Data and information protection comprise the third and most important pillar of a sound cyber security strategy. It is crucial to consider the ‘CIA triad’ when considering how to protect our data. Show The three-pillar approach to cyber security This is the third and final article in a series addressing the three-pillar approach to cyber security. The first two pillars are ‘people’ and ‘process’, The last pillar is ‘data and information’. Data and information protection is the most technical and tangible of the three pillars. The data we gather comes from multiple sources, such as information technology (IT), operational technology (OT), personal data and operational data. It must be properly managed and protected every step of the way. What is the CIA triad?When we discuss data and information, we must consider the CIA triad. The CIA triad refers to an information security model made up of the three main components: confidentiality, integrity and availability. Each component represents a fundamental objective of information security. The three components of the CIA triad are discussed below:
Stability, availability and securityAvailability is a major challenge in collaborative environments, as such environments must be stable and continually maintained. Such systems must also allow users to access required information with little waiting time. Redundant systems may be in place to offer a high level of fail-over. The concept of availability can also refer to the usability of a system. Information security refers to the preservation of integrity and secrecy when information is stored or transmitted. Information security breaches occur when information is accessed by unauthorized individuals or parties. Breaches may be the result of the actions of hackers, intelligence agencies, criminals, competitors, employees or others. In addition, individuals who value and wish to preserve their privacy are interested in information security. The CIA triad describes three crucial components of data and information protection which can be used as guides for establishing the security policies in an organization. Establishing and maintaining the organization’s security policies can be a daunting task, but using the three-pillared strategic approach to cyber security can help you identify and manage cyber security risks in a methodic and comprehensive manner.
Follow the ACSC's cyber security principles to better understand how to protect systems and data. The purpose of the cyber security principles is to provide strategic guidance on how an organisation can protect their systems and data from cyber threats. These cyber security principles are grouped into four key activities: govern, protect, detect and respond. The govern principles are: The protect principles are: The detect principles are: The respond principles are:
Maturity modellingWhen implementing the cyber security principles, an organisation can use the following maturity model to assess the implementation of individual principles, groups of principles or the cyber security principles as a whole. The five levels in the maturity model are:
|