It’s easy to confuse information security and cybersecurity, as the two areas overlap in many ways. In fact, cybersecurity is a subset of information security. However, the fields are not quite the same, with each featuring distinct specialties and requiring different skill sets.

Read on to learn more about the similarities and differences between information security and cybersecurity.

Information Security vs. Cybersecurity

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recognizes information security and cybersecurity as separate career areas. That said, there is certainly an overlap between the two. Below are the key definitions and distinctions of each.

What Is Information Security?

To some degree, nearly everyone wants their personal information to be secure, meaning it can only be accessed and used by authorized individuals. This is the goal of information security (infosec).

Infosec involves the protection of information and information systems against unauthorized use. The field aims to provide availability, integrity and confidentiality.

One way to understand infosec as compared to cybersecurity is to view the field as an umbrella term that includes all data, not just data stored within cyberspace. This demonstrates how cybersecurity is a type of information security, but the two fields are not identical.

Information security teams create and implement policies and systems to protect information. For large organizations, strict security systems are required to protect customers.

What Is Cybersecurity?

Living in the 21st century means much of data is stored in computer systems and networks. This is the case for nearly every industry, and the information must be protected to a high degree. Information security professionals with a cybersecurity focus are responsible for securing this data.

NIST defines cybersecurity as protecting, preventing damage to and restoring electronic communications services and systems. This includes the information stored in these systems, which cybersecurity professionals work to protect.

Cybersecurity covers everything that has to do with electronic systems and communications. Within the field of cybersecurity are subcategories that entail further specialization. These include cloud, network, and critical infrastructure security.

The Biggest Differences

Confusion between information security and cybersecurity can occur since much of the information we want to store, protect and transmit exists in cyberspace. While cybersecurity is a part of information security, certain aspects of information security are not included within the realm of cybersecurity.

Information security is an overarching term for creating and maintaining systems and policies to protect any information—digital, physical or intellectual, not just data in cyberspace.

An information security expert may develop the means of data access by authorized individuals or establish security measures to keep information safe. Cybersecurity, on the other hand, focuses on protecting information from cyberattacks such as ransomware and spyware.

How Information Security and Cybersecurity Overlap

Information security and cybersecurity overlap in many ways. In addition to having similar security practices, these fields also require similar education and skills.

Shared Security Practices

The most significant overlap between infosec and cybersecurity is that they use the CIA (confidentiality, integrity and availability of information) triad model to develop security policies.

The first of the triad is confidentiality, ensuring that information is only accessed and modifiable by authorized users. From a consumer perspective, for example, we expect online retailers to store and protect our data such as credit card information, home addresses and other personal information.

Second, the integrity of information ensures that it has not been tampered with and is entirely reliable. Continuing with the online retailer example, the data transmitted between the retailer and your bank must be secure. Otherwise, there may be a discrepancy between the genuine cost of your goods and the amount you paid.

Finally, availability of information means that the data is available when you need it. For example, if you need to know how much money you have in your bank account, you must be able to access that information.

Related Education and Skills

At a minimum, many careers in infosec and cybersecurity require a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science, information technology or a related field. These degrees prepare you with foundational knowledge and skills to help you land a job as an analyst, engineer, specialist or tester.

These careers also call for familiarity with technologies such as database user interface and query software, network monitoring software, virus protection and web platform development.

Common Careers

Many information security and cybersecurity careers use similar or interchangeable language in their job descriptions. This is because employers often want infosec professionals with a broad array of security skills, including those in cybersecurity.

We reference salary data from Payscale in this section.

Information Security Roles

Information Security Analyst

Career Overview: With so much of our valuable information stored on computers, information security analysts often perform similar tasks to cybersecurity analysts. These professionals are responsible for planning, implementing, upgrading and monitoring security measures to protect computer networks and information. They may also create and share reports about security metrics and data breaches.
Average Annual Salary: Over $77,000, according to Payscale

Information Security Specialist

Career Overview: An information security specialist’s role is similar to that of an information security analyst. While day-to-day duties may vary depending on the specific position, these professionals are part of teams that develop and implement information risk management frameworks, standards and policies. They also participate in risk assessments and assist users in accessing databases.
Average Annual Salary: Around $81,000, according to Payscale

IT Security Consultant

Career Overview: As an IT security consultant, you use your infosec experience to assess and recommend improvements to an organization’s information security. Your responsibilities may include supporting, implementing and following up on data privacy improvements, identity access management systems, cybersecurity management and operations.
Average Annual Salary: Over $87,000, according to Payscale

Cybersecurity Roles

Cybersecurity Analyst

Career Overview: Cybersecurity analysts focus on protecting data from cyberattacks. These professionals perform threat and incident detection and respond to data breaches. Depending on the employer, cybersecurity analysts may develop cybersecurity awareness training and forensic analysis of information systems.
Average Annual Salary: Around $81,000, according to Payscale

Cybersecurity Engineer

Career Overview: A cybersecurity engineer’s role is expansive, overseeing the development of cybersecurity procedures and policies. This job includes building and maintaining firewalls to ensure secure transmission of information, developing security controls to protect digital files and monitoring and responding to security breaches. If you’re wondering how to become a cybersecurity engineer, start with a bachelor’s degree or cybersecurity bootcamp.
Average Annual Salary: Around $102,000, according to Payscale

Penetration Tester

Career Overview: Penetration testers hackers with good intentions whose efforts Excellerate information protection practices. Through simulated internal and external cyberattacks, these professionals breach and exploit systems and gain access to sensitive information to identify vulnerabilities. They then design and suggest security solutions to address said vulnerabilities. Pen testers also find system weaknesses and suggest improvements to bolster defenses against malicious attacks.
Average Annual Salary: Around $93,000, according to Payscale

Frequently Asked Questions About Information Security vs. Cybersecurity

Is there a difference between cybersecurity and information security?

Yes. Cybersecurity focuses entirely on computer and web-related security. In contrast, information security covers all forms of securing information. Cybersecurity is a type of information security.

Is cybersecurity a subset of information security?

Yes. Information security involves the protection of data across all mediums, and cybersecurity hones in on the protection of data stored in cyberspace.

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.

Earning a master’s in information systems can open the door to many information technology jobs. As technology has become increasingly crucial to everyday life, professionals and consumers rely more and more on databases, search engines and digital financial systems.

Individuals with master’s degrees in information systems help make these systems efficient, effective and functional. This guide explores master’s in information systems degrees, including details on admission requirements, common coursework and career pathways.

What Is a Master’s in Information Systems?

A master’s in information systems covers the planning and implementation of new technologies, typically with a business focus in non-technical courses. These programs usually comprise 30 to 45 credits and take two years to complete, though some schools offer accelerated pathways. Coursework focuses on data management, information visualization, predictive business forecasting and IT infrastructure.

Along with core classes, enrollees can also complete electives in areas like organizational behavior, business conditions analysis and marketing strategy in the global environment. These degrees prepare graduates for information management roles at public and private organizations. Some programs focus on how business leadership intersects with technology, preparing students for advanced IT roles.

Master’s in Information Systems Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for master’s in information systems degrees typically include official transcripts, resumes, letters of recommendation and statements of purpose.

Most universities require a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA, though some programs evaluate each applicant holistically without specific GPA requirements. More competitive schools may have higher GPA minimums. Some colleges require candidates to submit GMAT or GRE scores.

Master’s in information systems programs may also require or prefer candidates to have prior work experience. Seasoned professionals may be exempt from GMAT or GRE requirements.

Courses in a Master’s in Information Systems Program

Information Architecture

Enrollees explore ways to gather and organize large datasets for business professionals. This course considers ethics, law and policy related to big data, along with methods of storage and use in professional contexts. Coursework bridges the gap between generating concepts and implementing those concepts in real-world business environments.

Students consider how people seek information within large datasets in content management systems to Excellerate usability and effectiveness. Learners analyze existing information structures and become comfortable with deploying and overseeing new content management systems.

Social Media as a Tool

Students consider how to use social media platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook, to recognize market changes and examine consumer trends. Using social media user data requires organized, searchable databases. Enrollees explore content management systems and the database software used to collect and organize big data.

Digital Business Success

This course focuses on contemporary IT subjects like cloud computing and storage, e-commerce integration and data organization methods. Enrollees hone their leadership skills to deliver innovative solutions in real-world tech scenarios. This class prepares students to analyze business data as strategic decision-makers in the workplace.

IT Infrastructure

Enrollees learn to develop scalable infrastructures for organizations. IT infrastructure is composed of three pieces: hardware, software and networking. Learners explore how physical devices, including routers and personal computers, use software to deliver proper functionality in digital communication.

Coursework considers how modern businesses record large datasets in many different contexts, which requires accurate organization. Though IT infrastructure once focused entirely on on-site, physical storage, many companies now use cloud hosting or software-based infrastructure.

Data Mining

In this elective course, degree-seekers learn to draw conclusions from large sets of data. Instructors delve into data mining methods and statistical analysis approaches that best suit business leadership environments. Enrollees may also consider machine learning techniques for pulling and organizing data.

Careers with a Master’s in Information Systems

We sourced the salary data in this section from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Computer Systems Analyst

Median Annual Salary: $102,240
Projected Growth Rate (2022–2032): +10%
Job Description: Computer systems analysts increase their organizations’ efficiency by researching and implementing new technologies. These professionals Excellerate existing networks by creating hardware- and software-based solutions in information technology. They need technical knowledge relating to data storage, programming and computing power to accurately develop plans and see them through to creation.

Most systems analysts tailor their work to their organization or sector. They handle a broad scope of work, with some analysts focusing on data modeling to create entire systems and others performing practical work relating to testing, debugging and writing code.

Mobile Application Developer

Median Annual Salary: $127,260
Projected Growth Rate (2022–2032): +26%
Job Description: These developers design and create applications for mobile platforms like Android and iOS. While there is some overlap, operating systems usually use different coding languages, allowing mobile application developers to specialize in core languages or platforms.

With the shift to mobile communications over the last decade, businesses have increasingly sought the work of these developers to create functional, efficient and user-friendly mobile software. Learn more about this career in our guide on how to become an app developer.

Cloud Architect

Median Annual Salary: $126,900
Projected Growth Rate (2022–2032): +4%
Job Description: Cloud architects handle organizations’ remote data storage. These IT professionals plan and implement cloud storage for companies that store all data on-site. They may also Excellerate existing systems for businesses that have adopted remote storage. Cloud architects must ensure that all parts of a network function properly together, including data management, access management and development of the software itself.

In addition to strong knowledge of cloud computing, this advanced role requires professionals to possess strong communication and collaboration skills. Cloud architects work in teams and may need to assign responsibilities to other IT professionals involved in remote data storage efforts.

Management Consultant

Median Annual Salary: $95,290
Projected Growth Rate (2022–2032): +10%
Job Description: These professionals analyze organizations’ procedures to provide advice on areas of improvement regarding efficiency, profits and employment. Also known as management analysts, management consultants problem-solve to create solutions for businesses looking to increase profitability.

Most management consultants work for organizations as third-party contractors. They observe businesses and speak with employees to determine areas for improvement before recommending changes.

Database Administrator

Median Annual Salary: $112,120
Projected Growth Rate (2022–2032): +8%
Job Description: Database administrators develop systems for digital information storage and organization. Professionals who use large datasets rely on this work, which ensures proper functionality and intuitiveness for quick, accurate access. Database administrators oversee existing databases and create new architecture when necessary.

Database administrators in smaller organizations may handle all database-related responsibilities. Within larger companies, these professionals typically specialize their work. For example, some focus on specific applications, like employee performance or customer service software.

Frequently Asked Questions About Information Systems

What do information systems professionals do?

Information systems professionals can handle information security and computer science responsibilities in many different roles. They may safeguard sensitive information for public and private organizations, build websites or analyze computer systems for efficiency.

Does a degree in information systems require coding?

Degrees in information systems typically do not require coding, though experience with writing or testing code may help. Information systems coursework focuses on the big-picture aspects of networks and businesses rather than covering specific coding languages.

What degree do you need for information systems?

Most information systems roles require at least a bachelor’s degree. However, employers may prefer master’s-level candidates for more senior roles in the field.

100% free Pass4sure WCNA Study Guide and 100% valid test questions.

WCNA information - Wireshark Certified Network Analyst Updated: 2024

Other Wireshark exams