Information Assurance: A career worth investigating
Imagine your organisation’s most critical systems failing overnight—your customers locked out, your data compromised, and your reputation in tatters. This isn’t just a nightmare scenario; it’s the reality for many businesses.
Cyber threats are no longer occasional inconveniences—they’re relentless, evolving, and capable of dismantling entire organisations. From ransomware attacks targeting small businesses to large-scale breaches exposing millions of records, everyone reliant on technology is a potential target. But the problem isn’t just external attackers; vulnerabilities within systems, rapid-fire development cycles, and a lack of clear communication can leave even the best teams exposed.
Information Assurance (IA) isn’t just about protecting data—it’s about ensuring trust. It’s the invisible backbone of every secure transaction, every functioning system, and every customer relationship. As we move faster and adopt more complex technologies, the risks grow, but so do the opportunities to build resilience.
The demand for IA professionals is skyrocketing globally, with job postings for risk analysts, security auditors, and compliance officers expected to grow by over 30% in the next five years.
The reasons are clear:
Businesses need people who can see the bigger picture, balancing technical security with ethical responsibility.
They need professionals who can simplify complexity, cut through jargon, and build systems that are as secure as they are sustainable.
I was reminded of this in a member meetup, our discussion including what Information Assurance really means, its evolution over time, and why it’s critical in today’s digital landscape. We talked about the challenges IA professionals face—from the weaponization of agile to the need for a clear, logical approach to systems management—and the practical steps our industry needs to take to strengthen defences. We also considered the ethical responsibilities that come with safeguarding information in an increasingly interconnected world.
What is Information Assurance?
At its core, Information Assurance is about ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, availability, and authenticity of information systems. It’s not just about locking down systems or installing firewalls—it’s about maintaining trust, both within the organization and with the people who rely on its services.
Historically, IA was referred to as “data security” or “risk management,” terms that focused narrowly on protection from outside threats. But as technology evolved, so did the concept. Information Assurance now encompasses not just protection but resilience—ensuring that systems can withstand and recover from disruptions while maintaining critical operations.
Why Information Assurance Matters
Imagine your customers’ data being weaponised (do I have the correct spelling?) against them or your business brought to a standstill by a ransomware attack. Cyber threats are designed to erode and exploit trust and undermine an entire operation for ill gotten gain.
Information Assurance goes beyond simply reacting to attacks—it’s about building systems that can withstand them. It’s the difference between a minor disruption and a catastrophic failure. IA ensures that systems are not only secure but that people can trust the organisation behind those systems.
As we adopt technology faster every year, use more agile processes, and embrace digital transformation, the potential for vulnerabilities grows - and we have all seen the results of hasty patch management recently. Information Assurance steps in to bridge the gap, ensuring that innovation doesn’t outpace security and that trust isn’t sacrificed in the name of speed.
Challenges in Information Assurance
Despite its importance, Information Assurance faces several challenges in practice:
The Weaponisation of Agile
Agile development methods are designed for speed and flexibility, but when security isn’t baked into the process, vulnerabilities proliferate. The very adaptability that makes agile powerful can become a liability when corners are cut, leaving systems exposed.Logical Systems Management
Modern systems are complex, interconnected, often chaotic and riddled with technical / technology debt. Without a clear, structured approach to managing these systems, organisations can fall into a cycle of reactive fixes that solve immediate problems but have the potential to also create long-term vulnerabilities.Communication Barriers
The ability to communicate clearly and confidently about risks is critical for Information Assurance professionals. Yet too often, technical discussions are bogged down by jargon— someone in our member meetup called it “word salad” - that alienates stakeholders and hinders decision-making. Effective IA requires plain, relatable language that bridges the gap between technical experts and business leaders.
Ethical Action in Information Assurance
At the heart of Information Assurance lies a profound ethical responsibility. IA professionals are not just gatekeepers of security—they are stewards of trust. Their decisions can impact privacy, equity, and even societal stability.
Ethical action in IA means:
Transparency: Organisations must be honest about risks and incidents, fostering trust through openness.
Inclusivity: Systems should serve all users equitably, avoiding designs that marginalise certain groups.
Long-term Thinking: Ethical IA prioritises sustainable practices over short-term wins, recognising that trust, once lost, is hard to regain.
What does an Information Assurance role involve?
SFIA (the Skills Framework of the Information Age) describes an Information Assurance roles as “Protecting against and managing risks related to the use, storage and transmission of data and information systems.”
Activities include, but are not limited to:
management of risk in a pragmatic and cost-effective manner to ensure stakeholder confidence
formal system certification and accreditation
assessing the effectiveness of cryptographic controls
technical assessment and evaluation to determine control effectiveness.
Information and data are typically protected by following five principles:
availability - ensuring authorised users can easily access the information they need
integrity - protecting information from unauthorised modification, retrieval or deletion
authenticity - validating the identity of users and devices
confidentiality - restricting access to authorised users only
non-repudiation - preventing possible denial that an action occurred by ensuring data is true to its origin.
The SFIA framework includes responsibility progression descriptions which can be used for developing a position description and monitoring capability improvement. A great toolkit.
Two things I think are absent from SFIA and pivotal in this field are:
the ability to communicate complex risks and solutions in plain terms
ensuring that equity, privacy and transparency are embedded into every decision.
A career worth investigating?
Information Assurance is more than just a technical field—it’s the foundation of trust in a digital-first world. As cyber threats grow more sophisticated and the stakes rise, IA professionals are on the frontlines, ensuring that organisations can adapt and thrive without compromising security or ethics.
The future of Information Assurance isn’t just about protecting systems; it’s about building a digital landscape that people can rely on. Whether your focus is on developing software, managing infrastructure, or setting strategy, IA is your shield, your strategy, and your commitment to doing things right.
Nobody can wait for a breach to highlight the gaps in their defences any longer - so this is a very proactive field.
Definitely worth investigating as a career path.
