You probably know about the most prevalent security holes and how a breach may cause a company to lose money or face legal consequences. Restricting access to sensitive files, networks, and other digital resources is the only way to safeguard sensitive business and consumer data. The importance of network security becomes apparent here. Read this article thoroughly to learn about network security, operations, types, and benefits.
Network Security
Network security protects your network’s data from a security breach that could result in data loss, sabotage, or illegal usage. The system’s goals are to ensure stored data’s safety and provide consistent access to that data for those who utilize the network.
Network security solutions also assist organizations in providing information, services, and goods to their clients safely and dependably. Numerous dangers could harm your network, each targeting a different aspect of your system.
The measures used by a company to defend its network may differ from one another.
Still, the fundamental purpose of network security is the same for all businesses: to maintain the confidentiality of commercial information, the integrity of data, and the availability of corporate resources at all times.
An organization must implement network security as a crucial component to protect its interests and function effectively.
Today, an organization’s financial success is not solely based on sophisticated marketing methods and revenue flow.
Businesses increasingly rely on the Internet for rapid communication and lightning-fast transactions.
Cybercriminals and hackers, on the other hand, are constantly finding methods to disrupt, steal, and corrupt the flow of data as it moves on the information expressway.
Generally, network security includes things like network access control, IT security policies, application security, vulnerability patch management, network penetration testing, data loss prevention, antivirus software, endpoint detection and response (EDR), email security, wireless security, IDS/IPS, network segmentation, SIEM, web security, MFA, VPN, and endpoint detection and response (EDR).
Network security is more crucial than ever as threat actors seek methods to profit from the worldwide epidemic and work-from-home culture.
Network Security in Cyber Security
To emphasize this, network security is a branch of cybersecurity focusing on guarding computer networks against cyberattacks. Network security has three primary goals: preventing unwanted access to network resources, detecting and stopping ongoing cyberattacks and security breaches, and ensuring authorized users have secure access to the network resources they require when needed.
The risk of cyberattack increases as networks grow in size and complexity. According to IBM's Cost of a Data Breach 2022 report, 83% of firms polled had more than one data breach. These attacks were costly. The global average data breach cost is USD 4.35 million, whereas the US average cost is more than twice that amount, USD 9.44 million.
Identiaetwork security protects the integrity of network infrastructure, resources, and traffic to prevent such attacks and reduce their financial and operational impact.
Network Security Device
In addition to the numerous network devices that every organization should have, various network security tools and devices can help you defend your network. While networking security products were typically installed as on-premise network security hardware or virtual appliances, many vendors and business clients have shifted to cloud-based solutions in recent years.
While most security solutions are proprietary, some open-source options are accessible. The following is a list of the most common network security device types that can help you protect your network against the ever-changing threat landscape.
#1. Firewall
Firewalls are a significant protective security measure for medium and large businesses. The perimeter firewall protects the network from the Internet and is well-known to most people. A firewall can be a separate system or embedded into other devices, such as routers or servers. Some firewalls, available in both hardware and software formats, are designed explicitly as appliances to divide two networks.
Their principal job is to filter out undesirable network traffic, preventing intrusions into an organization’s systems. The behavior of the firewall is governed by policies that take one of two forms.
- Allow listing: only traffic marked as safe is allowed, while all other traffic is prohibited.
- Block listing: Unless specifically identified as dangerous, all traffic is allowed.
#2. Proxy Firewall
Proxy firewalls operate between remote users and servers at the OSI model’s application layer. They conceal both entities’ identities, ensuring that each party only recognizes the proxy. This configuration provides strong protection between public and private networks. Proxy firewalls can efficiently protect sensitive applications by operating at the application level. They support advanced authentication techniques such as passwords and fingerprints, which increase security.
Users can also configure these firewalls to filter specific packets, such as potentially malicious EXE files. They frequently incorporate comprehensive logging to examine server communications. However, the high level of security comes at the expense of speed and cost due to significant data processing at the application level.
#3. Web Application Firewall
Web application firewalls (WAFs) protect web applications by enforcing specified HTTP rules. Because online programs must keep specific ports open, they are vulnerable to targeted internet attacks such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. Unlike proxy firewalls, which primarily protect clients, WAFs protect servers. WAFs are notable for their capacity to detect the onset of distributed denial of service (DDoS) assaults, manage the traffic surge, and determine the source of the attack.
#4. Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
The fundamental goal of an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is to improve cybersecurity by detecting unauthorized actions or harmful entities within a network as soon as they occur. This early detection removes the threat quickly, limiting breaches or disruptions. IDS helps improve security mechanisms against similar threats by logging these events.
Despite the availability of effective safety mechanisms, network intrusions are unavoidable. An intrusion detection system (IDS) ensures that such security flaws are immediately disclosed to administrators, allowing prompt response. Furthermore, IDS deployment helps to highlight potential weaknesses, providing insights into places that attackers may exploit.
Types of Network Security
#1. Network Access Control
With enterprises embracing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, having a solution that delivers the visibility, access control, and compliance capabilities required to reinforce your network security infrastructure is vital.
Network Access Control (NAC) is a network solution that restricts network resources and infrastructure access to only compliant, authenticated, and trusted endpoint devices.
A network access control (NAC) system uses MAC address control and the SNMP protocol to keep insecure nodes from infecting the network by blocking network access, putting them in quarantine, or limiting their access to computing resources.
An NAC solution can also segregate guests from your internal network by recognizing all devices placed into network switch ports and remotely disabling a rogue device from the switch port without involving technical help.
#2. Application Security
The process of building, adding, and testing security measures within programs to prevent security vulnerabilities against threats such as unauthorized access and modification is known as application security.
Veracode’s State of Software Security survey found that 83% of the 85,000 programs assessed have at least one security issue. Many had many more, as their analysis discovered ten million problems, with 20% of all apps having at least one high-severity flaw. Organizations must do routine application security testing to uncover and remediate code issues.
Cyber-attackers will be discouraged from compromising or exploiting vital web applications.
#3. Vulnerability Administration
Vulnerability management is the ongoing process of finding, prioritizing, correcting, and reporting system security flaws.
To fix security vulnerabilities on target systems, network assets are found, classified, and reported on.
Vulnerability management is crucial today because attackers continuously search the internet for weaknesses and exploit previous vulnerabilities that remain unpatched on corporate systems.
#4. Network Penetration Testing
Network penetration testing is an attempt to analyze and evaluate the security of an IT infrastructure by safely exploiting vulnerabilities.
These faults could occur in operating systems, services, and applications, incorrect firewall configurations, or dangerous end-user behavior.
One of the critical reasons why penetration testing is crucial to a company’s cyber security program is that it teaches employees how to deal with hostile cyberattacks.
Penetration testing can also determine whether a company’s security policies are functioning and effective in preventing attacks.
#5. Antivirus Protection
Antivirus software prevents, detects, and removes viruses from a computer.
Most antivirus software will operate automatically in the background once installed to give real-time protection against virus threats.
A plethora of new viruses are discovered regularly; therefore, it is necessary to have antivirus software installed and configured to automatically update the most recent detection files to remain ahead of the loads of dangerous code that run rampant on the internet.
Malware authors today are pretty knowledgeable about exploiting holes in computer systems.
Anti-virus software can be used as the first line of defense to keep viruses from infecting computer systems.
#6. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
Endpoint detection and response technology is a solution that continually monitors endpoint system activity and events.
Additionally, EDR gives security professionals the necessary visibility to find occurrences that would otherwise go undetected.
EDR is helpful because it displays how the attacker accessed the system and what they performed while inside.
EDR can detect malicious behavior on an endpoint caused by zero-day exploits, sophisticated, persistent threats, and fileless or malware-free attacks that leave no signatures and hence avoid legacy anti-virus.
Network Security Toolkit
Network Security Toolkit (NST) is a live DVD/USB flash drive based on Linux that contains a collection of free and open-source computer security and networking utilities for performing average security and networking diagnostic and monitoring activities. The distribution is used for network security investigation, validation, and monitoring on virtual machine servers.
The NST WUI is a web interface that allows users to access several of NST’s features and functions. In this interface, you can access many tools for managing networks, like ntop, a Network Interface Bandwidth Monitor, a Network Segment ARP Scanner, a session manager for VNC, a minicom-based terminal server, monitoring serial ports, and managing WPA PSK.
There is a browser-based system that can monitor up to four network interfaces using Wireshark, a Snort-based intrusion detection system, and visualize data from ntopng, ntop, Wireshark, traceroute, NetFlow, and kismet by geolocating host addresses and IPv4 address conversation. There is also a JavaScript console with a built-in object library and functions that help web developers create dynamic websites.
Network Security Key
A network security key is your password to log in to a Wi-Fi network. It connects the router to the devices connected to the Wi-Fi network. A network security key protects a Wi-Fi network and its users from snoops or attackers attempting to use your connection.
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), and Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) are the four types of network security keys used by most Wi-Fi networks.
Every three months, you should change your network security key. This will disconnect all devices from your network and allow only those with the new password to reconnect. You have complete control over who has access to your Wi-Fi network.
A network security key allows you to connect to a Wi-Fi network. This security precaution prevents illegal devices from joining the Wi-Fi network. Typically, the network administrator or the owner of the Wi-Fi router sets the network key.
What Is Network Security?
Network security includes everything you do to keep your network and data safe and usable. Hardware and software tools are both part of it. It goes after many kinds of threats. They can’t get into or spread through your network. Good network protection controls access to the network.
How Does Network Security Work?
Network security involves multiple layers of defense at the network’s edge and within the network. Policies and controls are activated at each level of the network’s protection. Authorized users can access network resources, but bad actors cannot carry out attacks or threats.
What Are the Three Elements of Network Security?
The four most crucial network security components are firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), network access control (NAC), and security information and event management (SIEM).
How Can I Secure My Network?
- Change the name of your home Wi-Fi network.
- Create a solid and unique wireless network password.
- Turn on network encryption.
- Disable network name broadcasting.
- Keep the software on your router up-to-date.
- Make sure you have a solid firewall in place.
- To gain access to your network, use VPNs.
What Are Some Examples of Network Security?
NAC (network access control) can be configured to the most granular level. For example, you may give administrators complete network access but prohibit access to specific confidential folders or prevent their devices from connecting to the network.
Is Network Security the Same as Cyber Security?
According to this viewpoint, cybersecurity is a subset of information security concerned with protecting an organization’s internet-connected systems from potential cyberattacks. In contrast, network security is a subset of cybersecurity concerned with protecting an organization’s IT infrastructure from online threats.
What Are the Basics of Security?
The four fundamental security principles are access, authentication, authorization, and accounting. Use physical and software safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to your hardware or data. Access constraints in hardware typically refer to physical access limits. Access constraints in software usually refer to both physical and virtual ways.
Conclusion
Many cyber security projects have changed their focus to protecting remote workers because of the unpredictability of the pandemic that dominated the global landscape.
Standard methods of protecting a network were also discussed.
This is by no means an all-inclusive list of network security types, but it does highlight the essential measures that should be in place to protect networks and deter hackers.
Now, more than ever, network security teams might benefit from taking a creative approach.
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