Omolade Ajibade

Mar 09, 2022

Network Security

We live in a digital era where different devices, computers, laptops, smartphones, home, and office appliances, and other gadgets are connected via the Internet. Hence it’s high time to protect the accessibility and integrity of the computer networks using hardware and software technologies, broadly termed as network security. Due to a lack of network security, in 2022, hackers gained access to the  of Marriott International using employee login credentials. Network security is undoubtedly a diverse field that combines different defence mechanisms at the physical and software layers. That’s why we need to understand the importance of network security, its types, and implementation.

It doesn’t matter whether you own a local or a multinational company; the primary responsibility is to protect the network infrastructure from theft, misuse, and unauthorized access to confidential information. It’s commonly known as network security.

In the modern digital world, the network architecture is complex. That’s why it’s crucial to deploy a network security layer model with the following three controls:

Businesses around the world have confidential company and clients' data which they should protect at any cost.

Furthermore, it’s not just the cloud services, banks, data centres, or IT companies that require network security. Instead, all the professionals, such as schools, law firms, event management companies, hotel chains, retailers, and others, should implement advanced network security rules to protect confidential information and within organization communication.

Before discussing different types of network security, it’s important to understand the current network threats. The goal of the attackers and intruders is to harm, breach, access, and sabotage confidential and valuable information, future plans, financial figures, and client information stored on the network.

Network threats can be of different types, such as:

The active and passive network security attacks are further categorized based on the method used by the hackers, such as:

In addition to network security controls, organizations can protect their network by implementing the following network security methods:

Network Access Control (NAC)

Businesses shouldn’t offer access to everyone to their network, and this means that they should only authorize the known users and devices.

By enforcing strict access control policies, companies prevent non-compliant and unknown devices from accessing the network. Alternatively, the guest users can have limited access to some shared files and folders.

Antimalware and Antivirus Software

Many organizations invest in installing state-of-the-art antivirus software on the end-points to protect against:

Firewall Protection

A firewall serves as a protective layer or barrier between the company’s network and the untrusted or suspicious external network.

It’s the responsibility of the administrator to define specific security rules. As a result, the firewall monitors and decides to allow or block incoming traffic according to the predefined security rules.

The organizations can implement any of the following types of firewalls:

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

As the name suggests, a VPN creates a virtual tunnel from the network to an external endpoint. For example, the employees extensively use secure VPNs to connect to the company’s network while working remotely from home.

Once the user authenticates, the VPN allows encrypted communication between the employee and the network.

Application Security

In addition to monitoring and scanning the incoming and outgoing traffic, the application or software should be protected. The application contains vulnerabilities that intruders can use to gain access to the network. For example, the users should download the application from an authentic source or website.

No network in the world can claim to be 100 percent secure. The attackers can exploit network security vulnerabilities or unprotected points to gain unauthorized access. Not only that, but the attackers can install malware, steal, modify, or destroy sensitive information.

These vulnerabilities include:

Businesses need to develop and implement a detailed risk assessment mechanism. First, the network security professionals should identify all the present and potential network threats and evaluate the aftermath.

The next step is to define the network security policies and rules and implement firewalls to prevent the attackers from exploiting the vulnerabilities.

The digital revolution has completely transformed the world and our working style. Therefore, it’s vital for the organization to protect its network and customer data from attackers. Network security isn’t just about protecting the network but it also saves the reputation and integrity of a company.

Therefore, all companies should use advanced tools, antivirus software, and network security utilities to prevent intruders from infiltrating the network.