of information and no downtimes in services provided. Additionally, the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) introduces new dimensions to security considerations, demanding vigilant measures to safeguard interconnected devices and data from potential vulnerabilities.
Since information is very vital to a business, it should be accorded the highest security measures it deserves.
