There’s a big difference between data and information, and frankly, not enough people get it. In cybersecurity–and life–that misunderstanding isn’t just annoying. It’s dangerous.

Here’s the short version:

• Data is raw. It’s messy, unfiltered, and full of potential.
• Information is processed. It’s someone else’s version of the story.

And given the choice, I’ll take the data. Every single time.

The Problem With “Information”

When someone gives you “information,” what they’re really giving you is their interpretation of the data. It’s filtered. Simplified. Shaped by their assumptions, their perspective, and sometimes their agenda.

It might be accurate. But it also might not.

Too many people in our industry–and outside it–don’t realize this. They assume that information is objective truth. It isn’t. It’s a summary. A shortcut. And sometimes, a trap.

I’ve seen critical risks buried in “Medium” categories because someone adjusted a dashboard threshold. I’ve watched executive teams make million-dollar decisions based on a sanitized report, never once questioning what got left out.

That’s how bad things happen.

Data = Control

Data, on the other hand, puts the power back in your hands.

Raw data isn’t pretty. It’s not easy. But it’s pure.

When you have the data, you control the analysis. You decide what matters. You can spot the outliers, dig deeper, challenge assumptions, and reach your own conclusions.

Information hands you a conclusion.
Data lets you build your own.

Why This Matters (Especially in Cybersecurity)

In security, trusting someone else’s summary can be the difference between catching a breach and missing it. Between identifying a root cause and chasing your tail. Between protecting your organization and leaving it exposed.

If you’re a CISO, vCISO, or any kind of leader, you need to stop assuming that information is good enough. Ask for the data behind the reports. Learn to question summaries. Understand how conclusions were reached before you trust them.

Otherwise? You’re leading based on someone else’s version of reality.

My Advice: Get Closer to the Source

• Ask to see the raw data.
• Challenge simplified summaries.
• Stop mistaking a polished dashboard for the truth.
• Be willing to dig—even if it’s uncomfortable.

I’m not saying ignore information entirely. But treat it for what it is: a starting point, not an answer.

Bottom line:

In a world obsessed with easy answers, be the person who asks harder questions.

Data is where the truth lives.
Information? That’s just the story someone else decided to tell you.

Personally, I’d rather write my own story.