Information security versus cybersecurity: differences and practice

At first glance, this appears to be an academic dispute over terminology. In practice, however, it matters whether you understand how information security and cybersecurity differ—and where they overlap. Because this directly affects the scope of your company's security programme, the choice of standards, and what an audit or inspection by NÚKIB will reveal.

Definition: information security

Information security (Information Security, abbreviated as InfoSec) is a discipline focused on protecting information regardless of its form. It includes:

• Digital data in systems, databases and clouds
• Physical documents: contracts, reports, personnel files
• Knowledge and verbal communication (what the employee knows and says)
• Physical access to the premises where information is stored

The foundation of information security is the so-called CIA triad:

The ISO/IEC 27001 standard: an international standard for information security management systems (ISMS), is based precisely on this broad concept. It covers technical, organisational and physical aspects of information protection.

Definition: cybersecurity

Cybersecurity (cybersecurity) is subset information security. It focuses exclusively on protecting the digital environment, computer systems, networks, applications, cloud infrastructure and data in digital form.

Cybersecurity addresses:

• Protection against cyber attacks (ransomware, phishing, DDoS, APT)
• Safety of utility networks and network infrastructure
• Security of applications and web interfaces
• Identity and Access Management (IAM, MFA)
• Incident detection and response (SOC, SIEM, EDR)
• Penetration testing and vulnerability management

Key differences in a clear table

How does this manifest in practice?

Imagine a finance director who prints contracts, works on them at home and then throws them in the bin. That is a problem. information security (physical destruction of documents): but not cybersecurity (no digital system was compromised).

Conversely, an attacker who gains access to an employee's email inbox is a problem. cybersecurity. But at the same time information security, because emails are information.

Experienced companies therefore do not view security as two separate disciplines but as one integrated programme. Technical measures (MFA, encryption, monitoring) are complemented by organisational measures (security policy, training, onboarding) and physical measures (access cards, camera systems, shredding).

What does NIS2 require?

Act 264/2025 Coll. Uses both terms and requires measures from both areas. Decree 409/2025 Coll. Specifically covers:

• Technical measures - MFA, encryption, patch management, monitoring, backup (cybersecurity)
• Organisational measures - security policy, risk analysis, roles and responsibilities (information security)
• Physical measures - data centre protection, access control, physical media destruction (information security)
• HR measures - employee vetting, conditions for termination of employment, access logs (information security)

If you hold ISO 27001 certification, you have a significant advantage: a large part of the NIS2 requirements overlaps with ISMS. We discuss the differences and details in the article. Difference between NIS2 and ISO 27001.

How to start building information security in a company?

Recommended procedure for companies that do not yet have a formalised security programme:

1. Inventory of information assets - what you have, where it is located, and who has access to it (both digital and physical)
2. Risk analysis - what threats exist, and their likelihood and impact
3. Security policy - rules for handling information, passwords, access rights and sharing
4. Technical measures MFA, encryption, monitoring, backups, patches
5. Physical measures - access cards, shredding, physical security of servers
6. Training - regular employee training (mandatory under NIS2)
7. Continuous monitoring and inspection - security is not a one-off project

If you are a regulated entity under NIS2, we recommend starting with a security audit. SecureOn will carry out a gap analysis of your current status against Act 264/2025 Coll. And prepare a concrete plan. You can read more about the CNISS and registration in the article. What is NÚKIB and what does it do.