Computing Atlas

How Computing Was Built
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Field

Information Security

Also Known As InfoSec
Security And Privacy

Information security is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks. Its organizing idea is the balanced protection of three properties, confidentiality, integrity and availability, known as the CIA triad, pursued through policy, engineering and the cryptographic techniques this atlas covers under its own field. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Origin Year
1972 1
The need for computer security appeared during the Second World War, but the field's founding statement of principles is usually dated to the 1972 Anderson Report, so the origin year depends on whether the wartime need or the formal discipline is being dated.
Core Concern
Keeping information confidential, correct and available to the people entitled to it, against both accident and attack. 1
Connections

Associated With

Blockchain, Fields
Claude Shannon, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Claude Shannon
Cryptography, Fields
Source Wikipedia: Cryptography

Includes

Alexander Peslyak, Pioneers
Source Alexander Peslyak (Wikipedia)
Brent Waters, Pioneers
Source Brent Waters (Wikipedia)
Colin Percival, Pioneers
Source Colin Percival (Wikipedia)
Crypt (C), Algorithms
Source Wikipedia: crypt (C)
D. Richard Kuhn, Pioneers
Source D. Richard Kuhn (Wikipedia)
Dan Boneh, Pioneers
Source Dan Boneh, Wikipedia
David Wagner, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: David A. Wagner
Dorothy E. Denning, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Dorothy E. Denning
Edward Felten, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Edward Felten
Elisa Bertino, Pioneers
Source Elisa Bertino, Wikipedia
Gene Spafford, Pioneers
Source Gene Spafford (Wikipedia)
Gutmann Method, Algorithms
Source Wikipedia: Gutmann method
Ian Coldwater, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Ian Coldwater
John Viega, Pioneers
Source John Viega (Wikipedia)
Jung Hee Cheon, Pioneers
Source Jung Hee Cheon (Wikipedia)
L. Jean Camp, Pioneers
Source L. Jean Camp - Wikipedia
Latanya Sweeney, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Latanya Sweeney
Marc Stiegler, Pioneers
Source Marc Stiegler (Wikipedia)
Michael Gregg, Pioneers
Source Michael Gregg (Wikipedia)
N. Asokan, Pioneers
Source N. Asokan, Wikipedia
Neil Daswani, Pioneers
Source Neil Daswani - Wikipedia
Parisa Tabriz, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Parisa Tabriz
Public Key Cryptography, Concepts
Source Wikipedia: Public Key Cryptography
Richard DeMillo, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Richard DeMillo
Robert M. Graham (computer scientist), Pioneers
Source Robert M. Graham (computer scientist) (Wikipedia)
Robert Tappan Morris, Pioneers
Source Robert Tappan Morris (Wikipedia)
Roberto Tamassia, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Roberto Tamassia
Ross J. Anderson, Pioneers
Source Ross J. Anderson (Wikipedia)
Salvatore J. Stolfo, Pioneers
Source Salvatore J. Stolfo (Wikipedia)
Steve Schneider (computer scientist), Pioneers
Source Steve Schneider (computer scientist) (Wikipedia)
Steven M. Bellovin, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Steven M. Bellovin Encyclopedia Article
Sushil Jajodia, Pioneers
Source Sushil Jajodia (Wikipedia)
Vern Paxson, Pioneers
Source Vern Paxson (Wikipedia)
Wenliang Du, Pioneers
Source Wenliang Du (Wikipedia)
Whitfield Diffie, Pioneers
Source Wikipedia: Whitfield Diffie
Willis Ware, Pioneers
Source Willis Ware - Wikipedia
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Information Security
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    Information security (infosec) is the practice of protecting information by mitigating information risks.
  • Lead section
    Information security's primary focus is the balanced protection of data confidentiality, integrity, and availability (known as the CIA triad, unrelated to the US government organization) while maintaining a focus on efficient policy implementation but without hampering organization productivity.
  • History
    The establishment of computer security inaugurated the history of information security.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Whitfield Diffie
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Whitfield Diffie, Awards and honors
Quote, Includes: Whitfield Diffie, Awards and honors
Diffie and Hellman's groundbreaking 1976 paper, 'New Directions in Cryptography', introduced the ideas of public-key cryptography and digital signatures, which are the foundation for most regularly-used security protocols on the internet today." Diffie received an honorary doctorate from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1992.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Cryptography
WikipediaAssociated With: Cryptography, Lead section
Quote, Associated With: Cryptography, Lead section
Core concepts related to information security (data confidentiality, data integrity, authentication and non-repudiation) are also central to cryptography.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Public Key Cryptography
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Public Key Cryptography, Lead section
Quote, Includes: Public Key Cryptography, Lead section
Public-key cryptography, or asymmetric cryptography, is the field of cryptographic systems that use pairs of related keys.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Claude Shannon
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: Claude Shannon, Wartime research section
Quote, Associated With: Claude Shannon, Wartime research section
a turning point, and marked the closure of classical cryptography and the beginning of modern cryptography
View the Source
Wikipedia: Edward Felten
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Edward Felten, Lead
Quote, Includes: Edward Felten, Lead
Felten has done a variety of computer security research, including work on proof-carrying authentication and work on security related to the Java programming language, but he is perhaps best known for his paper on the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) challenge.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Latanya Sweeney
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Latanya Sweeney, Lead
Quote, Includes: Latanya Sweeney, Lead
She is the founder and director of the Public Interest Tech Lab, founded in 2021 with a $3 million grant from the Ford Foundation as well as the Data Privacy Lab.
View the Source
N. Asokan, Wikipedia
Includes: N. Asokan, Lead
Quote, Includes: N. Asokan, Lead
He served as Executive Director of Waterloo’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute from May 2021 to November 2025.
View the Source
Marc Stiegler (Wikipedia)
Includes: Marc Stiegler, Lead
Quote, Includes: Marc Stiegler, Lead
In the late 1990s, his focus shifted to computer security.
View the Source
Robert Tappan Morris (Wikipedia)
Includes: Robert Tappan Morris, Lead
Quote, Includes: Robert Tappan Morris, Lead
He is best known for creating the Morris worm in 1988, considered the first computer worm on the Internet.
View the Source
Ross J. Anderson (Wikipedia)
Includes: Ross J. Anderson, Lead
Quote, Includes: Ross J. Anderson, Lead
Ross John Anderson (15 September 1956-28 March 2024) was a British researcher, author, and industry consultant in security engineering.
View the Source
John Viega (Wikipedia)
Includes: John Viega, Lead
Quote, Includes: John Viega, Lead
is an American computer security author, researcher and professional
View the Source
Colin Percival (Wikipedia)
Includes: Colin Percival, Article text [in-field]
Quote, Includes: Colin Percival, Article text [in-field]
he is also known for developing the Tarsnap online backup service
View the Source
Alexander Peslyak (Wikipedia)
Includes: Alexander Peslyak, Article text [in-field]
Quote, Includes: Alexander Peslyak, Article text [in-field]
is a security specialist from Russia
View the Source
L. Jean Camp - Wikipedia
  • Includes: L. Jean Camp, Lead sentence
    Linda Jean Camp is an American computer scientist whose research concerns information security, with a focus on human-centered design, autonomy, and safety.
  • Includes: L. Jean Camp, Lead paragraph
View the Source
Salvatore J. Stolfo (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Salvatore J. Stolfo, Lead sentence
    Salvatore J. Stolfo is an academic and professor of computer science at Columbia University, specializing in computer security.
  • Includes: Salvatore J. Stolfo, Lead paragraph
View the Source
Wikipedia: David A. Wagner
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: David Wagner, Lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: Parisa Tabriz
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Parisa Tabriz, Lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: Dorothy E. Denning
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Dorothy E. Denning, Lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: Steven M. Bellovin Encyclopedia Article
Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Steven M. Bellovin, Lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: Ian Coldwater
Includes: Ian Coldwater, Lead paragraphView the Source
Neil Daswani - Wikipedia
Includes: Neil Daswani, Lead paragraphView the Source
Elisa Bertino, Wikipedia
Includes: Elisa Bertino, Lead paragraphView the Source
Dan Boneh, Wikipedia
Includes: Dan Boneh, Lead paragraphView the Source
Michael Gregg (Wikipedia)
Includes: Michael Gregg, Lead paragraphView the Source
Gene Spafford (Wikipedia)
Includes: Gene Spafford, Lead paragraphView the Source
D. Richard Kuhn (Wikipedia)
Includes: D. Richard Kuhn, Lead paragraphView the Source
Robert M. Graham (computer scientist) (Wikipedia)
Includes: Robert M. Graham (computer scientist), Lead paragraphView the Source
Steve Schneider (computer scientist) (Wikipedia)
Includes: Steve Schneider (computer scientist), Lead paragraphView the Source
Vern Paxson (Wikipedia)
Includes: Vern Paxson, Lead paragraphView the Source
Brent Waters (Wikipedia)
Includes: Brent Waters, Lead paragraphView the Source
Sushil Jajodia (Wikipedia)
Includes: Sushil Jajodia, Lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: Gutmann method
Includes: Gutmann Method, Lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: crypt (C)
Includes: Crypt (C), Lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: Richard DeMillo
Includes: Richard DeMillo, Infobox field and known_for, lead paragraphView the Source
Wikipedia: Roberto Tamassia
Includes: Roberto Tamassia, Lead
Quote, Includes: Roberto Tamassia, Lead
His research specialty is in the design and analysis of algorithms for graph drawing, computational geometry, and computer security.
View the Source
Willis Ware - Wikipedia
Includes: Willis Ware, Lead
Quote, Includes: Willis Ware, Lead
He was also a pioneer of privacy rights, social critic of technology policy, and a founder in the field of computer security.
View the Source
Wenliang Du (Wikipedia)
Includes: Wenliang Du, Lead
Quote, Includes: Wenliang Du, Lead
He was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in 2023 for his contributions to cybersecurity education and research.
View the Source
Jung Hee Cheon (Wikipedia)
Includes: Jung Hee Cheon, Lead
Quote, Includes: Jung Hee Cheon, Lead
His research interests include computational number theory, cryptology, and information security.
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.