Information value is the benefit a data set provides to decisions compared with the cost of collecting, maintaining, and using it. In cyber security, this helps teams judge whether logs, alerts, telemetry, or business records are worth the storage, review, and processing effort they require. Data with high information value improves detection, incident response, fraud checks, compliance, and access decisions. Low-value data can create noise, raise costs, and hide real threats.
Attackers also care about information value. They often target credentials, internal documents, source code, configuration files, and customer records because those data sets can unlock more access or enable extortion. Defenders use the same idea to prioritize protections: retain useful audit logs, validate critical records, and avoid collecting data that does not improve security outcomes. Good security design protects the information that changes decisions, not just the information that is easiest to store.