Currently, the use of information is a great ally for companies from different industries. However, along with this, comes the need to protect this information with what is called information security. But do you know what the pillars of information security are?

This article will address these pillars to bring greater clarification and knowledge on the topic, which is of great importance.

Importance of Information Security

Information security works to protect the data and information that a company has against external attacks and data theft. That is because, with technological transformation, the data that a company owns has become one of its most important and valuable assets.

Also, concerning data from third parties, such as customers, it is essential to have protection for a company to work in compliance with the Brazilian legislation that deals with the matter.

In this sense, the company must have excellent information security behavior, with strategies and mechanisms that are efficient and guarantee the integrity and complete security of all data. 

To guide the entire protection network, some pillars are used to obtain the maximum level of security.

They are the following:

• Confidentiality;
• Integrity;
• Availability.

In the following topics, take a look at what each of the pillars described above means to understand more how information security works.

Learn More About Confidentiality

With the Confidentiality pillar, information security works with limited access to the content of stored data. Access to information can only be allowed to authorized people.

With that, not everyone can have unrestricted access, and the system is designed to open information exclusively under authorization.

Learn More About Integrity

In addition to the pillar above, Integrity is another one that must be respected so that information security is robust and adequate.

In other words, integrity means that there must be confirmation that the information is truthful. For this, the pillar protects the data so that it is not tampered with or changed without the proper authorization of those who have access.

Visit our website and find other articles like this one to learn more about information security and related topics of great importance!

Learn More About Availability

Furthermore, the third pillar is Availability, which states that, whenever necessary, data will be available for access. Of course, as the pillars are complementary, this one is only valid for authorized accesses.

Therefore, it offers, within the system, the guarantee that data will not be deleted or relocated and that it can be requested and accessed by authorized people, entities, or processes when it is necessary to have access to the stored information.

So, by integrating these three main pillars, an organization is robust and prepared to offer what the information needs in terms of security.

When all pillars are in place, the company does not have the risk of losing data, suffering unwanted changes, or even theft or unwanted leaks.

This is all thanks to the pillars guiding the protection system and that will work whenever something contrary to the guidelines is identified, such as in the case of an unauthorized person trying to gain access to information.

Also, depending on the type of system created, whenever an attack attempt happens, it is recorded in the system so that further action can be taken, such as investigation and verification of where the found threat came from.

With this, this type of system becomes even more secure and data is more protected.

Therefore, it is through these pillars that companies must protect data they have and that is of great value to their activities and to prevent the law from being breached, especially in relation to customer data and information.

That is because companies that keep personal customer information must maintain strict confidentiality and are responsible for protecting this data, under penalty of even suffering legal consequences.

Thus, the use of information security is extremely important and must always be done carefully, using what is most developed in the industry, because it is one of the segments in which updates and the speed of monitoring must be compatible with the emergence of new systems.

In a world of constantly evolving technology, SysAdmin is one of the oldest and most in-demand roles in the technology field. 

While not always getting all the glory, SysAdmin is a critical piece of the technology organization and essential to the success of a business.

SysAdmin or Systems Administrator is the person responsible for configuring and managing a company’s entire infrastructure, including all the hardware, software, and operating systems required to support the business’ operations.

With the evolution of DevOps, traditional SysAdmin has become a more hybrid role, often wearing multiple hats and helping with a variety of tasks and actions that may require some development and programming. 

As such, this type of administrator must have a solid knowledge of hardware and software to effectively configure a resilient and secure architecture to protect the business and ensure a seamless customer experience.

Keep reading and learn more about the responsibilities of a SysAdmin and the differences between SysAdmin and DevOps.

What does a SysAdmin do?

SysAdmins are always available, whether it is to update their company’s software or repair a corrupt SQL database. Here are other tasks that IT professionals do that you might not even notice:

• A SysAdmin installed the server for this website, installed an operating system, fixed it for security, made sure the power and router were working in the server room, monitored stability, configured the software, and kept backups in case anything goes wrong. 
• Another SysAdmin installed the routers, laid the cables, set up the networks, set up the firewalls, watched and guided the traffic for each hop of the network that passes through copper, fiberglass, and even air itself to bring the Internet to your computer. 
• SysAdmins ensure that your computer is working properly on a healthy network. They back up to safeguard and protect the environment from disasters, protect firewalls from security threats and hackers, and keep printers running. 
• A SysAdmin takes care of spam, viruses, malware, spyware, as well as power outages, fires, and floods. 
• When the mail server goes down at 2 am on a Sunday, a SysAdmin is notified, wakes up, and starts working. 
• A system administrator is an expert who plans, takes care, fixes, pushes, defends, protects, and builds good computer networks.

What is the difference between DevOps and SysAdmin?

Since DevOps encompasses so many different tasks and processes, getting to a clear and comprehensive definition is a challenge.

DevOps is not necessarily about individual tools or roles, but rather a set of practices that developers and operators use to deliver software to end-users more holistically and efficiently. It is another philosophy along the lines of Agile that seeks to break down organizational silos and promote cross-functional teamwork and cooperation.

In other words, DevOps represents a convergence of many different spheres within enterprise IT.

Meanwhile, a system administrator, or SysAdmin, is a person responsible for maintaining, configuring, and reliably operating computer systems, especially multi-user computers such as servers.

As the descriptions above show, there is a clear difference between the two. So where does the confusion come from?

Much of the confusion occurs because “DevOps” has become a buzzword in the tech space.

The word “DevOps” has been misused countless times by companies looking to save money and get things done quickly. Using the word to cover up the desire to save money by reducing staff often creates big problems in the future.

Many companies and startups think DevOps engineers can do everything themselves and will solve all their problems once they are hired. This is not the case. It is wrong to think that a DevOps expert can be called upon to clean up all the mess a company has made until now with its infrastructure.

What to do to become a SysAdmin?

Becoming a system administrator will require learning some specialized skills. Earning a certification can bring you the necessary experience and enhance your resume.

As a SysAdmin, you will need to develop a basic set of skills that will allow you to make sure the computer systems in your organization are running smoothly. Here are the key skills you should want on your resume.

• In-depth Knowledge of Operating Systems: Whether Windows, Linux or Mac, hiring managers often look for competence in administering the operating system used in their company. Windows and Linux operating systems have been widely adopted and are good systems to start with, although it is a good idea to see if your industry favors one over the others.
• Hardware Familiarity: Running physical devices such as servers or printers will be an important part of a systems administrator’s job.
• Cloud Administration Skills: Familiarity with cloud applications like Office365, Google Apps, and AWS can boost the hiring process.
  
  
• Networking Knowledge: Being able to configure and maintain Local Area Networks (LAN) and Wide Area Networks (WAN), in addition to configuring network security features such as firewalls, are often expected of system administrators. This can often be the case in smaller companies where IT professionals are expected to play many roles. 
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: In addition to working as a team, system administrators often must help other employees who do not have the same technical knowledge, through help desk support or other means. Being able to communicate well will be a critical part of the success of a system administrator’s daily tasks.

Final Thoughts

A SysAdmin reviews the big picture to ensure their business is running as efficiently and securely as possible.

This means being able to not only survive a major failure, but also protect against minor issues such as security breaches, system failures, and large financial costs.

The latter may seem like an odd role for IT, but think about it. How many computers does your organization have and how often do you replace them? Are you waiting until they are completely obsolete or fail before replacing them?

A large part of a SysAdmin’s job is to plan and maintain an up-to-date system. This means installing a regular hardware routine based on an approved schedule.

If you are interested in the subject, we also recommend reading the article Risks Associated with the Lack of Protection in Cloud Access below.