Privacy Incidents vs Information Security Incidents - secuguru/security-terms GitHub Wiki

“Privacy incidents” and “information security incidents” are distinct but often related terms in cybersecurity, each with its focus and implications:

  1. Privacy Incidents:
  • Privacy incidents involve the unauthorized or accidental access, disclosure, or misuse of personal information, like names, addresses, or health data. These incidents primarily concern the privacy rights of individuals and can result in legal and regulatory implications, especially under laws like GDPR or HIPAA.
    • Example: An employee unintentionally shares sensitive customer information with unauthorized individuals.
  1. Information Security Incidents:
  • Information security incidents cover a broader range of threats to information systems, including breaches that impact data integrity, availability, and confidentiality. These incidents may affect any type of data, not limited to personal information, and often involve threats like malware, unauthorized access, or denial-of-service attacks.
  • Example: A system intrusion where a hacker compromises a database, potentially impacting data integrity and security.

Understanding the difference is crucial because privacy incidents generally trigger specific privacy-related response actions, whereas information security incidents focus more broadly on protecting systems and data.