Secure networking is a set of policies, practices, and technologies that ensure unauthorized users do not access network resources and data. In addition to preventing unauthorized access, network security protects against unauthorized modification and denial of resources. These security controls include firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and email security.
Reliability and Security
Whether your network is designed for industrial automation or a personal computer, network reliability and security are critical factors.
Network reliability refers to how reliable your infrastructure is. This can be measured using several formulas, including the mean time between failures (MTBF) and the failure rate (FR). Availability, on the other hand, provides a snapshot of how accessible your infrastructure is. This statistic shows how often your network is up and running, but it gives a limited view of operational performance.
In addition to providing security, network reliability also means providing a reliable network for end users. When the network is unreliable, it may result in a poor user experience and even delayed voice and web page load times.
Security controls
Security controls are critical in ensuring a secure network. They protect data from unauthorized access, viruses, worms, and malware. They also control the behavior of users, including authentication, access levels, and changes made to network infrastructure. Whether implemented on a small scale or not, these measures protect networks from security breaches.
Firewalls
Firewalls are a type of software that allows you to control network access. They work by comparing packets of network traffic with rules and applying the associated action. The firewall will only let packets that match the constraints go through the network. The rules are typically set according to IP addresses or ports. Firewalls can also be configured to filter traffic based on application-level data.
Firewalls are typically installed as a part of a centralized security system. They can be placed near routers and simultaneously impose security policies on multiple networks. This makes the firewall system easy to manage and cost-effective. In addition, firewalls can work at any of the five layers of the OSI-ISO reference model.
Intrusion prevention systems
Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) detect and prevent network attacks. They identify threats by highlighting behaviors that match a database of known threats. However, IPS does not see all threats and is susceptible to false positives. There are three main types of IPS: vulnerability-based detection, signature-based detection, and anomaly-based detection.
Intrusion prevention systems can detect and prevent intrusions by changing the security environment by intercepting suspicious packets or replacing them with warnings. They can also alert system administrators when a security breach has occurred. Furthermore, they can block traffic coming from an offending IP address. Intrusion prevention systems can be network-based or wireless.
Email security
Email and networking security are essential to your company’s overall IT security. This includes the use of anti-malware and virus programs. These tools scan the content of emails to identify dangerous attachments or links. These protections are fundamental if employees use their devices to access the office network. In addition, employers should make sure that their employees do not access email on public Wi-Fi networks. These networks can be a haven for cybercriminals. By accessing them, sensitive data can be stolen and used for malicious purposes.
Segmentation
Network segmentation allows administrators to restrict network access to users in specific segments. This method helps to reduce the attack surface and improve network performance. In addition, this technique helps to isolate active attacks from other parts of the network, reducing network congestion. It also reduces the risk of malware attacks on different network segments.
Network administrators should ensure that the rules and policies are appropriately implemented when using network segmentation. To do this, they should regularly monitor and analyze the network’s performance and traffic. Then, they should perform annual network audits to evaluate their security policies and identify potential security problems.
Threat control
Threat control is an essential component of secure networking. It helps mitigate the risk of cyber attacks, which can cause damage to financial resources, reputation, and customer trust. These threats can originate from anywhere a computer is connected to the internet. This includes disgruntled employees with too much access to the network and malicious insiders. Fortunately, there are several methods of controlling them.
Among these measures are firewalls and intrusion prevention systems. These tools continuously scan network traffic and analyze suspicious packets. They also store a database of known attacks. Network segmentation helps limit the impact of malicious traffic.
