In this article we would try to enlighten you about network security. We would discuss what network security is, what the threats that you face on the network are, or your network faces and what measures could be taken to make networks secure, hence guaranteeing protection of data and information.
Network means a collection of two or more computers which are connected together via some medium it can be air (wireless) or cable. Network security is a branch of networking that is encompasses strategies, policies and standard operating procedures that make the network secure from various threats like unauthorized access or misuse. These policies are generally adopted and implemented by the network administrator.
A decade ago network security was considered to be a very complex domain and few highly skilled people were technically equipped for this area, but as the networks expanded and more and more organizations and companies became connected the demand for network security increased. When talking about network security we have to address to basic areas, absolute access and absolute security. Ironically both of these terms that are basis for network security are totally contradictory. Absolute security is achieved only by totally disconnecting a computer, that is as far as the computer remains connected it remains vulnerable and absolute access means giving everyone total control and access of your network which is again totally against the concept of network security. So network security is all about creating a balance between these two objectives. We have to give access to users to our network and we also must make our network secure. A network which maintains the balance is considered ideal with respect to network security. While making a network secure, network security has three main and basic principles, these principles are also known as the Ds of network security, these are:
· Defense
· Deterrence
· Detection
Defense is the first layer of network security and is easiest to understand and implement. Defense means you must protect your network and valuable assets in form of data and information so that they are less vulnerable to an attack. Usually a good firewall will do the job and most of the companies rely on firewalls to defend themselves from known and unknown threats. The second layer of network security is deterrence. Deterrence demands strict laws and disciplines for the users of network so that they must not violate the companies security laws. It is the basic idea behind laws that are made for cyber security. Deterrence may also refer to measures taken before hand to repel attacks. The third and most important principle of network security is detection. Detection refers to the ability of the protective measures to successfully detect an attack. Detection can be achieved by installing anti spyware and intrusion detection systems. Detection is considered extremely important in finding security breaches and then later on addressing them. When implemented correctly, these three principle guarantee network security.
After understanding network security, now let us see what the major threats that a network faces are. These threats are:
1. Malicious programs
2. Denial of Service
3. Unauthorized access
4. Data destruction
Malicious Programs:
Malicious programs are viruses, spywares, and Trojans that disrupt or try to disrupt the normal functionality of a network. A malicious program or virus can quickly spread through a network, infecting all the computers that are connected to the network. This can result in partial or complete breakdown of the network. Malicious programs can damage data that is stored across the network on various computers and can make some of the resources of network unavailable for some users.
To protect your network from malicious programs and ensure network security you must use good antivirus and anti spyware programs that have high detection rates and are equipped with latest scanning techniques like behavioral detection and heuristics.
Denial of Service:
One of the most important issues that need to be addressed in network security is protection against denial of service or distributed denial of service attacks. These attacks are very easy to launch and yet extremely difficult to detect and repel. Network security addresses this issue by implementing a specific procedure through which multiple requests could be sent to a server. But still no proper solution have been identified for this problem so far.
Unauthorized Access:
Unauthorized access means access of network by persons or machines that are not entitled to or eligible of using that network. Unauthorized access may result in illicit command execution, data loss, and confidentiality breach and identity theft. Network security demands that strict rules must be made and implemented to access a network. All important hardware components must be placed inside a secure premises. Strong passwords must be used to gain access to network. Strong encryption techniques must be used to protect sensitive data. Encryption must be used if your network uses wireless medium.
Data Destruction:
Data destruction means damage to data that is stored across a network. A majority of attacks on networks result in complete or partial data loss. By implementing the three principles of network security we can protect our valuable data from attackers.
Conclusion:
Network security is a very complex field. Making a network absolutely secure is almost impossible. While talking about network security an old saying comes into mind, “a chain is as strong as its weakest link”. Similarly a network is as secure as its least secure node, an attacker would always try to attack on the weakest node so it’s very important to secure all the computers and devices that are connected to a network.
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