Network Security

Network Security is otherwise known as information security. A secure network will have protection of an organization’s confidential information, with the right security systems installed to keep intruders such as hacker out.

Network security systems today are highly effective against network attacks, or errors made by people inside the organization, such as Data Loss Prevention. One way to facilitating Network Security is to classify large networks, so that an employee would have to be authenticated when they try to access privileged information with application of sophisticated network security software.

Securing a network starts from user authentication with a username and a password. Other types of more sophisticated authentication are security tokens or 'dongles'. Once authenticated, an anti spyware and antivirus firewall enforces access restrictions to the users. Internet network security against computer worms being transmitted over the network require anti spyware and anti malware installation. An intrusion detection system also monitors network traffic for suspicious content etc. to protect the network e.g. from an employee accessing files at unauthorised times. Information exchanges between two hosts using the network can be encrypted to maintain privacy. Events occurring on the network can be tracked for audit purposes and analysis.

A honeypot which is a trap set to detect, attempts at unauthorized use of information systems consists of a network site that seems to be part of a network but is actually an unsecured and monitored trap that seems to have information that would be of value to attackers. The method used by the attackers are then studied during and after an attack to keep an eye on new techniques. Such analysis is then used to improve Network Security being used.