The cybersecurity world is more vulnerable than ever; every day, cyber-threats are evolving into more advanced and sophisticated versions of themselves. And with the introduction of data regulation acts such as the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it’s crucial for every organization to pay attention to each and every aspect—no matter how trivial—pertaining to cybersecurity.
Most companies can’t distinguish between cybersecurity and data privacy. However, it’s important to learn about the disparities between these two terminologies.
It’s equally significant to understand why the effectiveness of a privacy program is heavily dependent upon a cogent security plan and how they complement each other.
Definition
Both terminologies—security and privacy—are used interchangeably and in conjunction with each other. However, in reality, they’re quite different.
Security refers to the state of personal freedom, i.e., being safe from potential threats. On the other hand, privacy is a state of being free from unwanted or unnecessary attention.
Principles
When it comes to principles, the term “privacy” is more granular with regard to rights—of both individuals as well as organizations—to personal information.
On the other hand, the term “security” is built on three core principles: preserving the integrity of information assets, protecting confidentiality, and promoting the availability of data and information.
Objectives
Privacy has one sole objective: to provide an individual or organization with the ability to keep their personal information private.
On the other hand, when it comes to security, its primary objective is to safeguard confidential data and informational assets from unauthorized access.
Security has three established sub-objectives: availability, confidentiality, and integrity. All cybersecurity protocols concentrate on at least one of these three goals.
Programs
Privacy programs focus on protecting the personal information of a user, which may include their login credentials, credit card details, passwords, among other private details.
On the contrary, a security program is not limited to personal information, but extends to protect all digital assets, confidential information, and resources that are stored in the databases of an organization.
A security program focuses on total data and information stored in a system rather than only providing protection to the personal information of individuals or business entities.
Is there a correlation between privacy and security?
Broadly speaking, there’s a possibility that security can be achieved without privacy. However, it’s not possible to achieve privacy without having an effective security system in place. A lapse in security will inevitably affect privacy.
That being said, privacy and security are strongly interlinked, as privacy can be achieved by taking security initiates and the effectiveness of security may depend on the privacy of credentials—which might not always be the case, but true in most cases.
Manage your cybersecurity and data privacy
If you’re looking for dedicated managed security and IT solutions to safeguard your business against potential cyber attacks, consider hiring the services of Lean Security.
We’re an Australian-based security firm that provides dynamic and effective solutions to our customers including penetration testing services among several others.
We’re also a reliable penetration testing provider that offers complete security risk assessment to ensure that every modicum of your business application remains protected.
Contact us by calling +61 (2) 8078 6952 or send us an Email at INFO@LEANSECURITY.COM.AU for more information on data privacy and cybersecurity.