The (Social) Construction of Information Security

To solve societal problems of access to information, the scientific discipline of information security is vital. However, its implicit philosophy of physical containment is not practical anymore due to increased connectivity. To enable authorities to overcome their struggle with requirements and regulation, this paper provides a revision of these foundations, based on the system-theoretic notion of causal insulation, in comparison with existing technical approaches. From this perspective, it discusses differences and similarities between physical, digital and social protection mechanisms for information, defines basic concepts, and lays the foundations for a better understanding of the role of information security in society.