Internet has made earth as global village because of its wide network. This network facility has its merits as well as demerits. One of its demerit is that you are no more secure if you did not adopt security measures while going online. You can not live without this world wide network of computers. You have to connect with internet for multiple purposes and there are high chances of security leakage. You can loose your privacy and very sensitive data if you did not care about security. Network security becomes compulsory for corporate level business because breach of security can ruin it badly.
Definition
Network security consists of all practices that protect or prevent unauthorized access to any network. It is the process of aquiring all measures to secure underlying corporate network from misuse, unauthentic access, destruction, disclosure, malfunction, modification. And it provide secure platform to business or company for performing their routine tasks. It is not only software related security but also physical risk avoidance.
Network Security Procedure
If I i put procedure of network security in a nutshell, I will divide it into only three phases that are protection, detection and reaction. First step is risk aversing strategy which comprises of security measures such as password, physical locking and configuration of network properly. Second step is the detection of the suspected activity such as disturbance or modification in configuration or any other network problem which indicates danger. And third and final step is the action after detection of unauthorized intrusion. Your action should be rapid after detection of risk and your safety shield should be strong.
Security experts recommend multiple layers of security they discourage one line security system because it can be hacked easily. Cisco is the company which works about infrastructures of networks. It divide network security into following points.
Methods of Security
Control of Access:
This method consists of procedure and measures which block unauthentic network access to devices and users. In this control only permitted users can work in only allowed rights to resources.
Malware protection:
You should program your security system in such way that it can understand the malware behaviour and stop it. Trojans,worms and viruses can harm your system worsly so they should be avoided.
Application authentication
You should use software, hardware registration strategy to allow limited apps to access system which will remove any threat of unauthorized access.
Analysis of network behaviour
Your security system should be well awared of the normal behaviour of your network to tackle abnormal activity fast.
Data security
Weakest security point of any network are the human beings who are the part of that corporation or organization. You should implement steps to avoid any data leakage through your network. Your network should resist the data sending outside the network by the staff deliberately.
Email and phishing security
Most of the attackers uses phishing technique to attack the network. You should think one step farward to the attackers. You should use email and attachments security techniques to avoid any phishing attack.
Use of Firewalls
Firewall is the border between your LAN and internet. It allows only predefined resources to be accessed by world outside your internal network.
Wireless devices and mobiles
Mobiles and wireless devices are big threats which to your network. They have many potential security loop holes.
Traffic segmentation
Segmentation of traffic into different traffic categories and making multiple rules for variety of traffic groups.
Virtual Private Network
It is widely named as VPN which is the tool that secure the device and network communication by creating an encrypted and secure tunnel across the internet.
Website security
Internal web use is also potential threat for your network security because browsers can become vector in infection of your network. Any network administrator should use all above said protocols to avoid any network security problem. Most of administrators uses these security measures to stay secure.
