Information technology has bloomed rapidly over the years; various updates were made both technology-wise and the practice of things to take the field of information technology where it is right now. The whole concept of IT and risk management has confused the professionals for far too long. If you feel like the victim of this abyss, then you better clear your confusion about both right now to have a safe journey through the world of information technology.
IT security means that all the technical aspects for an organization are rendered secure from the cyber criminals, illicit hackers, and unauthorized personnel so that the essential artifacts can be secured from getting in the wrong hands. From important artifacts, we consider crucial user data, financial and employee data for the enterprise, and all other imperative safety measures that, if hijacked, can lead to unbearable losses for the dedicated business.
What is IT Security?
The basic reference which is dealt with in the realm of IT security is the safety of the data at all times. Before the concept of the internet, all the data of the world was sitting within various hard drives, laptops, or other storage media ready to be instated within a sharable and conveniently reachable media that is internet. IT security is a set of the cybersecurity strategies that prevent unauthorized access to organizational assets such as networks, cybersecurity systems, data of the personnel, customers, and other financial data for the enterprise.
As hackers are getting more and more smart as an organization, you should do the same, protect all your assets that are stored in the form of the digital data over various working systems, servers, cloud, or other data centers. In events of a breach, the organization not only loses a considerable amount of financial assets, but they also lose the faith of the customers within the working capacity of the organization.
Threats to IT Security
As it happens, a cyber criminal or hacker can get within the system and gain access to the information if provided by some aid to do so. Hackers use various tools to gain access to the secured networks, break primary security firewalls, and cause havoc within the IT-based systems as they please. Viruses, malware and ransomware, are the specific and most cherished working tools that are used by the cybercriminals to exploit the secured IT-based systems.
Viruses and malware are just scripts of code that play 'make-believe' game with the security parameters of the network. As they make the initial screening, elements of a system believe that this query or request is generated from an authorized user and thus should be entertained or granted access to the secured files. If the security parameters are not smart enough, then the request would be let by, and the hacker can steal the valuable data.
But on the other hand, if the security systems are heavily guarded, then nothing of the sorts can happen. IT security, in reality, is the discipline that takes into account the use of various practices, secured lairs, technical systems that are customized and specifically developed to contain valuable data and information out of the reach of the cyber criminals.
What is Risk Management?
Risk management, in general, is the preparation of a company in events of a cyber breach or related security-based incidence to better cope with it the best they can. It is a process of identifying, assessing, and controlling the threats to an organization. A robust risk management plan will effectively help the organization to get ahead of the game and prepare themselves for what’s coming.
The attacks regulated or governed by cyber attackers and or hackers are entirely different in different regions and areas of the world and that is why the risk management plan has to be different for each company and case for what best suits their needs. For those who still couldn’t grab the essence or importance of risk management and why it is necessary. Take on an example to learn the value of risk management, suppose that a cyber breach happened, and all of the user data from your secured servers were taken away, and you don't have a plan to make this right. What do you think would happen now?
Here's what will happen without an effective risk management plan, all of your customers would lose their faith in doing business with you in the future, investors would pull their money out, and you would have to close down your company for good eventually. If you don't want this to happen, then it is in your best interest to have a risk management plan.
You can begin with past cybersecurity breaches, collect valuable data such as how did the breach happened or how did the hackers got within your secured network parameters and use that data to update your current network settings. This too is a way through which you can assess the risks even before they surface; these are all the best practices of risk management.
How IT Security and Info Risk Management are Related?
IT security deals with on-board data only; it has nothing to do with the informational aspects of the data whatsoever. When Its security is compromised, data is cracked or taken by the cyber criminals, and its content explored here comes the concept of info risk management. Risk management is actually in response to the failure of IT security to keep cyber criminals and hackers at bay. If the systems were rendered secured, then there would be nothing to assume as a risk or lose to the cyber breaches.
This is the only subtle relationship between the It security and info risk management; this is how they are the same and different all the same. Various information security certification courses are available on the internet for you to catch a glimpse of and choose from. If you want to work as to preclude cyber breaches from happening, then incident response training course is a must-have for you to work on and to develop your skills in, for the future is bright for such individuals or IT professionals.